my god!
To study any concept, we must first look at the etymology of the word .My mother used to say, that etymology is one of the most noble streams of academia. The earliest written form of the Germanic word God comes from the 6th-century Christian Codex Argenteus. The English word itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic ǥuđan. The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form ǵhu-tó-m was likely based on the root ǵhau(ə)-, which meant either "to call" or "to invoke". Hence, we know that god was an entity that people began to have faith in in times of need and called for Him when faced forms of events uncontrollable by humans like floods or famine. I often think about this invocation. I think about this invocation when I catch myself scoffing at my father's complete faith, often when I pick up a new book and say "God, this better be good." To look at the concept of God, we must look at the different ideas of God, the different names they use, and the various values they assign to Him. we must look at various religions. In a country like mine, India, there is no shortage of religious diversity. Being Hindu, I grew up in a majorly Hindu community myself. However ,I was exposed to many Parsis that insisted on me tasting their dhansak, as well as Muslims that groaned when I opened my tiffin in the day during Ramadan. I didn't know many Christian people, except a very sweet old lady we called Marie Aunty, back in Dadar, whose swing I used to sit on and gossip with my cousins. My point is that, religious harmony always persisted, no matter what, at least where I grew up. What interests me about God the most, the the thought process behind formulating such an entity, such an omnipresent divinity. The absolute trust that a community begins to have in an entity, to serve them peace in prosperity, even the faith they have in ire of him, in times of severity.
Though the word Monotheism means the belief in one god, no more no less, it does have Roman (Christian) roots. Some popular monotheistic religions are Christianity, one of the oldest i.e Judaism and Islam. The Quran states, that in Islam, God (Allāh) is all-powerful and all-knowing, the Creator, Sustainer, Ordainer and Judge of the universe. God in Islam is strictly singular (tawhid) unique (wahid) and inherently One (ahad), all-merciful and omnipotent. Monosteic religions are generally a lot more defined as to the living of every day, and the rules behind minute processes. The holy bible is a widely controversial document, with various versions written by authors of different influences. So, it is hard to gauge exactly which version is accurate in view of the central idea of said religion. Abortion , in one version, is ethical in certain circumstances, whereas in the others, is an irreversible sin. Hinduism is a renowned religion that believes in multiple gods. The fundamental of Hinduism is the belief in the creator, (Brahma) the preserver (Vishnu) and finally, the destroyer.(Mahadeva, or Shiva). The Vedic texts are also the core of Hinduism, which show us the way of living life, the way in which various rituals are to be carried out, and the way to behave around people. An alluring description of the arts is also given in these ancient texts.
My family has not been very intensely religious at all. My maternal grandmother, however, is a staunch believer. Reciting chants after a bath, housing a devghar, reading the Gita, are all practices she follows. She tried teaching me as well, but I remember only little words here and there now. I hum along to her tune. My mother ,however is a working woman and all this is simply too time consuming for her. She does believe in God . She asked me one day, ‘’ Neetika, every living thing requires energy. It is passed from one organ of an ecosystem to another. It has to have a source. Where do you think energy comes from?’’ to which I replied, ”The sun, obviously. Where else would it come from?” After intense back an forth about where the sun recieves energy from, the debate met quite an unsatisfactory end. To be quite honest, winning an argument with my mother was fun. I didn't necessarily agree with any of the statements I made, but maybe that was the reason I won. I had such an objective view of the things I said, so the entire concept of god truly came to me as a bigger picture. I think that is what people fail to understand about this whole conversation. The argument isn't about whether God exists or not, that is a moot point. The entire point of God is faith. As long as someone has faith, god is real, exactly like Schrodingers cat. That would mean, that for me, who doesn't quite know where I stand on such discourse, god exists in a third state, one that is not limited to time or space. Ah well, God in general is not limited to time or space ,is He? He is if I want Him to be. Only then, though.
Out of all the mind-numbingly boring subjects I had in school, English was one. However, one poem, rather a line from a poem in particular, truly made me think. In the poem, the poet wished he was an animal, for their simpler ways. He says this through a line, “They (animals) do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.” Sometimes, people forget that God is omnipresent. He does not need our help. We need his. Yes, we have a duty to Him, which is being the absolute picture of morality, at least according to our different religions. I see too many people on the internet going on missionary trips. If you don't know what they are, basically, rich, white, Christians go to poor countries like Africa, which have a shortage of the most basic necessities, not because of shortage of natural resources, but because of dictatorship, appointed by the land of the free and home of the medically uninsured, as well as corruption in every other office, and tell them to convert to Christianity to find god. Quite morbid when you think about it. Why should they bend to God's will? What has God ever done for them? Their children must drink water, before a priest blesses it and calls it Holy. God will not quench their thirst. One requires a certain privilege to believe in God. The privilege of having a good enough life to say god gave it to them. To say God blessed them with all they have, and if others simply convert, prosperity will enter their homes. For me, god is in every little thing. God is in every little flower that blooms in the springtime. God is in the thriller book I read perched on my balcony while listening to the rain, occasionally a little droplet falling on my skin. God is in my childhood scars, in my grandmother's home, in my guitar I play horribly for my friends.in the lipgloss my best friend lends me. God is my belief that things do get better. God is my belief that I am worthy of being comfortable in my own skin. God is my mother's womb, in my beginning and in my coffin I will lie in, in my end . God is everywhere but that little box the cat lies dead in.
