jsgoddess,
I believe you have misnterpreted my post. There is nothing that I said that can be interpreted as an attack. My comment was an answer to your question. However, I found it necessary to put in into perspective.
Any discussion of God should be taken seriously and openly. I find it inconceivable for anybody to have God conform to their own image. It doesnt work that way. God states in the Bible you need to come to him “as a child.” What is so offensive about that? If men and women cannot let go of their ego it will be much more difficult to have a relationship with HIM.
We live in a world that “thrives” on ego and self fullfillment.
People have given a lot of great answers here. 
But mine, for what they’re worth:
- God is the supreme intelligence and order among everything, the pattern we see throughout creation. The Holy Spirit is the force–the energy–that moves us and pervades the very atoms of our being. I believe Jesus among the Trinity was the only actual person of the Godhead.
prods gingerly at smiling bandit’s smoking charred computer seat after the thunderbolt hits
- Yes, in many ways, and not all of them speech or thought or what have you. I think God can be recognized in the impulse to create: a family, a loving relationship, a sexual connection, a building, a painting, a sonata, a shelter for homeless people, a hospital, a space shuttle. I liked it best how Madeleine L’Engle put it in her book A Wind in the Door: the Echthroi (the enemy demons, as opposed to Proginoskes the cherubim) are nothingness. They’re a vacuum. God and his goodness fill that vacuum of empty space with planets and stars and life.
You noticed that the OP isn’t just about Christianity right? Of course you’re welcome to your opinion.
I would say that sincerity and commitment in seeking the truth is a form of humility. We have to let go of preconceived notions and sift the truth from man’s traditions. It isn’t just recently that people have tried to change God to fit their image of him. Christianity as well as other religions has been changing since day one. Just a glimpse at Christian history shows that. It isn’t necessarily human ego that brings people to discard tradition in order to be true to themselves and their own concept of God. It may well be their sincerity of heart in seeking God that moves them.
Keep in mind friend that embracing religious tradition as truth might be a form of ego.
Lot’s of people, including many Christians, disagree concerning what the Bible means and how it should be interpreted. They don’t disagree because of some failing of the human ego.
I was quoting the other poster. You’ll have to ask him.
Keep in mind that this is not a thread dedicated to Bible-based believers or Christian believers. It has been asked that atheists bypass this opportunity for debating the existence of God, but there has been no request that nonChristians keep out. The Bible has no relevant authority for some of us believers in here, whatever it may or may not say about the maleness of God.
I’m not the OP but I think the intended tone was a comparison of perspectives & experiences, and perhaps expressing the sentiment that those whose perspective differs from your own in this area have done so because their EGO is interfering is not in the best spirit of that intent?
I agree. This is why one needs to have a relationship with Him. Not everyone has the understanding to know what the Bible means. One can not let ones ego override the truth, however. It stands on its own. Our history is the proof.
They were sinless creations of God but they weren’t God, if that’s what you’re asking?
OP:
I’m not sure what you mean by person but I guess no-- God: “I am who am”. He’s a being but that doesn’t really encompass it. Jesus was not a man, He was God incarnate true God and true man.
Yes, He communicates. When I have no idea what to think about or say to Him when I sit down to pray, I am given the best words to say and reflect on. Honestly, they come from nowhere. To me, that’s the Spirit.
I have always felt at least he was some part man. Knowing mans anger and fear. When he said “Father, let this cup pass from me” it seems to me that as a man, he didn’t want the pain and suufering that he knew would come with his inaction. These words make me aspire to be a better man, because some things I have done, and things I will do, will and have caused me pain and heartache, but still I know I must do them. By my simple way of thinking, this is what being a man is. Doing what is right no matter the cost. As long as I can stand tall when the time comes, and I have laid down like a dog many times before, I will be able to stand tall before Him.
The poster referred to them as “a perfect image of God.” If they were perfect, how could they have been led astray, even allowing for free will? Wouldn’t a perfect image of God always make the right choice?
“Yes, He communicates. When I have no idea what to think about or say to Him when I sit down to pray, I am given the best words to say and reflect on. Honestly, they come from nowhere. To me, that’s the Spirit”
Gigi, this was PERFECTLY articulated. Very nice. I would take it one step further, it is my opnion that “most” of our thoughts are NOT our own.
They either come from God or the enemy. I dont think many people are prepared for this realization. But I digress. As several people have already expressed, God is evident in three forms. I have a young child and I am preparing myself to explain “God” to him. Not an easy task.
Whose history? Proof of what?
IMO people do let their egos override the truth to varying degrees. It may be fears or pride or subconscious needs and preferences that stand in the way. I think the journey of spiritual growth is one of little by little coming to terms with whatever our specific failings may be and trying to deal with them so we are more able to set the ego aside.
Especially if your opinion happens to be mistaken. There’s certainly a lot about our consciousness that we have yet to understand but I suspect blaming our thoughts on spirits may not help us grow.
Yes and yes.
We have conversations.
Catholic from Spain (bear with me, IME it’s different from being a Catholic from the USA), mostly Jesuit and Franciscan influences.
God is a person (well, three) and He does communicate, yes. A lot of the communication is our own projections, a lot is through having given us the ability to read the world (learn about physics and chemistry and medicine and so forth). Does He communicate directly? Well, god-messages don’t get more direct than incarnation, so yes. Does He communicate directly in other ways? Yes. Does direct communication mean purdy lights and shiny images? Not necessarily, among other things it depends on what the recipient needs and on the purpose of the specific communication: Our Lady of Guadalupe was left behind because otherwise Juan Diego would have ended up in the madhouse - the message he was bearing wouldn’t have been listened to. When less showy means work, less showy means are used.
I’m conscious that part of this is my own projections (I like efficiency, so “my” God is efficient) but what the heck, to me a lot of the point of religion is that “it works for me.” My projections work for me 
It’s great that you know and acknowledge that. IMHO that’s a lot of what religion is. People find something that works for them and is in part their own projection, or maybe a group projection based on their particular religion and it’s traditions. That’s fine until a group decides that their way is the only right way.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to say He wasn’t a man. I meant to say He wasn’t only a man, but true God and true man at the same time. I was responding to **smiling bandit **saying “Jesus on the other hand is a man. A jewish dude from the province of Judea, born around 3 BC. Supposedly he wasn’t much of a looker. Liked baked fish.”
Sorry I wasn’t clearer. The fact that Christ was tempted in every way man is and didn’t sin is our example of how to live so it’s essential that He was also true man.
Wow. Keeping Sybok’s dream a reality even to this day, huh?
Sorry for the hijack. I couldn’t resist. I’ll go back to lurking now.
I was thinking of events like the crusades, the inquisition. That was about what men wanted.
Yes and probably not for me.
I think, in my own definition of ‘god’ that if god was not a person he would not be god. Also, I’m using ‘he’ because there is not suitable gender neutral personal pronoun. ‘It’ just doesn’t cut it. If god was not a person it would just be very powerful energy.
From a theists point of view this isn’t anthropomorphizing a deity, since humans are like god, not the other way round. He was capable of love, anger, jealousy and commitment long before humans ever thought of such words.
However, despite believing the existence of god is probable, I don’t know if god communicates. When I was a little younger I would have said yes, but the memory is fading now. I sometimes think this whole thing is more akin to an obscure science experiment involving cosmic ideas of ‘free will’. But that’s just my imagination.
As for why I think theism is worth accepting, that’s a completely different kettle of fish.