September 14, 2025

God as Primary Referent

Background:  Let’s agree that individuals are equal in that they were physically born and will physically die.  However, an earthquake, drunk driver, or virus can end it all without notice.  And again, let’s agree that an individual is free to spiritually choose from what he/she sees as available.  It can be seen to logically follow that choices, once made, result in experiences and anticipations for the future.  Additionally, we can observe that after satisfying the requirements of physical survival, some individuals turn to spiritual matters such as those relating to meaning and purpose.  Given the prospect of physical death, the task of finding meaning and purpose is formidable.  There are those who try to continue their sense of significance through offspring or helping others only to find out that every other individual has his/her own sense of journey and self-fulfillment.  As one matures, the task of finding meaning and purpose becomes more critical.  Suicide is an option that does not resolve the challenge, but it does appear to put an end to the struggle.  The history of mankind is replete with efforts to find meaning by seeking to embrace a concept of God. 

Following is an attempt at finding coherence among some of the sayings used throughout history by those referencing a concept of God.  The guiding standard for inclusion is to stay within the realm of human experience and avoid relying on experiences outside human experience.  For example, when someone says that he or she was told by God that something was true; arguably, no one is in a position to validate such a statement. One might believe in another’s perception of God, but such a belief is arguably not a belief in God.  It is a belief in that other person’s perception of God; or more basically, a belief in one’s own infallible ability to recognize which absolute-truth-giver to follow.        

1. Choosing God

 It can be seen as natural to experience events as happening in sequence.  What came before can be seen as bringing about or creating what came after.  Logic leads us to ask, “What came first?” 

The term God is used extensively to refer to any description of a creative Force that came first.  Arguably, there are as many descriptions of such a Force as there are individuals, and such descriptions are constantly changing as individuals mature.  When referring to any first cause, the term Force was recently made popular with the film “Star Wars.”  The writer of the film considered that the idea of such a Force had been used for thousands of years when referring to that First Cause.

 One writer (Exodus 3:14) put forth the idea of simply describing the Force as the “I am.” Interestingly, some writers (Genesis 22:1) spoke of connecting with God by saying “Here I am.”  When describing a relationship without including any physical characteristics, there was the idea of describing the relationship as spiritual.  Communications between the “I am” and the “here I am” have been described as from spirit to spirit (John 4:24). 

 Of interest to some was the idea that spiritual relationships can be seen as transcending physical limitations.  Thus, the matter of meaning and purpose could be addressed without running into the otherwise impenetrable wall of physical death.

 For some, an attractive consequence of believing in the possibility of a spiritual relationship with a creative force is that an all-inclusive Force gives rise to the possibility of an all-inclusive conception of human experience.  As with a physical unified field theory, here is the idea of a spiritual theory that could give integrity to all human experience.  Hence, we have the prospect of peace within each individual, between individuals, and between groups!                   

2. One-on-One 

Most basically, human experience is an individual matter.  The world of any individual is circumscribed within each individual’s conscious awareness.  Furthermore, no individual can step into the conscious awareness of another.  Consider that God, and only God, has a direct link to an individual’s conscious awareness.  It’s a unique spirit-to-spirit relationship.  

Notably, most organized religions have a one-on-one belief regarding a relationship between God and an individual.  The Jews have a First Commandment (Exodus 20:3; Judges 21:25) calling for one priority; the Christians have Jesus directing individuals (Matthew 6:6) to go to a closet and close the door; and the Muslims are directed to seek guidance from Allah 5 times a day (Quran 1:6).  All have time-alone directives with God.  It’s been called the “good news” that a spiritual God chooses to have a spiritual relationship with any individual who so chooses.  Consider that it may be hard to rationally imagine how physical writings or prophets could take precedence over an individual’s belief in a personal relationship with God.   With outreached arms, Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel) depicts God and an individual seeking to communication.    

3. Interaction 

As a matter of observation, all human experience can be seen as the result of interactions—such as that between an egg and sperm.  Stuff can interact with other stuff, but the last interaction in human experience is always an interaction between the stuff of the universe and an individual’s sensory system.  Remove the sensory system and there is no human experience.  As for the interaction between God and the individual, it has been said to “let God be God and you be you.”  Notably, the characteristics of God are unknowable, as are the characteristics of the individual.  However, the interaction is knowable as a matter of personal conscious awareness.  

Human experience is value free in that an individual only has access to his/her own perceptions,.  Only one’s perceptions of things could be judged.  Relying on one’s own perceptions as truth for others can be seen as making oneself god (Genesis 3:5).  

CLOSING NOTE:  Some view God as controlling every event on earth.  Thousands of years ago, another perspective was put to writing (Genesis 1:26-28).  Holding that God created the universe including man, God empowered man to subdue (over time) all earthly events as man increased in numbers.  That is, collectively, man was put in control.  Recently, a popular college speaker put forth the idea that man’s rights come from God, and not through the efforts of man and his institutions.  The speaker’s mantra was “Prove Me Wrong.”  A college-age youth did just that—he took away the speaker’s physical life.  Arguably, the Genesis writer can be seen to reflect nature—our right to live and all other rights are what we as individuals collectively make it.  We can choose to kill each other or protect each other from that which would take our life, whether that be another individual or a covid virus.  Other writers (United States Declaration of Independence, 1^st paragraph) have put forth the aligned idea that real freedom will come only when man learns the lessons from the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.  

I anticipate the next posting within 30 days and titled “Walking with God.”