Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Knowing the mind of God


Grandpa Greenman

Recommended Posts

If there is a god, can a human actually say they know his mind? Even using a so called sacred text, has the question of its origins and intent of author.

Edited by Darkwind
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Knowing the mind of god? What do you actually mean? Cause we don't even know our own minds fully, nor if you were asked if you know my mind, would you? And how?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

People like to claim to know what their god is thinking and what he wants us to do and will point out whatever source they have such as Bible, Quran or other writings they think is form the hand of god. Isn't really ego to claim to know what are a god's intention is or which text is written by a god?

Edited by Darkwind
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't even know if there is a god, let alone what it/she/he thinks. Anyway, is it reasonable to expect that we could come to know the sacred or divine only through the medium of language? Words represent an idea or experience, they are a description, but not the same as having the experience. Do you think maybe claiming to know the mind of god is a way of paring the concept down to something more human, and therefore more understandable? If that is the case, then it's a limiting concept, I think.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

stop twisting words lol no one claims to know the mind of god. they just claim to know what god expects of them. i think its egocentric for someone to think they understand christian beliefs with out having read the whole bible, you should either have the opinion thats its aload of rubbish and ignore it or have a learned opinion by reading the bible and knowing what your talking about.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The good thing about inventing god is you can make up what he thinks about.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And how many priests/politicians say "It is the will of God" before imposing their will on us, or doing something evil. Those people certainly seem to think they know what god thinks, and are not shy in telling us

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

stop twisting words lol no one claims to know the mind of god. they just claim to know what god expects of them. i think its egocentric for someone to think they understand christian beliefs with out having read the whole bible, you should either have the opinion thats its aload of rubbish and ignore it or have a learned opinion by reading the bible and knowing what your talking about.

I have read the whole Bible a couple of times and I still don't get it. How do you or anyone know what god expects of you? How do you know you're reading the right book?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have read the whole Bible a couple of times and I still don't get it. How do you or anyone know what god expects of you? How do you know you're reading the right book?

My friends who are theist Chistians tell me it is love of self and others that is the central point.

doug

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think we can know the mind of God or his nature fully. If you are a Christian, listening to Jesus' word is probably the closest you will get. If you believe God's spirit resides in us, then I suppose following your conscience is probably a very good indicator.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And how many priests/politicians say "It is the will of God" before imposing their will on us, or doing something evil. Those people certainly seem to think they know what god thinks, and are not shy in telling us

Or use it as an excuse, which it is of course.

I don't think we can know the mind of God or his nature fully. If you are a Christian, listening to Jesus' word is probably the closest you will get. If you believe God's spirit resides in us, then I suppose following your conscience is probably a very good indicator.

That is a sane answer.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely NEVER!

But i know what he wants me to know & that is that he knows that i know that he knows. got it? :D good :P

Edited by C235
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My friends who are theist Chistians tell me it is love of self and others that is the central point.

doug

But isn't that the point of most religions? Love us self and others can come from reason, too. But there is a lot of other baggage with religions that have little to do with self love and empathy. If it comes from a sacred book you believe is the word of god is that the word of a god, too? Oh dear, a conundrum.

Edited by Darkwind
Link to comment
Share on other sites

stop twisting words lol no one claims to know the mind of god. they just claim to know what god expects of them. i think its egocentric for someone to think they understand christian beliefs with out having read the whole bible, you should either have the opinion thats its aload of rubbish and ignore it or have a learned opinion by reading the bible and knowing what your talking about.

The question did ask if any human can know the mind of god and I shared my thoughts about it. Thank you for sharing what you believe my only two options to be. However, I have already made a choice to be conscious and aware enough so that when the divine/sacred reveals itself to me, I will recognize it for what it is, and give thanks for that experience. Some of us knuckleheads just bumble along that way, you know, trusting that the divine works in our lives in very personal ways.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have read the whole Bible a couple of times and I still don't get it. How do you or anyone know what god expects of you? How do you know you're reading the right book?

All the paths lead to one destination IF walked right to the very end. All confusions eventually fade & order finds its place. Do what you are doing & expect from yourself what you would of a person you want to be known to all. All theists & atheist are equal only the right men reach it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

People like to claim to know what their god is thinking and what he wants us to do and will point out whatever source they have such as Bible, Quran or other writings they think is form the hand of god. Isn't really ego to claim to know what are a god's intention is or which text is written by a god?

We can't know the mind of god only what he tells us about his demands, intentions, attributes etc. Scriptures are usually the source if what god has prescribed and demands etc, or men sent as prophets. Therefore the question arises which scripture is gods word, that's the journey of discovery, test them all of their claim.

Second way of knowing god so to speak in a limited sense is through philosophical and logical deductions. Combine them with science and scripture and you get a good picture.

But to know the mind of something infinite, all knowing, omniscient, omnipotent, all encompassing entity, is beyond our limited capacity. Hence why god would send his instructions via man, something recognisable and words (language) something that separates us from other life forms and the best way to preserve and spread knowledge is literature. If a book claims to be gods words, it will also carry his attributes, ie mistakeless, perfect, inimitable, etc etc etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But isn't that the point of most religions? Love us self and others can come from reason, too. But there is a lot of other baggage with religions that have little to do with self love and empathy. If it comes from a sacred book you believe is the word of god is that the word of a god, too? Oh dear, a conundrum.

Baggage is self induced by us! If you study religions of the world, they all carry similar themes, ie, love foe your neighbour what you love for yourself, worship only the one true god, don't use intermediaries or replace god with false gods, be humble and righteous, strive for piety as in the eyes of god we are only superior over a fellow human based on piety, nothing else, be good to your parents, family and kin, family the centre of society, dress moderately, most if not all religions prescribe a social duty of hijab on men and women, but the biggest over arching theme is always, worship one god alone!

To me that indicates a single author over time sending the same message again and again to us, for us to only manipulate and corrupt it over time, bit dig deep enough their all similar and come from the same source, the one true god.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If there is a god, can a human actually say they know his mind? Even using a so called sacred text, has the question of its origins and intent of author.

Hi Darkwind,

My path tells me that a flesh and blood human being is not capable of knowing the mind of gawd. A person has to shed his or her "unique awareness" for that to happen (i.e. Nirvana), and it's only possible after physical death. Also, just because a person is in the spirit form doesn't mean that he or she is automatically going through the process of Nirvana. Death has, like life on the material plane of existence, different realms.

The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Is the Holy Spirit gawd, Itself? That, I don't know; however, I know for a fact that the Holy Spirit is ever-present and helping everyone, regardless of religion, to enter Nirvana, in order for one to be free at last. "After Nirvana" or one-ness with gawd is the only true freedom -- but what price freedom! To merge with gawd, the "residue," which covers the gawd inside all of us, has to be stripped, melted, burned away, etc. There is only one gawd...in the end. On earth, we live in duality by definition since spirituality is about being in the now, not in the past, nor in a fictitious future; nevertheless, this gawd inside all of us is relatively dormant, even if it powers our body's movements and nature, itself. Just because you have this spark of gawd inside doesn't mean that I'm going to worship you -- same goes for nature. Besides, I don't worship God(?). I don't even pray to It, especially since IT's completely oblivious of this world.

Sacred texts? They're from the past. I follow spirituality and the Holy Spirit's guidance, right here and now. BTW, as I have mentioned before, the Holy Spirit is for everyone, not just Christianity. One doesn't even need a label. Sincerity is the key to connect, and physical guidance from a conduit or teacher/master or priest/priestess is always good to have since they have been ordained by power. It is certainly not by mistake. This power is the Holy Spirit. A person has to open to the Holy Spirit to set the wheel in motion, figuratively speaking.

Peace.

Paul

Edited by braveone2u
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If there is a god, can a human actually say they know his mind? Even using a so called sacred text, has the question of its origins and intent of author.

The question is interesting because even though it says "a god" which I think means any god, all answers here, including my own earlier, assume this god is the Christian god, and there are the usual pious statements that sometimes read as insults. I prefer the question, "can any human know the mind of a god". This, I think, brings the question to managable level. I say this because I think that whatever lies at heart of universe/multiverse, is too profound, too shrouded in mystery for us to really have any meaningful comprehension, in either a religious or scientific way. If you believe that there is a great mystery that we can never know, but that beings, gods if you will, are between us and the great mystery, then we may be able too have better luck trying to imagine what is in their minds.

Edited by Atentutankh-pasheri
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Baggage is self induced by us! If you study religions of the world, they all carry similar themes, ie, love foe your neighbour what you love for yourself, worship only the one true god, don't use intermediaries or replace god with false gods, be humble and righteous, strive for piety as in the eyes of god we are only superior over a fellow human based on piety, nothing else, be good to your parents, family and kin, family the centre of society, dress moderately, most if not all religions prescribe a social duty of hijab on men and women, but the biggest over arching theme is always, worship one god alone!

To me that indicates a single author over time sending the same message again and again to us, for us to only manipulate and corrupt it over time, bit dig deep enough their all similar and come from the same source, the one true god.

Bingo, we live in a world of entropy - everything passes, everything falls into decay, the spiral is always downward. The messages get lost and corrupted throughout the ages so they are renewed and retold.

To me religions begin as bright sparks of epithanies from sincere seekers who only wanted to impart knowledge NOT dogma and then over time, the world and it's various postulations/machinations wants and desires latches onto them and has it's way with them so they inevitably, like everything else that is in the world fall into decay and the true message is lost in a miasma of human personalities and egos all wanting to make it their own message for their own egoic purposes.

I too believe the world is repeatedly receiving the same message throughout it's peoples - I find the best clues to God's intrinsic nature in the things all cultures hold in common and hold or held sacred in the past. The message is the key, not the messenger - worshipping by following another into dogma is just blind ritual and cannot achieve anything for the individual, personal insight and seeking the wisdom in the works will do so much more.

I've repeated this quote a few times, I still like it - wish I could remember where it came from:

"You and I, we read the same Bible but where you read black I read white"

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Baggage is self induced by us! If you study religions of the world, they all carry similar themes, ie, love foe your neighbour what you love for yourself, worship only the one true god, don't use intermediaries or replace god with false gods, be humble and righteous, strive for piety as in the eyes of god we are only superior over a fellow human based on piety, nothing else, be good to your parents, family and kin, family the centre of society, dress moderately, most if not all religions prescribe a social duty of hijab on men and women, but the biggest over arching theme is always, worship one god alone!

To me that indicates a single author over time sending the same message again and again to us, for us to only manipulate and corrupt it over time, bit dig deep enough their all similar and come from the same source, the one true god.

I don't know about that, Polytheism is a live and well. While I am a Pantheist, for me gods are many aspects of the Universe each with a spirit of their own. If you study Eastern religions you find may of them are very different in their point of view, from the western Abrahamic religions. I think the similarities (love, empathy and such) come in my way of reason. So you can't really know which one is right.

Hi Darkwind,

My path tells me that a flesh and blood human being is not capable of knowing the mind of gawd. A person has to shed his or her "unique awareness" for that to happen (i.e. Nirvana), and it's only possible after physical death. Also, just because a person is in the spirit form doesn't mean that he or she is automatically going through the process of Nirvana. Death has, like life on the material plane of existence, different realms.

The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Is the Holy Spirit gawd, Itself? That, I don't know; however, I know for a fact that the Holy Spirit is ever-present and helping everyone, regardless of religion, to enter Nirvana, in order for one to be free at last. "After Nirvana" or one-ness with gawd is the only true freedom -- but what price freedom! To merge with gawd, the "residue," which covers the gawd inside all of us, has to be stripped, melted, burned away, etc. There is only one gawd...in the end. On earth, we live in duality by definition since spirituality is about being in the now, not in the past, nor in a fictitious future; nevertheless, this gawd inside all of us is relatively dormant, even if it powers our body's movements and nature, itself. Just because you have this spark of gawd inside doesn't mean that I'm going to worship you -- same goes for nature. Besides, I don't worship God(?). I don't even pray to It, especially since IT's completely oblivious of this world.

Sacred texts? They're from the past. I follow spirituality and the Holy Spirit's guidance, right here and now. BTW, as I have mentioned before, the Holy Spirit is for everyone, not just Christianity. One doesn't even need a label. Sincerity is the key to connect, and physical guidance from a conduit or teacher/master or priest/priestess is always good to have since they have been ordained by power. It is certainly not by mistake. This power is the Holy Spirit. A person has to open to the Holy Spirit to set the wheel in motion, figuratively speaking.

Peace.

Paul

I have a High Priest and Priestess, but they are not ordained by any other power other than themselves, IMO nobody is. I respect them as learned but for the most part I am my own guru and they encourage it.

The question is interesting because even though it says "a god" which I think means any god, all answers here, including my own earlier, assume this god is the Christian god, and there are the usual pious statements that sometimes read as insults. I prefer the question, "can any human know the mind of a god". This, I think, brings the question to managable level. I say this because I think that whatever lies at heart of universe/multiverse, is too profound, too shrouded in mystery for us to really have any meaningful comprehension, in either a religious or scientific way. If you believe that there is a great mystery that we can never know, but that beings, gods if you will, are between us and the great mystery, then we may be able too have better luck trying to imagine what is in their minds.

I meant in my question any god. When I talk about the Christian god I call him the Abrahamic god. I think someday we will figure out how it all works. It is our nature to seek answers for mysteries. We might not understand the minds of the gods, but we might figure out what is going on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know about that, Polytheism is a live and well. While I am a Pantheist, for me gods are many aspects of the Universe each with a spirit of their own. If you study Eastern religions you find may of them are very different in their point of view, from the western Abrahamic religions. I think the similarities (love, empathy and such) come in my way of reason. So you can't really know which one is right

And Abramaic religions - have their Archangels, saints, powers, thrones, Jinn, demons etc - dig a little into the nature of each and compare with the nature of the various deities of other religions and you might be surprised at some of the similarities in the purpose of their existence.

I have a High Priest and Priestess, but they are not ordained by any other power other than themselves, IMO nobody is. I respect them as learned but for the most part I am my own guru and they encourage it.

Popes are ordained amongst their own, layman preachers/pastors in many denominations make their own choice to practice and not by right or vote of others.

I meant in my question any god. When I talk about the Christian god I call him the Abrahamic god. I think someday we will figure out how it all works. It is our nature to seek answers for mysteries. We might not understand the minds of the gods, but we might figure out what is going on.

To figure out what is going on we need to consider all the evidence, whereever it presents itself, and it can be hidden in places our own prejudice would have us not look, given that prejudice is an artiface of ego, that's not really surprising - we should neither discount nor include anything until we know what inside us is attaching to the information presented in the first instance, just a thought.

Edited by libstaK
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Darkwind

Great I know the eastern religions as well, from the esoteric beliefs to fundamental beliefs.

Although some eastern religions today are polytheistic, believe me when I tell you this, that's not how they started, nor do their own scriptures preach a pantheon of gods.

I think this example will suffice, Hinduism is the oldest religion we know, today's it's polytheistic, pantheistic, and panentheistic in some aspects. However the truth of the matter is within the scripture itself, the Vedas which are highly esteemed books in the religion, clearly say that, "god is one, there is no other, no, no, no", it also says that graven images or idols of god should be made. Now the question arises, if that's what the scripture preaches to Hindus, then why over 3000 gods? It's down to tribal conquests, agendas, and delegation of godly duties to demigods and manifestations of Brahman.

Check most of these if not all polytheistic faiths, they all preach one true god only worthy of worship!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question is interesting because even though it says "a god" which I think means any god, all answers here, including my own earlier, assume this god is the Christian god, and there are the usual pious statements that sometimes read as insults. I prefer the question, "can any human know the mind of a god". This, I think, brings the question to managable level. I say this because I think that whatever lies at heart of universe/multiverse, is too profound, too shrouded in mystery for us to really have any meaningful comprehension, in either a religious or scientific way. If you believe that there is a great mystery that we can never know, but that beings, gods if you will, are between us and the great mystery, then we may be able too have better luck trying to imagine what is in their minds.

You know, I do believe in the profundity and mystery that we can never totally know. Which is OK with me. Sometimes it's all I can do to deal with the the small mysteries & the profound that come into my life almost daily. In my life, the divine is all around me and inside of me; maybe understanding how it works in our own lives will help us figure out, if we have a need to, how it works on a much larger scale. And when I use the word "divine" I don't mean that in a religious sense, I refer to that great all encompassing energy of which I am a small part of. I'm beginning to think the word is interchangeable with Mother Nature or the Universe.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a High Priest and Priestess, but they are not ordained by any other power other than themselves, IMO nobody is. I respect them as learned but for the most part I am my own guru and they encourage it.

I hear you, Darkwind. Not all paths follow the Holy Spirit's directive. In my particular practice, there is that unearthly, mystical element, and yet a phenomenon for certain people in the group; nevertheless, the help is given equally, I believe.

Do you believe in divine beings, gods, goddesses, or 1 mother goddess? Or is your paganism strictly nature based? Actually, I don't know your path. Please share some of your beliefs and their concrete benefits. What do you like about being a pagan and following your religion? What have you learned about yourself? Have you fulfilled your earthly material desires? What does your girlfriend or wife or partner think about you as a "human being"?

Peace.

Edited by braveone2u
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.