It seems rather pointless to give new names to things. What do we learn from it? Nothing, really. It's just a rose by another name.
Lets say the universe created itself, the universe expanded from the big bang, and we evolved from it.
-Aren`t we the universe made self-aware?
-Does that make the universe God? (Self-creating and conscious in the form of us)
Just a tought.
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds
It seems rather pointless to give new names to things. What do we learn from it? Nothing, really. It's just a rose by another name.
soft she stirs on starlit sand,
and clasps wet shore within her hand.
she turns to face the silent seas,
and through her heart, a vital breeze.
she wonders at this strange new land.
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds
Some people, when they say "God", are actually reffering to the universe.
This shit never happens to me

How the hell did you go from bullet one, to bullet two? You clearly stated in your opening clause that the universe created itself, not that some god thing did, so no, in response to bullet two, we wouldn't. Unless you call the universe god, which is pointless as Xei said.
Formerly A Roxxor
It's a clarification of terms. The universe and God are two words meant for the same entity, rather than one being the creator of the other. As soon as we realize this misconception, we can start learning even more cool things.

Yeah, like how spoons are actually forks, and how we've had these words mixed up this whole time-- Oh, wait, it doesn't fucking matter what we call them, as long as the meaning is understood. So by calling the universe god, of course then your definition of god exists. Just in the way tht if I call this pen on my desk the invisible pink unicorn, then it exists.
I hate semantics games.
Formerly A Roxxor
Sounds pretty correct doesn't it? We are one with the universe, so the Divine Source of the Universe would be within us also. And so comes the saying, the "Father is in you." When we find our Source, we discover what we are, "we" are in bliss, the Kingdom of Heaven. All questions are answered.
The semantic issue is that there is no need for "God", if God is the Universe. However, I like to point out that the "Universe" is more of an objective term, whereas "God" is just one name for subjectively realizing what "the Universe" is, perhaps as God (unmanifest), Universe (manifest). God and the Universe are one, as the unmanifest is one with the manifest, however the former is not subject or limited to the constraints of manifest physicality. You could say God is the infinite potentiality out of which physical existence is possible.
If the universe made itself, and we are a conscious form of the universe. The universe is conscious and self-creating.
Isn`t that the definition of God?
A conscious creator of everything?
Does God have to be supernatural?
It wouldn`t change anything, but an intresting tought making the universe God and we a part of it. It might be pointless to call the universe God, but it only seems logical considering the universe has always existed or created itself, that God and the universe are the same thing. Just like Omnius Deus said.
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds
I completely agree with the OP, thats how I see things.
People complain you can't call God the universe, but realizing God is the universe, is the key to unlock the wisdom in all religious scriptures talking about God. If you assume God is superman with a beard, the Bible will indeed not make very much sense.
This discussion is very much like people insisting that DNA means candycane. And then those people reason evolution couldn't possibly exist because candycane can't possibly fit into a human cell.
The solution to this problem is very simple.. DNA is not candycane. God is not superman with a beard. Realizing the true nature of DNA will make you understand evolution, realizing the true nature of God will make you understand religion.
"Reject common sense to make the impossible possible." -Kamina

I also completely agree with the OP. Saying that the universe is God, to me, is simply the correct definition of what God is, and the result for me, is that religion does make a lot more sense. While there are those who believe in other definitions of what God is, based on literal interpretations of whatever scripture they have read or heard, I assume that when someone speaks of God, they are talking about the Universe, and everything in it as a single entity, perceptively subdivided however it may be.
Having not been to any church in over a decade, I have been gradually moving towards my current beliefs about the universe. Recently I was talked into going to a church service, and with my new perspective, it all made complete sense to me, and had a lot of very good points about how life should be lived, and how we should treat others. The main point was unconditional love.
There are countless definitions people have for God, however, this is one I believe to be the most accurate. We are the finite branches of consciousness, stemming from a common single source, the universe, in which we experience only an extremely tiny fraction of it that makes up our entire lives.
"You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother." ~ Albert Einstein
"The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside." ~ Allan Bloom - The Closing of the American Mind
Sorry no. You are lost in a maze of semantics. Why on Earth would you call the universe 'God'? Just call it the universe and stop confusing everybody.
soft she stirs on starlit sand,
and clasps wet shore within her hand.
she turns to face the silent seas,
and through her heart, a vital breeze.
she wonders at this strange new land.
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds
A conscious creator and/or potent presence in the universe.
soft she stirs on starlit sand,
and clasps wet shore within her hand.
she turns to face the silent seas,
and through her heart, a vital breeze.
she wonders at this strange new land.
So according to your definition, any artist is God. Because any artist is a conscious creator of an artwork. Also any human is God, because every human is a potent presence in the universe.
No wonder you think God doesn't exist lol... that's one of the worst definition I have ever heard.
"Reject common sense to make the impossible possible." -Kamina
Creator of reality, obviously. And omnipotent.
soft she stirs on starlit sand,
and clasps wet shore within her hand.
she turns to face the silent seas,
and through her heart, a vital breeze.
she wonders at this strange new land.
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds
Yes. God is a conscious creator and/or omnipotent ruler of reality.
Interesting argument I just realised:
God created reality.
Hence God is apart from reality.
Hence God is not real.
soft she stirs on starlit sand,
and clasps wet shore within her hand.
she turns to face the silent seas,
and through her heart, a vital breeze.
she wonders at this strange new land.
^^actually, that has been used in some arguments before as to why you cant prove there is a god in sceintific terms...but it usually gets blown off.
anyways, to the op. I agree with this except I would like to know what exactly this changes in a religious perspective?
A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does
Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds
We are a consciousness created by the laws of the universe.
That is very different from the laws of the universe being created by a consciousness.
soft she stirs on starlit sand,
and clasps wet shore within her hand.
she turns to face the silent seas,
and through her heart, a vital breeze.
she wonders at this strange new land.
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.” - Bernard Edmonds
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