Is it too difficult to think without an image of GOD in our minds?

S

Sufi

Registered Senior Member
Do you think it is possible to purify our minds of any preconceptions of god?

... and just try to UNDERSTAND; understand what IS free of any preconception of god?
 
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Sure, but in trying to understand, you are also creating an image. Don't understand, just percieve.
 
Its not that difficult, its the basis for Buddhist meditation, to free one's self from concepts, including the concept of self.
 
Your question is meaningless and unanswerable.

God is an imaginative concept.

Kat
 
I dont think so. Just the sheer fact that you know of him (whether u belive or not) will cause you to have a preconseption of him.
 
Katazia said:
Your question is meaningless and unanswerable.
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I beg to differ. I think it might be a simple issue of scope of vision. For instance:

• Is it too difficult to think without an image of GOD in our minds? Yes.
• Do you think it is possible purify our minds of a preconception of god? Only through Union with God.
• And just try to UNDERSTAND.... understand what IS free of any preconception of god? Only that which is unaware of itself is free of any preconception of God.

I know that last wasn't exactly a question, but as the question mark at the end of it does have a rather simple response, I provided it.
 
God is an imaginative concept.
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All concepts are based on imagination at some level.

Is it possible to think without images of anything? The image of God is just that, an image. All thoughts are built around images, perceptions. It's trying to identify the images that's important- to watch yourself think.
 
The distinction that should be made is with those concepts that can or do map to a reality. The god concept cannot be shown to be either.

Kat
 
Money is a similar concept, just that we have all agreed on how it's "mapped" to reality. The problem with God is that our views of reality are different and in this case, we all don't see eye to eye. If we did, arguments on the subject would be like trying to argue that a penny is worth 5 cents is a nickel 1 cent.
 
Since no description of gods is valid, one should have no preconceptions.
 
My preconception of god is that it's other people's crutch. They need answers for questions that don't have them. More precisely as Michael Shermer (of Skeptic fame) put it:

"intelligent people are very good at justifying or rationalizing what they've come believe"

I guess that's paraphrasing, but the point rings true.

Does that purify me of preconception, since I put it in terms of what I think of other people?

I have no personal conception of god except what I stated above.
 
Well, it's easier to have a more personal, cuddly, touchy-feely sort of love for the Divine (as opposed to a remote fear of some obscure unknown shapeless thingy) if you have an image of something.
 
I guess that's why God is always perceived to be the sweet old man. George Burns comes to mind.
 
Tiassa, sufi,

Webster – preconceived: to form (as an opinion) prior to actual knowledge or experience *preconceived notions*.

If we can agree that knowledge and experience of God is not possible; based on the religionist dependency on faith (i.e. evidence is not needed), and if we could then purge our minds of any preconceptions of God – then there would be nothing left.

God only exists as a preconception – purging those notions means purging God.

The only way, I guess, that my mind could be purged of any notions of gods would probably be brain surgery.

Kat
 
Probably our preconceptions of "god" are in our genes inherited from our ancestors.

Always questioning the images of god in our minds is the best way to clarify our minds of it which blinds us from seeing what IS as IS and from understanding what is referred to as "Allah" ...and which causes us to waste our lives (and discussions :) ) upon an imagination.
 
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