Presented below is a screenshot of a twitter conversation between Charlie Kirk and I on this topic. Charlie Kirk is an Evangelical Christian who has become well known on account of his political activism. In his professional capacity he refrains from engaging in theological debate, whereas, on his personal social media platform he remains authentic to his beliefs. Longer explanations would be unnecessary, as the image speaks for itself.
Expanding on this thread, here are a few thoughts that come to mind.
The ultimate pursuit of Truth is the quest to understand nature of G-d.
G-d is a power beyond human comprehension. G-d is the spirit of the world, the spring of creation.
G-d describes himself in anthropomorphic terms so that we can grasp a glimpse of his being and connect to him in our lives; in what we do and in who we are. However,
G-d is unique, neither physical nor spiritual, the Creator of both the physical and the spiritual worlds.
Maimonides, in the 3rd of the thirteen principles of faith states that "G-d is not a human being, has no human body characteristics and has no human organs or limitations."
When I shared these thoughts with a friend who has limited background in Hebrew or study of the Bible in its original language she asked:
In Hebrew, what is the personal pronoun of "G-d," masculine, feminine or inanimate, such as "it"?
I responded:
"In the Bible and scripture, G-d takes on the form of many morphological, semantic and syntax structures. G-d is not limited to one form or attribute; G-d is multidimensional, and therefore is describes in many ways. When ascribing to the feminine expression of his being, G-d is described in the feminine form, such as in the word, שכינה - Shechina, "The Holy Presence. " Other times we experience G-d in masculine attributes, for example, א-ל ש-די kel shaka, G-d is described in masculine attributes, and thus the name and pronoun assumes the masculine form."
Paraphrasing Rabbi Motty Berger from Aish Hatorah, "G-d is the source and proof of dignity and divinity in Man, the reason and cause for human beings' ability for self-control to rise above their animal nature and pursue greatness. Therefore, denying the existence of G-d is not a sin against G-d it is a crime against humanity." It seems to me, therefore, that it is not enough to declare that G-d is real, but to understand what impact the existence of G-d has on this world in which he placed us and onto the nature of how he made us be. This knowledge is the compass that guides our way and the road-map in all we do, bringing us back to the original counterpoint: the imperative to know in G-d to the extent in which G-d is revealed to us. Gaining knowledge of the creation through recognition, respect and intimacy with the creator.
Well whatever does that mean, and how on Earth do we do that?
Ben Shapiro, once declared, "I don't just love G-d, and serve G-d, I know in G-d." So to say, living with an awareness of G-d is living my truth, though he hates that phrase. It's what he breathes and how he perceives. When question as to the accuracy of his statement, Ben clarified that he is no prophet. He does not KNOW G-d, as no human could know G-d, yet he knows in G-d insofar as G-d is knowable. In study there is a distinction between absolute knowledge and deductive knowledge. Absolute knowledge is that I have ten fingers and ten toes. Deductive knowledge informs me that if my fingers wiggled to my command yesterday, barring an accident or illness, the same would be true of my fingers tomorrow, or another example, the direction the sun rose and set yesterday is the directions in which it will do so today. It is through the manner in which G-d sends us signs and symbols of his existence and the Human intellect with which we have been blessed, we can deduce the following:
"If something can't come from nothing, and before there was something, there was nothing, then that nothing must be G-d."
Thank you to Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser, Dr. Gerald Schroeder, Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen and Rabbi Neckameyer, from Yeshivas Aish Hatorah for some of the thoughts and ideas taught in their lectures that helped contribute to this article.
A note to Christian and other non-Jewish followers of this blog: This article follows Jewish teachings and opinion. However, consider that Judaism is the source and origins of Christianity. It is my belief that, although this article contradicts core tenets of your faith, you can gain and benefit from study and knowledge of the information shared. Additionally, Europe and the West was founded on the influence of Greek philosophy and biblical roots. The key to building a strong future is maintaining a connection to the source.
I welcome debate and discussion both in the comments section of my blog and via email. In fact, I hope this article will not be seen as a finished product, but as a springboard for conversation regarding the meaning and purpose of life.
I love music, so I have included the lyrics of a song related to this topic.
Where is G-d? song by Lawson Bates
“Who is G-d” based on a song by Lawson Bates
Some may wonder, who is the g-d of Israel?
they say we've never seen him,
so how are we to know?
Just take a look at this homeward road i'm travelling,
you will see a mighty G-d
you will see a mighty G-d
everywhere i go.
He is the eye of the storm,
the bottom of my ocean,
the morning and the midnight
in every wind that blows.
The top of my mountain,
the lowest of my valleys
Who is g-d?
He's the essence of my soul.
three hebrew children
bound to have met a fiery furnace
Joshuah found him in the battle of Jericho
Daniel, yes he found him in the den of a lion
wherever we are, thats where our g-d will go.
It is the eye of my storm,
the bottom of my ocean,
the morning and the midnight
in every wind that blows.
The top of my mountain,
the lowest of my valleys.
the lowest of my valleys.
What is g-d?
It's the compass and the goal.
He is the eye of the storm,
the bottom of my ocean,
the morning and the midnight
in every wind that blows.
The top of my mountain,
the lowest of my valleys
Who is g-d?
He's the essence of my soul.
http://www.chabad.org.il/Articles/Article.asp?ArticleID=1955&CategoryID=150
https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16486/jewish/Chapter-3.htm#showrashi=true
"He Who Answered"
http://www.hatanakh.com/en/content/he-who-answered-hananya-mishael-and-azarya-he-who-answered-daniel
http://www.hatanakh.com/en/content/he-who-answered-hananya-mishael-and-azarya-he-who-answered-daniel
