MetaChat - How the Concept That 'God Is Everywhere' Began

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16 September 2005

How the Concept That 'God Is Everywhere' Began

post by: matteo at: 23:12 | 17 comments

I love this stuff. Matteo, just out of curiosity, why were you looking this up?

posted by puddinghead 16 September | 23:20

I thought animism was the "God is everywhere" thing...

posted by MightyNez 16 September | 23:35

yup--we invented that whole "invisible, transportable God" thing (apparently they had always lived in specific places or the sky or the moon or water, etc, before). There's a good book about it, if i can remember the name...

posted by amberglow 16 September | 23:49

I'm looking forward to reading the book that this is excerpted from. The author's other books have been pretty interesting.

posted by PsychoKitty 16 September | 23:51

I'm reading it right now, PK, it's very good

posted by matteo 16 September | 23:56

I think some Hindu traditions might have a beef to pick with this explanation.

posted by Gyan 17 September | 00:56

Fascinating. Gyan, tell more. (Though I think the framing of "god is everywhere" here is specifically within the Judaeo-Christian tradition.)

posted by taz 17 September | 04:14

Used to be, people thought their gods were "territorial". Each country had its own deity. I can think of one battle in the Bible where Israel's enemies made the mistake of thinking that He wasn't the God of the hills as well as the plains....

Anyway, I'm in Theology 101 (no kidding) and can confidently state He is, indeed, everywhere (but not everything. God is not the podium or the breadstick.That would be pantheism.)

posted by bunnyfire 17 September | 07:08

That's why I like pantheism. I want god in the breadstick. Failing that, god is a strangely shaped rock at the edge of my yard.

posted by mygothlaundry 17 September | 10:33

Panentheism works for me.

posted by moonbird 17 September | 12:51

I had some god this morning for breakfast. Deeeelicious!

posted by brainwidth 17 September | 13:13

Sugar Frosted God Flakes, or Heart-Healthy God Clusters?

posted by amberglow 17 September | 14:13

Elvis is Everywhere. (Thanks Mojo Nixon!)

posted by eekacat 17 September | 19:51

God is not the podium or the breadstick

what about the Host then?

posted by matteo 17 September | 20:18

Oh no you don't. People used to get burned at the stake over THAT one.

posted by bunnyfire 17 September | 20:38

Oh, and God is not Kashi Golean Clusters either. But that does make a heavenly breakfast.

posted by bunnyfire 17 September | 20:40

People used to get burned at the stake over THAT one

good old times huh?

posted by matteo 18 September | 07:24

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