Postmaster
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I noticed afew members use G!d instead of God, been trying to figure out why for a while. May someone fill me in please?
G!d
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ardenz
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It may be to do with not using the holy name. It seems to be used more by our Judaism forum users.
Postmaster
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I see thanks. Reversely it can be a seen as a mockery of the word and name.
I'm sure I’ve seen the Buddhist moderator use it too. Maybe its users will enlighten us?
LeoSalinas22
merely a shadow...
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yeah but isn't God a title? isnt the tetragrammaton His actual Name?
Postmaster
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I assumed it was an agnostic term or because God is undefinable and incomprehensible.
Hi Postmaster--
I think that according to Jewish tradition, the Names of G!D are not spoken out loud. Each sound or letter has a specific meaning and inherent power. I think that by substituting in writing a character which cannot be mistakenly associated with certain meanings, it keeps others from pronouncing something out loud which has an important aspect of which they may not be aware. Something like that, I think. ( I might not have this just right, and I am sure there is more to it, but I think there are some old threads around here somewhere which explain it better than I can. Have you tried looking it up on the Judaism board?)
I sometimes forget, but I try to remember this when posting in certain conversations, out of respect for the beliefs and sensibilities of our more traditional Jewish contributors.
InPeace,
InLove
I think that according to Jewish tradition, the Names of G!D are not spoken out loud. Each sound or letter has a specific meaning and inherent power. I think that by substituting in writing a character which cannot be mistakenly associated with certain meanings, it keeps others from pronouncing something out loud which has an important aspect of which they may not be aware. Something like that, I think. ( I might not have this just right, and I am sure there is more to it, but I think there are some old threads around here somewhere which explain it better than I can. Have you tried looking it up on the Judaism board?)
I sometimes forget, but I try to remember this when posting in certain conversations, out of respect for the beliefs and sensibilities of our more traditional Jewish contributors.
InPeace,
InLove
T
Tao_Equus
Guest
If some might consider this irreverent what am I to do? I always use God, Him, Faith using a capital to show my respect for others beliefs as to me its of no relevance. Is anyone outrightly offended by this?
TE
TE
Tao_Equus said:
Honestly, I don't know for sure, TE. No one has ever said anything to me to indicate they were offended in any way. I think most posters here are mature enough to acknowledge that we all have different understandings, and most people are doing the best we know to respect each other. Of course, I can't speak from a Jewish perspective, but I am sure someone will be along soon to help sort this out.
Along the same lines, I have some questions for my Muslim friends here about how I use certain terms and Names when speaking with them. I won't go into it all here as it could derail things. But I am going to bring it up in an appropriate place soon.
Hopefully, though, it is the tone of our posts that show whether or not we are attempting to be respectful, and not so much the differences in our use of language.
Hope this helps some, until someone with more insight on the matter can chime in.
InPeace,
InLove
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Honestly, I don't know for sure, TE. No one has ever said anything to me to indicate they were offended in any way. I think most posters here are mature enough to acknowledge that we all have different understandings, and most people are doing the best we know to respect each other. Of course, I can't speak from a Jewish perspective, but I am sure someone will be along soon to help sort this out.
Along the same lines, I have some questions for my Muslim friends here about how I use certain terms and Names when speaking with them. I won't go into it all here as it could derail things. But I am going to bring it up in an appropriate place soon.
Hopefully, though, it is the tone of our posts that show whether or not we are attempting to be respectful, and not so much the differences in our use of language.
Hope this helps some, until someone with more insight on the matter can chime in.
InPeace,
InLove
I'm not a custom to writing G-d so I will give it a pass with no disrespect, I have my own preference. I'm certain it would not bother other members and if it did then they why can’t my preference be mirrored? Tolerance is the key. One Muslims use is PBUH for prophets (peace be upon him).
I've been working on some proposals to get a project financed and when writing it up I wrote God then changed it to G!d because it felt more heimish (yiddish for homey (not as in a good buddy.)) Then I asked myself, if it feels more heimish, why don't I always do that?
Traditionally there's a custom to write God as G-d or G!d that derives from the significance and level of respect Judaism gives to names, lanaguage, and names of G!d imparticular. The idea of an exclamation instead of a dash is something I first came across in some Renewal writing a number of years ago. The exclamation tends to point more to a sense of radical amazement or awe at G!d. It's not just oh, uh, yeah, God.. It's G!d. That majesty is sandwiched in the mundane.
Dauer
Traditionally there's a custom to write God as G-d or G!d that derives from the significance and level of respect Judaism gives to names, lanaguage, and names of G!d imparticular. The idea of an exclamation instead of a dash is something I first came across in some Renewal writing a number of years ago. The exclamation tends to point more to a sense of radical amazement or awe at G!d. It's not just oh, uh, yeah, God.. It's G!d. That majesty is sandwiched in the mundane.
Dauer
Just wanted to comment on this:
The only thing not spoken is the tetragrammaton. Orthodox Jews and some others will use substitutes for certain names outside of prayer, for example instead of Adonai (a substitute for the tetragrammaton) they might say Hashem, Adoshem (a portmanteau of Hashem and Adonai) or Havayah which is a rearrangement of the letters of the tetragrammaton.
Dauer
The only thing not spoken is the tetragrammaton. Orthodox Jews and some others will use substitutes for certain names outside of prayer, for example instead of Adonai (a substitute for the tetragrammaton) they might say Hashem, Adoshem (a portmanteau of Hashem and Adonai) or Havayah which is a rearrangement of the letters of the tetragrammaton.
Dauer
Just reading the thread, and Dauer has covered more comprehensively the ground I was going to cover.
On my Catholic theology course, the Director, a Scripture Scholar who sits on multi-faith committees to discuss such matters, still holds out that in cases other than Scripture itself, the Tetragrammaton should be translated as Adonai — and that even in Scripture the Tetragrammaton should be read as Adonai — know it, but don't say it.
The power of invocation is something largely ignored these days, but there is much writing in Christian Tradition on saying the Sacred Name.
St Thomas Aquinas argued that often, when someone is thought to be 'taking the Lord's name in vain', he or she might actually be uttering an ejaculatory prayer, but then the Angelic Doctor was always the optimist! He's the one who insisted that no man wills evil, but rather wills a lesser (subjective) good.
Thomas
On my Catholic theology course, the Director, a Scripture Scholar who sits on multi-faith committees to discuss such matters, still holds out that in cases other than Scripture itself, the Tetragrammaton should be translated as Adonai — and that even in Scripture the Tetragrammaton should be read as Adonai — know it, but don't say it.
The power of invocation is something largely ignored these days, but there is much writing in Christian Tradition on saying the Sacred Name.
St Thomas Aquinas argued that often, when someone is thought to be 'taking the Lord's name in vain', he or she might actually be uttering an ejaculatory prayer, but then the Angelic Doctor was always the optimist! He's the one who insisted that no man wills evil, but rather wills a lesser (subjective) good.
Thomas
Muslimwoman
Coexistence insha'Allah
as salaam aleykum
What a great thread, I actually had to think carefully about why I always type G-d and this led to capital letters as well.
There are no capital letters in arabic, so if I were to write to my husband or another arab I would write allah or god or isa or musa because they would not be offended by this as it shows no disrespect. However, when you translate into English, the old grammatical education kicks in and names are shown with a capital letter, hence Allah, G-d, Isa and Musa.
As for G-d rather than God, it is as Dauer explained, it does denote that He is The One True, Almighty G-d. For me it is about respect for G-d rather than for people of other faiths.
Salaam
What a great thread, I actually had to think carefully about why I always type G-d and this led to capital letters as well.
There are no capital letters in arabic, so if I were to write to my husband or another arab I would write allah or god or isa or musa because they would not be offended by this as it shows no disrespect. However, when you translate into English, the old grammatical education kicks in and names are shown with a capital letter, hence Allah, G-d, Isa and Musa.
As for G-d rather than God, it is as Dauer explained, it does denote that He is The One True, Almighty G-d. For me it is about respect for G-d rather than for people of other faiths.
Salaam
bananabrain
awkward squadnik
what dauer said. i'm sure i also got it from renewal originally. i've also noticed some of our christian friends here at CR writing G^D (presumably a reference to the trinity) which i think is also a rather nice idea. incidentally, when i'm singing a religious song in a non-religious setting, i'll sing "amonai" because it both scans correctly and rhymes, so doesn't jar as "HaShem" or "Adoshem" would.
b'shalom
bananabrain
b'shalom
bananabrain
I use G-d for a couple reasons.
1st would be what I learned from Jewish friends...that by writing or saying it at all would be defining the undefinable...by utilizing a word putting more in the box than the box can hold.
2nd is my sunday school upbringing of the larger than life Zeus/Thor type fellow deciding to toss down plagues and lightning bolts on a whim...that Santa Claus character keeping a list of who is naughty or nice to determine final destinations
When I returned to the church I couldn't say the word without conjuring up that elementary thought...took a long time to get away from it...but I got better.
The - still remains out of habit...and since I've watched others with the explanation point my little finger still doesn't want to reach up and put that in....nothing to do with the trinity for me.
1st would be what I learned from Jewish friends...that by writing or saying it at all would be defining the undefinable...by utilizing a word putting more in the box than the box can hold.
2nd is my sunday school upbringing of the larger than life Zeus/Thor type fellow deciding to toss down plagues and lightning bolts on a whim...that Santa Claus character keeping a list of who is naughty or nice to determine final destinations
When I returned to the church I couldn't say the word without conjuring up that elementary thought...took a long time to get away from it...but I got better.
The - still remains out of habit...and since I've watched others with the explanation point my little finger still doesn't want to reach up and put that in....nothing to do with the trinity for me.
bananabrain
awkward squadnik
i think it disrupts the sound of the word far less - try singing an open note or melismatic phrase that ends in "em" - now try it with "ai"... see what i mean? for me it's about preserving the poetics as far as possible without touching the Name.
b'shalom
bananabrain
b'shalom
bananabrain