The word "god" should not be capitalized...

M

marv

Just a dumb hillbilly...
Registered Senior Member
...because "god" is generic.

You and I can look at an oak tree, and interpret it in only one fashion. That's true with everything within range of our senses. The idea of a "god" is a concept not within the range of our senses, but only within our belief systems. Therefore "god" must be interpreted by everyone who believes in a "god".

Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship different interpretations of "god". Even denominations and sects within those groups interpret "god" differently. That, in and of itself, must be taken as proof that "god" is a generic term.

Since "god" must be generic by logical inference, it stands that "god" must also be an invention of man conforming to a particular set of standards within a user selected belief system.

Therefore, "God" does not exist. There is only some "god", by whatever name it's called; Yahweh, Jehovah or Allah, or whatever, as imagined by those who choose to believe in one.

Comments?
 
marv said:
...because "god" is generic.

You and I can look at an oak tree, and interpret it in only one fashion. That's true with everything within range of our senses. The idea of a "god" is a concept not within the range of our senses, but only within our belief systems. Therefore "god" must be interpreted by everyone who believes in a "god".

Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship different interpretations of "god". Even denominations and sects within those groups interpret "god" differently. That, in and of itself, must be taken as proof that "god" is a generic term.

Since "god" must be generic by logical inference, it stands that "god" must also be an invention of man conforming to a particular set of standards within a user selected belief system.

Therefore, "God" does not exist. There is only some "god", by whatever name it's called; Yahweh, Jehovah or Allah, or whatever, as imagined by those who choose to believe in one.

Comments?
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Agreed, but I only type it as God out of habit.
 
samcdkey said:
Allah is not a name; it is Arabic for God
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...a god that is interpreted quite differently from the Jewish and Christian interpretations.

So why do Muslims say "Allah" instead of "god" when speaking languages other than Arabic? In fact, most Muslims can neither read, write or speak Arabic. Jews and Christians call it "god" (meaning variously Yahweh or Jehovah), but Muslims do not.
 
Ilah - a God (as in one of many)
Allah - the God ( as in only one)

We also say Rab instead of Allah
 
The word god should not be capitalised except when it is a name. E.g. The Christian god is named God. It has a bunch of other names as well of course.
 
Yahweh is a manner to distinguish the Israelite god from others. Jehovah is a manner to distinguish the Christian god from the Jewish god from which it sprang. Al-ilah is a manner to distinguish the Arabic god from others in their pantheon.

All of these names mean "god" in respective languages. But that does not mean that they are the same god. The prayers are different. The rituals are different. The appropriate days for worship are different. Even the terminal destination for the respective believers/non-believers are different.

Using the logic that Jews, Christians and Muslims worship the same god; it can also be said that Buddhists, Jainists, Shintos, Hindus, etc. also worship that same god. Only calling it by different names.
 
marv said:
Using the logic that Jews, Christians and Muslims worship the same god; it can also be said that Buddhists, Jainists, Shintos, Hindus, etc. also worship that same god. Only calling it by different names.
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I am not sure about the others, but the Buddhism religion doesn't have a god. I am not sure if it is even a religion, but just a way of life.
 
lol - actually most the time I spell it "god" because I am lazy at the keyboard - maybe I should get my act together

God is generic? So is the President.
What to speak of if you use personal terms like George Bush or Bill Clinton.

I guess you can lodge an argument if you ultimately consider God impersonal, bereft of personal characteristics or as a source of all phenomena,.... otherwise God is considered a lot more than a phenomena (such as wind and sunshine are also uncapitalised phenomena)

Even if you don't believe in God you should still capitalise it , like we do with Santa Claus - but then it depends on which aspect of God you are acting as the anti-thesis of - for instance if you are atheistic with an impersonal God in mind perhaps it should be "god"
 
marv said:
...because "god" is generic.

You and I can look at an oak tree, and interpret it in only one fashion. That's true with everything within range of our senses. The idea of a "god" is a concept not within the range of our senses, but only within our belief systems. Therefore "god" must be interpreted by everyone who believes in a "god".
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Since deity is a universal concept denoting certain properties it is possible to speak of God, just as it is possible to speak of Light, or Truth.

Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship different interpretations of "god". Even denominations and sects within those groups interpret "god" differently. That, in and of itself, must be taken as proof that "god" is a generic term.
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Disagreement over the personality of a being does not signify the non-existance of that being.

Since "god" must be generic by logical inference, it stands that "god" must also be an invention of man conforming to a particular set of standards within a user selected belief system.
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Please explain further.
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Correct me if I am wrong here
But Pre-Islam Allah was the Moon goddess and Mohammed's tribe used to worship Allah as their "God" ..and the rest is History..

I agree ..god is nothing but very relative term ... down with the capital G ...
 
Lawdog,

Since deity is a universal concept denoting certain properties
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LOL. There are thousands of different definitions of what a god might be.

it is possible to speak of God, just as it is possible to speak of Light, or Truth.
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No. The later two do not justify a capital, and a cap G in god indicates a name not a common noun.
 
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