R

58/100: Here it is --  "What Is God?"  (GOD.TXT)
Name: Belladonna #2 @5413
Date: Tue May 21 07:51:30 1991
From: The 286 Express PIN (Louisiana)


What is God?

God is That Which Is, the intelligence and energy which manifests  Itself in 
creation.  It has  certain forms which are repeatedly used; these forms are 
recognised world over as sacred symbols.  Morality and sense of purpose come 
from this Source.  People who say, I wish God would show himself to me, are 
tripping over their own feet.  God is showing itself all the time, in  all 
things.  God is the only Being; all that is, is part of God.

God shows Itself to many people in the form of insight according to that
person's temperament and understanding.  Thus, monothiests of various 
stripes (Christians,  Jews, Moslems, etc) perceive an anthromorphosised
figure, often male.  Pagans, in contrast, perceive two or more divine 
figures, more or less anthromorphosised, often male and female.   In Wicca,
a popular form of paganism, devotees venerate a dual divine  principle, 
[PAUSE]       male and female, a horned god representing the male aspect and a maiden /
mother / crone representing the female aspect.  Many pagans draw upon 
the roots of pre-christian mythology and nature worship in relating to 
the divine principle.  Followers of New  Age spirituality often perceive
the divine in a  less anthromorphosised form; instead, to  New Agers, 
God is The  Force, The Is, the Higher Self, or (borrowing a term from  
the aborigines of this land), The Great Spirit.  To many people, whether  
they believe in one god or many gods, whether they believe in an
anthromorphic god(s) or a "Force", the divine principle is always near, 
within.  It gently suggests the right thing to do, and those who heed
Its suggestions find that it guides moral choices, protects one from
danger, and suggests opportunities for growth and other good things.  Then,
in quieter moments, It suggests deeper insights and wisdom, and one who
heeds Its suggestions grows in understanding of the subtle principles 
which govern the universe.

In the face of all this, how do we know that we are dealing with the
right God?  This question bothered  me for some time, and recently I 
had the opportunity to discuss this with an elder Native American.
(We who live in this country inherit the land of the American aborigines
("Indians"), and the wise old spirits of the red men are patiently waiting 
for us newcomers to acknowledge them.  So I was grateful to discuss this 
with an elder of this land).  I asked him about the different religions,
[PAUSE]       and he said, "We are all children of the Great Spirit, no matter what
color or where we come from.   He made different kinds of people
with different ways of living and understanding, and revealed Himself
to different peoples according to their understanding."  I asked him
what about Jesus, and  he said, "We knew about Jesus before the white
man came, although we called him (he used a four-syllable  word here,
which promptly slipped my mind) "....".  He  came to teach us love.
You see, we are all children of The Great Spirit, but we have left
His yard.  He  came to teach us to love, that love is the way to 
return to His yard."  His  words rang true, and I realised that this 
is what all of the religions are trying to tell us.  I realised that
reincarnation is a way for cause and effect to work itself out, and a way
for souls to develop in wisdom and love until we realise in truth that
"love is the way to return to His yard."  I realised why Jesus and many
of the other great teachers, speaking in the name of the Divine, say,
"I am always with you."  I realised what "salvation" really is, why Jesus
claimed  to be the way, the truth and the light, why all people of good
will know God,  no matter what their religion  or lack of religion, and
why, in the long run, there is no waste and no contradiction.  God Is.
All else is  merely detail.

The above essay was written  in responses to a fellow student asking 
me "What  is God?"  It seems my teachers and my fellow students are
[PAUSE]       always asking me this, so I wrote it out according to my understanding
at this time.



Read:(1-100,^58),? :