Dear People Whom God Loves,
HOW DO I IMAGE GOD-I
We will first look at the Baylor study of how Americans image God. They divided the responses into four groups. The study was based on religious beliefs and used human tracts in asking how they thought about God. For example: do you think of God as motherly, fatherly, kingly, angry, concerned, involved, uninvolved.
Then we will look at the study by Andrew Newberg on how people who had spiritual experiences imaged God. Notice the different approach of these studies. The first was based on people’s religious beliefs. The second was based on people’s spiritual experiences.
You will find this information in the book How God Changes Your Brain by Andrew Newberg M.D.
Let’s consider the four images of God from the Baylor study.
1. Authoritarian God. 32% of Americans. God is seen as angry and willing to punish anyone who is unfaithful. God causes natural and human disasters. These believers want government run according to Christian values. God is very active in our lives.
An important aside thought concerning people of fundamental beliefs. There is often the mistaken impression that people of such beliefs are hostile, angry people. That is not true. Some are, but some are serene and compassionate. People who are hostile and angry will use that belief to try to force it on other people. Religion is merely the tool that is used. Remember that if we are hostile and angry, we can use various religious beliefs, as well as political beliefs, to try to impose these beliefs on others. The problem is the need to impose our beliefs on others, not the belief itself.
More next time.
Smile, God Loves You,
Father Clay
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