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What comes to your mind when you hear the phraes, "God is good"?
At the core of our experiential reality is our concept of good. How we conduct our lives depends upon our concept of good. We attempt to avoid that which we perceive as bad, wrong or evil.
According to Merriam Webster, the definition of “God" is “the being in perfect power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe," But what is "God" really? Is this all there is to the concept called "God"?
"The expression 'God is Good' is said in many ways in many places throughout the verses of the Bible. The central theme of scripture is to glorify the holiness of God and the significance of following his teachings. Taken literally, this phrase refers to the concept that God is everything that is truly good in this world, and conversely, the evil of this world is the opposite of God. Furthermore, the Bible holds numerous parables conveying the goodness of God and why we should have faith in his righteousness."
https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/god-is-good-bible-verses/
We often hear the phrase, “God is good.” It is used in songs, sermons, and is sometimes used as a response when both good and bad things happen in our lives, for example: a person who avoids tragedy due to car trouble or a delayed flight. Other examples are good things that happen to people, like circumstances aligning perfectly for them to buy a house or replace their old car when previously things looked very bleak. In all these things, we often say, “God is good.”
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-does-it-mean-that-god-is-good-5-examples-in-everyday-life.html
It has come to my attention that the original meaning of the English word god may have been the same in meaning as the current English word good. If this is so, then we have some pretty interesting concepts for the phrase "God is Good"!
The term "god" has evolved into the concept of a "Being", above and outside of "nature", a supernatural being called "God" who is creator and controller of nature. Such a concept makes it easy for the individual to avoid responsibility for the "bad" things that they do in life - the bad that they do unto themselves and the bad that they do unto others and their environment. This is so because the concept of a "God" gave rise to the concept of an evil being that oppose "God". Think about it, the term God did not lose its meaning of good, it took on a greater meaning and the human mind could not associate this good/God as doing evil (i.e bad). Thus, the human mind had to conceptualize an opposite of God, an opposre of good.
Let us analyze this precept using a few scriptures.
Note: A precept (from the Latin: præcipere, to teach) is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action. (A precept is a rule or direction, often with some religious basis, dictating a way you should act or behave.) In the Hebrew, we have Torah - Correct Instructions to teach authoritative rules of actions to direct one's life in the proper manner.
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)
"No matter who we are, we all experience difficulty. To be sure, the degree of life’s severity differs from person to person." "In every season of our lives, in every place of our existence, there is tension and conflict. From the wrenching reality of losing loved ones to silly inconveniences like warm drinks getting cold and cold drinks getting warm, life is hard." "What’s more, when the difficulties of life show up we crave explanation. We cannot help but search for meaning in the face of tragedy and pain. This inclination is part of what makes us, us. When we can’t find answers we often come up with our own. ... Consequently, our bad answers cause us to respond to pain in ways that can cause more pain to ourselves and others. "
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/life-is-hard-but-god-is-good
According to Jeremiah the navi, the "LORD" has good plans for you, for us, as such, it is should cause us to want to know who is this "LORD".
(In Hebrew, the word נָבִיא (nāvî), "spokesperson", traditionally translates as "prophet". ... The meaning of navi is perhaps described in Deuteronomy 18:18, where God said, "...and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.")
The term "LORD" in the English Bible is rendered from the Hebrew term "YahWah". With a bit of indepth studying, one can come to understand that YahWah (I am that I am) is the totality of all that ever was, is and will be. Thus YahWah is the totality of the Cosmos, the totality of the "One Substance" as mentioned by Baruch Spinoza, and YahWah is the "One" as spoken of in the Shema. In essence, YahWah (LORD) is the totality of us and our environment. So, we conclude that our environment was formed for our greatest benefit - and not for our harm. That begs the question, why do bad things happen?
Thus, we have our environment referred to as YahWah in the Hebrew and a "navi" (a spokesperson) to explain to us about our enviornment. It should be relatively clear by now that our environment provides for us the instructions we need to live in harmony with all beings and things if we but study them and then do accordingly to what we have learn such that we have very little difficulty in our lives. The more knowledge we acquire, the less difficulty we will experience when we follow Correct Instructions.
Psalm 31:19
19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. (NIV)
A historian of antiquity shows how the Christian Revolution forged the Western imagination
Crucifixion, the Romans believed, was the worst fate imaginable. It was this that rendered it so suitable a punishment for slaves. How astonishing it was, then, that people should have come to believe that one particular victim of crucifixion-an obscure provincial by the name of Jesus-had been a god. Dominion explores the implications of this shocking conviction as they have reverberated throughout history.
Today, the West remains utterly saturated by Christian assumptions. Our morals and ethics are not universal. Instead, they are the fruits of a very distinctive civilization. Concepts such as secularism, liberalism, science, and homosexuality are deeply rooted in a Christian seedbed. From Babylon to the Beatles, Saint Michael to #MeToo, Dominion tells the story of how Christianity transformed the world.
What are the chances that God is actually good?: (Philosophy professor James Sterba revives a very old argument.) Why does God allow evil to happen? This question has been at the heart of Western religious philosophy since the dawn of monotheism. The very term and concept of God has long divided humans. Is he the first mover? Beyond definition, as many have argued? If God is all-powerful and humans are incapable of even defining him—I’m using “him” out of convenience, as “it” would be more appropriate in this case; a gendered deity is quite definable—why are so many certain they recognize his moral standing? Given how many sects of religions exist, how can so many people be so wrong?
We attempt to avoid that which we perceive as bad, wrong or evil, and we conduct our lives upon our concept of good.
Comparing Religions: The Study of Us That Changes Us
Teaches students the art and practice of comparison in the globalizing world, fully updated to reflect recent scholarship and major developments in the field
Comparing Religions: The Study of Us that Changes Us is a wholly original, absorbing, and provocative reimagining of the comparative study of religion in the 21st century. The first textbook of its kind to foreground the extraordinary or “paranormal” aspects of religious experience, this innovative volume reviews the fundamental tenets of the world’s religions, discusses the benefits and problems of comparative inquiry, explores how the practice can impact a person's worldview and values, and much more.
Asserting that religions have always engaged in comparing one another, the authors provide insights into the history, trends, debates, and questions of explicit comparativism in the modern world. Easily accessible chapters examine the challenges of studying religion using a comparative approach rather than focusing on religious identity, inspiring students to think seriously about religious pluralism as they engage in comparative practice. Throughout the text, a wealth of diverse case studies and vivid illustrations are complemented by chapter outlines, summaries, toolkits, discussion questions, and other learning features. Substantially updated with new and revised material, the second edition of Comparing Religions:
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Comparing Religions: The Study of Us That Changes Us
Paperback – March 25, 2024
by Jeffrey J. Kripal (Author), Ata Anzali (Author), Andrea R. Jain (Author), Erin Prophet (Author)
Comparing Religions: The Study of Us that Changes Us, Second Edition, is the perfect textbook for undergraduate students
and faculty in comparative religion, the study of religion, and world religions, as well as a valuable resource for general
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