God is

God is. The statement should be as simple as that except for the fact that we are human beings and ascribe different meanings to the term “god.” We have different meanings for the term because we associated different concepts with God.

As human beings, we process the world through our senses. Our senses are the only means by which we can form a picture of what we call reality. Through our senses, we develop concepts by grouping sensory experiences together. Here is an example of a concept, an object hanging from a tree that has an outer surface that can be peeled away to reveal an edible fleshy interior and also contains one or more seeds. From your experience of the world, you may conclude that I am describing a fruit.  If more detail is provided like the taste, shape, size, feel, texture, and color you will quickly understand that I am describing a particular type of fruit.  

Fruit is one of many concepts that we have developed over time through learning and experience.  Physically the cells in our brains, neurons, are making physical connections representing concepts among other things. Other human beings also have a role in this process. Those who have had more life experiences, like parents and teachers, help shorten the time it takes to develop a concept by teaching us what a concept is.  In our example of fruit, their actions would be as simple as placing a fruit in our hands and saying this is a fruit. This is how reality is made sense of by our minds. I would go a step further to say that reality, as we individually understand it, is a collection of concepts. Reality is a creation of our minds. Everything we experience is a figment of our imaginations.

God is a concept. Like other concepts, our views of God are informed by what we learn and experience mostly from the culture and society in which we were grown. As a result, when a person asks you if you believe in God they have a particular concept of God in mind. In a western society that concept is dominated by the three majority monotheist religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As such if your concept of God does not align with the concept of God held by the questioner the only truthful answer would be no. 

My concept of God has evolved from the concept of God I was taught as a child. If I were asked if I believe in God my answer could truthfully be either yes or no, however, no would be the more accurate answer if the question is from a person of a particular religious tradition. I simply don’t believe in the God that they believe in. I believe God is, by which I mean God exists or clearer still God is existence.  This statement should be taken at face value without the baggage of doctrine or dogma. If it were to be labeled pantheism, the belief that reality is identical with divinity, or that all things compose an all-encompassing, immanent god.

I came to this position in a process that took a number of years. It has been so long that I don’t recall the catalyst but Act 17:24-28 has been a powerful foundational text for this exploration. The following concepts of God were formulated through meditation on this text:

1. God is not a single entity with a physical form. God does not dwell in temples made by hands - Act 17:24. 
2. God does not have needs that require humans to act in a certain way. God is not served by human hands and does not need anything from humanity. - Act 17:25.
3. God is self-sustaining. God provides everything. Act 17:25.
4. God is the source of diversity. Act 17:26.
5. God is all around us. They would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. Act 17:27. 
6. God is what we and everything around us are composed of. In God we live and move and exist. Act 17:28.

Each of the statements is a significant change from traditional monotheistic views of God, however, if understood from the lens of monotheism it may be difficult to untangle the concepts to grasp my plain meaning.  It is like me saying God is not a man, all monotheists would agree with that statement yet will continue to use the masculine pronoun “He” in reference to God unaware of the strange contradiction. If I were to ask if God has genitals some would view the question as ridiculous while others would note that the scripture says man was made in the image of God therefore God does have genitals.  That would beg the question to what end? Why would God have a reproductive organ, particularly one that God does not use? And if God does not have a penis what mandates that God be referred to as a male?

The answer for the use of the male pronouns is simple, God is a concept that can only be understood by people through the use of other concepts familiar to them, such as the concept of man.  God was therefore understood through the limited library of concepts that the Hebrew writers had at their disposal but as knowledge and understanding increase so does our library of concepts.

God and God’s attributes are concepts once presented simplistically in the landscape of limited knowledge. God, also admittedly indescribable, was also used as the depository of all unexplainable phenomena.  A catch-all concept for miscellaneous concepts that our minds demand explanations for and appeased itself by thoughtfully letting go and letting God be the one cause and solution. As the exploration of our world and an increase in the technological ability provide alternative explanations for what were previously the acts of God terror arises in believers at the prospect of God not providing the services that they traditionally trust God for. Who provides all of our needs if God does not arbitrarily direct the weather or movements of the physical world? How do they put their minds at ease in difficult situations if God is potentially not there to do so? That is not an easy question to tackle so it is easier to reject the new information that contradicts long-held traditional beliefs, which is ok for a majority of people willing to live contently within a limited worldview, but not okay for me. 

My approach is simply this, I explore the breath of information now available to me and conform my understanding to the best available data. I recognize that my understanding will be flawed based on my limitations as a human being and the limitation of the information available to me, but I will not be willfully ignorant. In 1504, Christopher Columbus used his knowledge of a coming lunar eclipse to trick the natives of Jamaica out of their provisions. He told them that God was upset with them and would turn the moon to blood.  When the lunar eclipse occurred as Columbus predicted the natives begged him to pray to his God on their behalf. Columbus did so returning at the time he knew the eclipse would subside to demonstrate the power of God. The natives believed him and essentially became slaves to the will of Columbus through his power "god".  I endeavor to know as much as I can about existence and not be afraid to not lead on my own understanding.