July 8, 2012
Do You Believe in God?
Andrew was recently interviewed by Chris Grosso of theindiespiritualist.com for a chapter in his forthcoming book. Here’s one of his answers:
Question: Does God exist and if so, in what capacity? If not, why not?
Answer: Yes, God exists. Usually the way I define God is as “the energy and intelligence that created and is still creating the Universe.” So God’s capacity is to give rise to everything that exists. But we also have to remember what we’re calling God came from that which we would call non-existence or timelessness and spacelessness, so we’d also have to say that God is also that which does not exist. So God is that which exists, meaning the entire manifestation of the evolutionary process, and also, that timeless, formless void from which everything emerged.
|
Join Andrew's email list
Sign up here to receive a free excerpt from Evolutionary Enlightenment, an exclusive video, weekly quotes, and much more.
|
|
|
We hate spam just as much as you
|
Andrew Cohen is a spiritual teacher, cultural visionary, founder of EnlightenNext, and the author of 
Your definition of God makes such perfect sense, in other words all that exists and all that does not exist. That pretty much comvers it!
All That Exists and All That Does Not Exist can give a comprehensive static view that does not embrace and entertain the dynamic crucial balance between the infinite, one, and zero
…
Non-existing(presence of potential)
Existing/Un-existing
Sub(infra)-existing
Meta(supra)-existing
Not-existing(absence of potential)
…
Andrew has given an all encompassing definition of God. Actually, I have used a wrong word ‘ definition’, as by that term I am circumscribing God. Hindu scriptures describe God as attributeless, without qualities, indescribable, beyond comprehension. God is in the world , yet He is out of it, He can be a Persona or Power or Energy or all rolled into one and still be something more that we , within the limitations of our faculties, can not imagine or visualize.
If we want to ‘see’ God outside of us, , it is in and thru His creation . The whole world is His manifestation . He lives in and thru His creation. If one asks where is God, we can counter, where he is ‘not’ present ? He is All pervasive . We are part of the same creation and so, God is within each one of us , if only we can purify our conditioned mind to experience this divinity deep within us.
Both Theist and Atheist ultimately meet at a point of cause of the effect.
Thank you for that insight. The problem with God as an object is that we want to pray to him, expect him to answer in meaningful ways, have measurable control of things. That is, please ignore cause and effect.
Yes
and might Theist, Atheist, and Pantheist ultimately meet at A New Point of ..Cause,Effect, and Worth….
Thank God the Divine Energy Wizard for …Cause,Effect, and Wisdom….
Sometimes it takes alot of toleration,patience, and grace to be added to our being and becoming
The fish in the sea has no knowledge about the water it swims in!
How could you possibly know this?
Yes indeed, how could I possibly know this?.hahaha..may be fishes know better about waters n oceans than anybody else…after all they r born in it, have sex in it, survive in it n die in it….Cheers to Life!
Ah, but surely the flying fish have new perspective for they have gone sometime without or shall we say outside it
Dear Andrew,
It’s difficult to be thought of as “irrational, self-deceived and delusional.” We care what people think about us because it hurts to be separated by our differences. I’m writing this as food for thought hoping you’ll consider something from the pre-modern traditions that has separated people and caused a lot of pain. As I clicked on the ‘God’ link in your blog and read your definition of God, it didn’t account for something that happened to me that I know I’m not delusional about. There are those who have spoken with God as a person who lost relationships with friends and family members when this experienced changed their belief system. Another division that has been happening for Christians specifically is that, since the time when Jesus left, people have received the gift of tongues where God speaks through them in different languages. What I would like to propose, looking at this from an evolutionary viewpoint, is that God is speaking to everyone and in many different ways depending on their belief system or where they are in their evolutionary process. He can and does speak words like He did to Moses from a burning bush, but mostly He just enters into our thoughts teaching us and guiding us and may or may not make his presence as a person known. Being open to this possibility is a door He can use to make you conscious of when it’s happening. If this is truth and you add it to the post-modern thought, it means that you embrace both that we all are all part of Him, that He is “the energy and intelligence” that we are co-creating with, and He is also a separate person like us who we can have a conversation with. The post-modern world has understandably thrown out the traditional definition of God because of what men have done to Him. There are pastors who teach that if you do not have the gift of tongues, you are not saved. There are others who teach people to have the gift which means they are babbling nonsense and it’s not the higher function that humans have. This has been a very wrong thing to do to people and it has caused great division in Christianity adding to the many religious misguided causes down through the centuries that have resulted in some of the worst atrocities inflicted on human beings in history. Most pastors teach that the only truth is in the Bible. This is also incorrect. Truth is found by integrating teachings that are found in all spiritual and religious teachings. Thank you Andrew.
In the email I’ve just received it reads: “I am convinced that God exists.”. In the blog it reads: “Yes, God exists.” Which is the right quote, please? As far as I am concerned there is a world of difference and I wouldn’t want Andrew to confuse.
I’m beginning to wonder if God is, yet.
Two sides of a coin–make THREE–so the Trinity—Budha saying Not-Two—–transcended–went beyound beyound—just like Kabir—-so in the Blue cliff Record–its about this NOT-TWO
Andrew,
Have you read Hans Kung’s “Does God Exist”? Certainly a Christian perspective on The Question, but one that examines many of the great thinkers of our time.
I believe our bodies are designed to host the highest presence available and that is the presence of God. So God is what we experience when we experience life, the seen and the unseen. Our physicality has been entrusted to a self who is a projection we use to maneuver through our daily affairs in order to survive. It is what we call the ego and defines our personality. When we believe this projection to be what we are we live in a world that we think we can control and this illusion creates the suffering as we do not follow the organic way that consciousness as a collective works. Consciousness work is so organic that it gives each and every one of its individualized expressions the experience needed to grow more towards the highest vibration possible. The vibration of unconditional love. The desire of this union is so strong that is the driving force, the call of the soul to reunite with God, when not dulled by self interference of the ego survival and fear. The matter and the energy of the world we live in and are a part of, follow different rules that seem to go in different directions, so, it takes our conscious awareness to recognize and behold consciousness: the presence and God, in everything we do. To surrender to that intelligence present in all creation is to see the hand of God at work. We see the synchronicity in our lives here and there but when we hold this presence in a mindful way we have a taste of our own divinity.
Carmen, i wish the accountant’s money, finance, and appreciation could work this way.
Money,Power and Value seem to be very much behind our current World, Universe, and Cosmology while Soul,Love and Care continue to remain otherworldly
Some of us choose the light and some of us choose the jewel. Is the power in growing within or is the power in growing stuff? Sometimes when we win we loose and when we loose we win.
Lights -n- Jewels
i think of our Sun…she offers up ‘light’ and eventually becomes a ‘diamond’ then who knows…
is this a natural example of chaos,confusion and corruption that equates to The Global Financial Enterprise running the planet
Cohen’s definition sound a lot like Panentheism. with a splash of Vendanta . . and this is close to mine notion also.
I feel however, that our time and space is within a particular Universe that is within a multiverse of universes. This is consistent with some current scientific theories. Any non-contingent God would have to be in control of all the infinite mutiverses. I speculate that if there are any Supreme Beings it is a contingent Being that has evolved over the eternities within the Multiverese..
The problem I have with using the word God is definition. Many religions define God in very different ways: Personal God, Transcendent God, etc. I like to use Supreme Being to imply the above contingency.. The root of the wars we are having now on this planet is that some religions feel their God is better than another’s God.
I do not believe that any non-contingent God can be defined by Humans anyway, since we are limited to a very narrow subset of perceptions within our space-time.
For all practical purposes, therefore, God is what we humans make God to be.
Dennis
Dennis, we have all ‘sinned’ in the eyes of some God of our making, and can only bring forth partial truth to the ever-widening spiral of …Love,Truth, and Wisdom…. of Spiritually Realized God
For all theoretical,practical, and more natural purposes GOD is what emerges, establishes, evolves, and extinguishes….
to glimpse and gather the power,control and autonomy of a non-contingent,unconditional GOD for ‘All Infinite Multiverses’ is truly breathtaking beyond all understanding of Mathematical Proof and Scientific Evidence at this time
Hi Andrew,
I really enjoyed your thoughts on GOD which very much align with my own definition of GOD.
I would have also added, however, that GOD owes his/her existence to the fourth dimension (time and space), but, owes his/her reality to the fifth dimension (of the mind).
I also prefer to think of GOD as the universe and everything in it, as opposed to a being that created the universe and everything in it. As GOD is everywhere and every when, timeless, moving in and out of form.
Hello Paul, i cant speak for Andrew(look really forward to reading his recent book)but i would like to add to GOD’s existence and reality dimensions a wisdom dimension.
iLearned about …Time,Space,Energy, and Constructs…. in my early physics classes and then included and transcended that with …Consciousness, Information, and Motive…. in my later philosophy clases,which then lead me to my current panthiesticalism embracing …Information Management, Knowledge Engineering, and Wisdom Architectures….with all my soul,love and care for GOD
The definition I like best is from the Bhagavad Gita : “The One about whom naught may be said”.
It creates peace of mind, in that I can let go of further attempts to put into words that which we in this limited world haven’t got words for.
Yes Lars, and yet the pursuit into this adventure continues….
i myself am working on a ‘New Global English Calculus’ to help heal and offer hope to humanity
iBelieve: beyond all of ‘humanities realized’ …pain,peace,pleasure,principles, and purposefulness…. is a greater underlining and overarching Plan often (from our relatively limited capacities) appearing underlying and overwhelming yet nevertheless emerging with necessary and sufficient Love,Truth,and Wisdom in US
I dont believe in God and was always told that God is a source of light and energy . . I used to have to go to Sunday scholl when i was young and didnt like it much . There wasa lot of preaching done then and it wasnt for me . I am now a Psychic and receive Spirits messages and i think that everyone should choose their own belief and not have it preached to about this God . .
Hello gilly,
iThink: your into …brain, mind, and psi…. which i find very cool from a mental perspective and very warm from a heartening perspective.
Could it be that which is behind all our …parenting,preaching, and ‘punishing’…. is our ‘Authentically Realized Self’ very much in need of survival, evolution, and creativity?
It seems the Spiritual Freedom you want,need and hope for is one which will require the healthy differentiation and integration of moralization, legality, and ethics for A Greater Humanity. One which includes and transcends personal,populational and professional perspectives….
What is your definition of God?
Defining God from our perspective would be like an ant elaborating on the basis of quantum physics or God remarking on what it means to tak out the trash.
yes LOL! and yet we can and we do, and it sometimes is quite amazing,remarkable, and world-changing if done right than not at all….
I should have prefaced with: “It seems to me”.
How is your definition of God relevant. Us defining God is like God elaborating on the philosophic implications of taking out the trash or flossing one’s teeth.
Yes,sometimes Bill it seems so and i would venture to say our ‘Definitions Of God’ do not just elaborate and enhance but embellish and exaggerate for better or worse so to speak. Depending on your power, position, and perspective you can interpret these various and varying ‘Definitions Of God’ as …Random, Reactive, Reasoning, and Reconcilatory…. thereby, somewhat, including and transcending relativistic pluralism
We spend entirely too much time trying to get our minds around God and not enough time experiencing God’s mind around us. Less time in the former and more in the latter might be a surer path to knowing God.
to wonder,think,know, and act on…?
the experience of GOD,
the evidence for GOD,
and
the essence behind GOD
Indian Sufi Saint Kabir in one of his earthy couplet makes it very clear , the existence of GOD :
“Jab Mein Tha Tab Hari Nahin‚ Jab Hari Hai Mein Nahin
Sab Andhiyara Mit Gaya‚ Jab Deepak Dekhya Mahin ”
Translation of Original Hindi couplet :
When I was, then Hari (God) was not, Now Hari is and I am not
All the darkness dissolved, When I saw the light within.
(” Hari ” is meant here as God )
Meaning
Before duality, God was and I was not. Now I am, and God is not seen. Darkness dissolved when I saw God within me.
God is our ego less self when “I” sense melts away and Authentic Self emerges.
______________________________________
Hello GopalB,
Yes and beyond this …dynamic, dualistic, and developmentalistic…. immanent world is a transcendent world of ‘Authentically Realized Self’
I often believe that I have been such a dnipapoistment. But, know that when God sees me he sees Jesus. But, here is what I often think about. If God sees Jesus who died for all of our sins, what does Jesus see when he looks down on earth. I try so very hard to be a good person and when I try really hard, I fail. But, when I run to Jesus to say I am sorry, he holds out his arms takes me into a tight hug and tells me it is okay. Go try again but, let me help you. Each day is better than the day before.
iImagine He sees His Divine Calling to …Hope,Help and Heal…. All of Humanity
this god of yours that is “still creating” the universe (that is a whole problem on its own), comes from “non existence”? what kind of double talk is that. What precisely are you trying to accomplish with this kind of logic. Do you think that if you are ambiguous enough, it will sound profound?
iThink: If one defines ‘non-existence’ as that which has the potential to exist(Ê), one may then open to the source, cause and art of nature,humanity, and godliness arising in ‘our newly emerging comprehensive evolutionary worldview’…which through humiliation and humbleness (beyond arbitrariness and ambiguity) will bring us ever-closer to Transcendent Spiritually Realized Godhood
I had never imagined I would ever be able to say yes I believe in God. But if this is the definition, then yes, Absolutely!
Thank you to Andrew, EnlightenNext, and all reading along. These are great blogs. Now iThnk: GOD,particularly, Ascensionally Conscious God,is the …Source,Cause, and Art…. of …Nature, Humanity, and Godliness…. arising in ‘our newly emerging comprehensive evolutionary worldview’