# It;s God, not G-D **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 28, 2000, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978 "2000-08-28T00:42:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/21 "2000-08-28T16:51:21Z")
Gr8Kat, the word is not supposed to be pronounced, not “unpronouncible.” Translations from Hebrew have many variations considering that the written language is devoid of vowels. I recently attended a Jewish wedding. A portion of the festivities took place at a synogogue in a rite known as an ufruf, oofroof or aufruf in English (I would assume FRF or Fe Resh Fe in Hebrew – **lilah** , can you verify?). The term Yahweh is _a_ spelling. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/22 "2000-08-28T17:00:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nen \* > \*\*Pertaining to the capitalization of the word god, I find it most amusing. Of all the various religions, gods and goddesses have names. The Shinto kami and the Greek pantheon provide wonderful examples of _names_ for gods and goddesses. Why is it that Christianity elects to name god “God”? Isn’t it a bit like naming your dog “Dog”, or cat “Cat”? It seems less than original. > \*\* That’s the name He gave us, far as I can recall. Greek and Roman mythology consists of a pretty high number of gods and goddesses. To refer to them by “god” or “goddess” would get entirely too confusing for 99 percent of us. As for why God wants us to call Him that, ask Him 🙂 > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nen \* > \*\*I don’t capitalize the word god because the word is not a proper noun. > \*\* In some cases, “God” is a proper noun. In the case where it is the name of a god, for example. You capitalize proper names, no? “God” is the name of the Christian god. ---
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/23 "2000-08-28T17:09:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > In some cases, “God” is a proper noun. In the case where it is the name of a god, for example. > > You capitalize proper names, no? “God” is the name of the Christian god. I don’t address the Christian god. I usually don’t find it necessary to speak of the Christian god either. If I speak of Thor or Shiva, I adhere to standard English grammar rules. If someone tries to prove the existence of God, I state that the existence of a god cannot be proven. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/24 "2000-08-28T18:02:04Z")
Why on earth would anyone care how others spell the name of their deity? C’mon, who gives a rat’s ass, really? -andros- (proper name, not capitalized) ---
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/25 "2000-08-28T18:03:27Z")
Well said, **A** ndros. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/26 "2000-08-28T18:15:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nen \* > \*\*Translations from Hebrew have many variations considering that the written language is devoid of vowels. I recently attended a Jewish wedding. A portion of the festivities took place at a synogogue in a rite known as an ufruf, oofroof or aufruf in English (I would assume FRF or Fe Resh Fe in Hebrew – **lilah** , can you verify?). The term Yahweh is _a_ spelling. \*\* The word that you refer to is actually not Hebrew but Yiddish. Yiddish uses vowels. ---
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/27 "2000-08-28T18:28:37Z")
IzzyR, YHVH is Hebrew. When one pronounces the term, it roughly corresponds to the sound yahweh. Would you please cite a source for this Yiddish etymology? ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/28 "2000-08-28T18:42:53Z")
Nen, I meant that your example, aufruf, is Yiddish. Sorry for the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/29 "2000-08-28T18:55:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nen \* > \*\*I don’t address the Christian god. I usually don’t find it necessary to speak of the Christian god either. If I speak of Thor or Shiva, I adhere to standard English grammar rules. If someone tries to prove the existence of God, I state that the existence of a god cannot be proven. \*\* What’s the difference between capitalizing Thor, Shiva, or God? ---
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/30 "2000-08-28T19:00:33Z")
Izzy, thanks for the clarification, but I’d still like a link. iampunha, if I specifically refer to the Christian god, I will write it thusly: God. ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/31 "2000-08-28T19:20:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nen \* > **Izzy, thanks for the clarification, but I’d still like a link.** Link schmink! I am familiar with Hebrew and Yiddish, and I know which is which. The word auf (or uyf, or oof, depending on what country you’re from) means on, or up. The word ruf means to call. The word aufruf means calling up. (It’s probably the same in German as well, though I can’t vouch for this). The affair that takes place on Saturday prior to the wedding is called an aufruf because the groom is called up to the Torah reading. You can believe or disbelieve - that’s all you’ll get out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Nen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Nen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nen)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/32 "2000-08-28T19:25:49Z")
I believe you, IzzyR, I just wanted to impress the wife with my fountain of knowledge. So, a bit of a hijack, but were ufrufs not commonplace prior to judaic-yiddish intermingling? ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/33 "2000-08-28T19:34:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nen \* > \*\*So, a bit of a hijack, but were ufrufs not commonplace prior to judaic-yiddish intermingling? \*\* That, I can’t say. The whole thing is only a custom. It could be that it used to have another name; it could be that it started relatively recently. In fact, I have no idea if Sefardic Jews (those who come from the Arab countries) have this custom even today. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/34 "2000-08-28T21:24:51Z")
What’s with all the arguing about G-D, GOD, God, or god? Why doesn’t someone ask him how he wants it spelled? Get back to us when you have the answer, or he can get ahold of me directly if he wants. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/35 "2000-08-28T21:47:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Why doesn’t someone ask him how he wants it spelled? I did. He said it’s spelled “H-a-r-o-l-d.” ---
**Author:** ![APB9999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB9999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB9999)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/36 "2000-08-28T23:31:36Z")
I usually use -od or Go- myself. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/37 "2000-08-28T23:48:45Z")
This is kind of MPSIMSy, so apologies beforehand. Sorry. My Intro to Islam professor in J’salem was a kipa-wearing Modern Orthodox (American) Jew. After he gave us back our first paper, he went on a rant about the numerous people who spelled god with a hyphen, but didn’t feel a similar compunction about putting a hyphen in allah. I don’t see it, but his reasoning was that allah has the same root as god’s name, and therefore we should be MORE careful about using it than “god”, which is just an English translation and has nothing to do with the Hebrew word of HaShem. My friend got married last Sunday, and she and her husband (that sounds SO WEIRD!) had an ufruf on the previous Friday. I had never been to one before, and I guess the rabbi hadn’t either, because he had no idea how to perform one, and had to do some research to do it. So I guess the custom is dying out. (Or maybe just isn’t common in Reform shuls.) ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/38 "2000-08-29T02:28:40Z")
The AP Stylebook says it’s “God”, but that you shouldn’t capitalize pronouns referring to him. ---
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/39 "2000-08-29T08:28:08Z")
mind if i call you darryl to avoid confusion? bj0rn - bark… ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978/40 "2000-08-29T09:33:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Why is it that Christianity elects to name god “God”? Isn’t it a bit like naming your dog “Dog”, or cat “Cat”? It seems less than original. Wanna talk about “less than original”? Ever notice how Earth’s moon is the only moon to be named Moon? And nobody ever seems to confuse moon with Moon? Strange how nobody seems to confuse god and God, either… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-s-god-not-g-d/30978.md?page=3)