God, Gott, Gud, etc., have different meanings.
In Finnish he's called Jumala
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumala
So what was the original meaning of our word 'God'?
One claim I came across was that it was the name of "the changes that happen in the life of an individual or community when certain riituals are performed". Later the belief evolved that these changes came about as a consequence of the operations of the will of a "supernatural anthropomorphic intelligence" that the rituals made contact with. Unusual natural events ... such as eclipses, etc., were then explained as being caused by this being.
I often say to Christians: "If there is only one God they why don't all languages use the same name?"
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Not sure where this is going. There are some 30,000 Christian sects and all of them have a different idea of the meaning of the word God. Divide up any congregation in any church in the world and begin asking people about their definition of god and you will find the congregation members do not even share a common reference. What's your point?
Cog, let me preface this by adding I can't believe Senior is making sense in a thread. lol Who knew?
Senior says it in the first sentence. "The names of God in different languages have subtly different meanings." You know how language sometimes cannot be translated, depending on the word, right? "God" is one of those words. It means SUBTLY means different things in different languages. IMO, sometimes not so subtly. Senior's got a point.
I've forgotten the names of God in other languages (it's been a long time) but I know they exist. And I agree with Senior; they are subtly different, depending on the language in that culture. Sorry I can't provide the names. I'm just old and haven't had coffee yet. But perhaps, the difference in *denominations*where god is used, will show you the differences Senior is talking about?
Some religious denominations call their god "elohim" - Creator
Some called their god "Abba" - father. This is used a lot in Xtian fundamentalist denominations.
Jehovah's Witnesses obviously call god "Jehovah". If you're talking to a JW, and you use another term, they won't recognize it as a word for god... I don't know why.
Another way to look at it, is say the AR forum knows you as Cognostic, right? To your children, they all you Dad, or to your wife, you are Husband. You are still the physical you, but depending on your relationship, you have different roles. So it is with Senior's claim. They're talking about the same God, but their god's name has different meanings.
Sorry if I've confused you more. It actually is very interesting what Senior is claiming because linguistics is interesting when it comes to different cultures. Anyway, hope this helps.
And even people who use the same word do not mean the same thing. This is nothing world shattering. Three kids call their Dad "dad" Not one of them has any idea who dad thinks dad is or who the wife thinks dad is and all three children have a different idea of what dad is. Names are not necessary to have limited perceptions. Perceptions are limited and do not agree even if we use the same name.
Yep, I agree with you, Cog. My previous post was made to help you understand what Senior's OP is about.
To your post, I was also thinking about tone of voice. Like if an atheist says "god", it's more than likely it's different perceived from a Catholic saying the same word, but in a very different way.
LOLOL Language is something else, isn't it? It's a wonder if communicate at all.
Believers don't say God. They say Gowwwd. LOL
LOL
How do aliens say it? I mean, atheists?
Eurocentric Bible translators have blithely translated "god" into numerous languages without understanding the cultural context.
In Japan, for example, god is "kami" in Bible translations, but that's also used for an animistic sense of spirit that people attribute to natural phenomena. An unusually shaped rock, tree, or mountain, can also be a kami. The typhoon that wrecked Kublai Khan's attempt to invade Japan was a sacred wind, or kamikaze.
Words like "love", "lord", and "master" are also likely to be lost in translation.
What Western Xtians forget is that their beliefs are also based on a poorly translated book of dubious provenance. But if English was good enough for Jesus....
We also have a history of using the word god for animism. We have Pan - the god of the forest. Neptune- the god of the sea, Churnmilk Peg, female guardian spirit of unripe nut thickets. Apple Tree Man, the spirit of the oldest apple tree in an orchard, from the cider- Chloris, goddess of flowers. Demeter, goddess of the harvest, crops, the fertility of the earth, grains, and the seasons/ Gaea, the goddess of the earth and its personification. She is also the primal mother goddess.
Dagon
Region ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Canaan
Consort Shala or Ishara
Parents El and Athirat (possibly)
Deities of the ancient Near East
Ancient Egyptian[hide]
Amun Apis Atum Buchis Geb Horus Isis Montu Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Set Shu Tefnut Thoth
Arabian[hide]
Allah Aglibol Abgal al-Lat al-Qaum al-‘Uzzá Atarsamain Athtar Baalshamin Bēl Dhul Khalasa Dushara Hubal Malakbel Manaf Manāt Nasr Nuha Orotalt Ruda Suwa' Theandrios Wadd Ya'uq Yaghūth Yarhibol Yatha
Levantine (Canaanite)[hide]
Adonis Anat Asherah Ashima Astarte Atargatis Attar Baal Berith Chemosh Dagon El Elyon Eshmun Gad Hadad Kothar-wa-Khasis Melqart Moloch Mot Nikkal Qetesh Resheph Shadrafa Shahar Shalim Shapash Yam Yahweh Yarikh
Elamite[hide]
Inshushinak Jabru Khumban Kiririsha Lahurati Nahundi Napir Ninsusinak Pinikir
Mesopotamian[hide]
Abzu/Apsu Adad Amurru An/Anu Anshar Ashur Enki/Ea Enlil Ereshkigal Inanna/Ishtar/Ishtarat Kingu Kishar Lahamu Lahmu Marduk Mummu Nabu Nammu Nanna/Sin Nergal Ningishzida Ninhursag Ninlil Tiamat Utu/Shamash
Religions of the ancient Near East
vte
Dagon (Phoenician: , translit. Dāgūn; Hebrew: דָּגוֹן, Tib. /dɔːgon/) or Dagan (Sumerian:, translit. dda-gan[1]) is an Mesopotamian and ancient Canaanite deity. He appears to have been worshipped as a fertility god in Ebla, Assyria, Ugarit and among the Amorites. The Hebrew Bible mentions him as the national god of the Philistines with temples/
Our history is rich with gods of trees, flowers, fish. animals, etc....
"Our history is rich with gods of trees, flowers, fish. animals, etc...."
Hanh?? I thought you were atheist. Explain yourself, young man.
(and how come I gotta eat leftovers for supper AGAIN??)
Sorry, but I can't agree with your second paragraph. There is no one "kami". There are major deities, minor deities, and there's Buddhism, and Shinto, which all have different deities. Xtianity claims only one god. I'm just curious, how much do you know about Japanese deities? It's very complex, and varies widely depending on so many factors that it is in no way simple to understand, unless it's seriously studied. It's one of those thing that you can't expect to understand from just reading it online. Unfortunately, I was raised Buddhist; that's the reference I have.... unfortunately.
So, I don't see how your third paragraph relates to Senior's OP about the name of God having subtly different meanings. It is my understanding that he's referring the One God, although I made me wrong.
@Magnificent Beast: There is no one "kami".
I never said there was. There are thousands of them. My point was that early Bible translators erroneously adopted the word "kami" to apply to their one god without understanding the cultural context. A Japanese kami is nothing like the Xtian concept of god.
In my third paragraph I was simply commenting that "god" isn't the only Bliblical word that can be dangerous in translation.
Oh, I see what you mean, now. LOLOLOL Yes. It is dangerous. I'm thinking of Tagalog (Filipines), the Western word "flower" is translated into Tagalog as "female genitalia."
WOAH You don't want to get that one wrong.
Do you know another language, fluently? I wish I did. I was just too busy with life.
@Magnificent Beast: Do you know another language, fluently?
I studied French, German and Latin at school, but these days Japanese is the only foreign language I can claim fluency in. I work as a translator (Japanese business documents into English).
I thought from the picture you use that you maybe have some connection to Japan.
Thanks for the warning about flowers in the Philippines!
I am sansei, living in the US. Raised Buddhist, now atheist. I had a feeling from your picture that you were somehow connection to Asia, too! (like the pattern of the Buddhist wheel)
I envy your ability to speak so many different languages! I studied Latin for a while, so entranced with it, I was.
:D
@Magnificent Beast: I had a feeling from your picture that you were somehow connection to Asia
My picture is the White Rose of York. I'm from Doncaster, the home of Robin Hood according to the original story. I was christened and raised as an Anglican, but I've been an atheist for about 50 years now.
Please accept my apologies for the awful, silly, stupid film of Robin Hood by Kevin Costner. Please tell your hometown that as an American, I humble ask for their forgiveness. Please know we highly respect Robin Hood.
silly, stupid film of Robin Hood by Kevin Costner.
LOL. Kevin wasn't so bad. The all-time worst Robin Hoods IMHO were Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn, the original Men in Tights.