Can you answer these three questions about faith?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1) Do you trust God fully?

2) Who do you say He is?

3) Do you believe the Bible is Truth?


I received them in a note from a fellow church-goer and blogged about them for half the day. http://www.livejournal.com/users/gpv/1697.html

How about you? What are your answers to them?

[intheflow]

1. I'll take the bait.

1) Do you trust God fully?

Yes and no. As a UU, I hold multiple concepts of God in creative tension against and with each other. There are parallels in Christianity, as in God is all-loving (New Testament) and God is vengeful and jealous (Hebrew Bible). In other cultures, I might point to Native American concepts of the Great Spirit (nurturing all life) and Coyote the Trickster (keeping humans on their toes). So do I trust God fully? Yes. And no.

2) Who do you say He is?

The best explanation I have ever heard to explain God actually comes from the Tao Te Ching: "The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao." Whoever or whatever I (or anyone) says God is misses the nature of God. God can't fit in a box, there is no describing God. Every time I have ever tried to describe God, it's like water seeping from my cupped hands.

3) Do you believe the Bible is Truth?

Again, yes and no. I'm glad you didn't phrase this as, "Do you believe the Bible is THE truth," because I don't believe there is only one truth. I do believe that the Bible has elements of both historical fact and mythology. This is in keeping with the nature of oral tradition and primitive societies. I also think that whether you look at the Bible as a historical document or a mythological story, it is Truthful in its witness--meaning it was written in sincerity and can be applied to living a better life. But since it has so many conflicting stories/parables/laws/interpretations, it cannot ever be viewed as THE truth, imo.

This is a great post, GPV. I'll be interested in reading what others have to say on the subject.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Well, in all honesty, the lady who asked me

does generally say THE truth. She is that type of Christian.

But me, I'm not, as I indicated *lol* in my blog on this. :)

[elshiva]

3. Thanks!

1. I trust God because S/HE is perfect.

2. God is the Creator of the Universe, A Friend of all, a true companion.

3. Bible is true in regards to faith matters not in regards to Science or Geography.

[UrbScotty]

4. 1. Yes

God's plan isn't always our plan, but His plan will lead us to salvation.

2. I believe God is a trinity, three Gods in one: the Father, who created us; the Son, who took away our sins and died that we might live forever; and the Holy Spirit, who was sent after the Son ascended into heaven.

3. Yes. I believe whatever we do for the least of Christ's people,we also do unto Him. I also believe that those who are meek, poor in spirit, pure in heart, and merciful (among others) are all blessed in the eyes of God.