If God is infinite then how could anyone even attempt to define him/her/it/them?

Question

After all to do so would limit him/her/it/them and thus they would no longer be infinite. Indeed to follow this line of thinking to the extreme it could be said that all religion is heresy. For all religions attempt to define God and in the process limit his/hers/its/their infinity. Thoughts.........

Answer 1

It's man's pride and arrogance that leads him to believe he can define God, God's will, God's thoughts, God's plan, God's rules.

Answer 2

How does one truely define a work of art when the artist first begins working on it? The definition keeps changing until their done, and even then the definition could end up changing if the artist becomes well known. By saying that one is limiting the infinity of a supreme being (you did say all religons and not all religons believe in the Christian God, thus I use supreme being), you are in essence saying there can only be one definition for eternity. Rather, think of defining a supreme being like defining a work of art while it is still a work in process. The definition keeps changing. Thus trying to define a supreme being is a process that will continue on and on as that being is, as you point out, infinite.

Answer 3

Defining infinity in finite terms need not be heresy. Christianity for example fully agrees that God is infinite and cannot be truly understood, but that He can be approached.

We believe God Himself has communicated truths about Himself to us that we might know Him, in our finite limited ability.

If one were to try to definite the infinite solely in finite terms, then that of course would be untenable.

Ath

Answer 4

Yup. You are right. Well, no, you're not.

You are saying if religions say, "God is X, Y, Z and nothing else," then the religions are limiting him/her. You'd be right.

If the religions say, "We know God is X, Y, Z and other stuff we don't now about," then it wouldn't be limiting.

I wonder what it would be like to say, "Yes, there is a God, but we haven't a clue what he/she wants, does, or is like." Interesting concept.

I think God is kind of like the elephant with the blind people each feeling a part of it and trying to say what the elephant is solely on what part they touched.

Answer 5

That's precisely the reason why God can not be put to a definition. Because we have limitations in our conceptualization of anything.

When we attempt to go out of our limits, we enter into the spiritual arena. And the infinite can only be understood then. Yet it can never be explained.

Religions are hearsays, because I and you try to explain that within our limitations.

Answer 6

We do not define God. God has defined or described Himself in four verses through Angel Gabriel and today the same verses still written in the last Holy Book- the Al Quran.

-Muslims-

Answer 7

Genesis 1 : 31..And God saw everything that ("he") had made , and behold , it was very good . And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.~~~~~~~~~ Man didn`t define God as a gender , God defined Himself !

Answer 8

He came down to our level
(Thank God!)

We can always "attempt" to define God, but as you say, even those who claim to have met Him (and maybe they have) have Always Always said that human words could never express the magnitude of the experience.

Answer 9

Which is another reason God sent His Son, Jesus to us. So that we could know God thru His Son and also thru His Holy Spirit that God sent to us after Jesus resurrected. We cannot comprehend God fully as He is Holy and Supreme, but we can love what we know of Him and look forward to seeing and knowing Him more when we live with Him in eternity.

Answer 10

The simple answer is that we can't. People generate thier own image of God to simplify the complextion.