Where Did Your Opinion of God Come From?

What is interesting in our society is that God can take many forms. In some religions, he is benevolent and kind. In others, he is vengeful and violent. In yet others he is loving and peaceful. How do we have such disparate views of God, or the Gods?

When we are growing up, our parents or survival figures become God to us. We depend upon them entirely to nourish and nurture us, and to instruct us how to navigate life.

If our parents were kind and loving, then our opinion of God is kind and loving. If they were critical and judgemental, then this becomes our belief about God. If we suffered in a violent and abusive household, then God becomes violent and abusive. If they were emotionally unavailable, or smothering, or supportive, then this is the flavour that we give to our understanding of God.

Unless we directly challenge these interpretations of God at a later time in our life, then we can never come to have an adult relationship with the Divine. For many people, life has been a sterile and empty journey without a Divine connection, and it is not until a tragedy, an illness, or some form of spiritual awakening that they revisit their notion of the Divine.

Once they have understood that their opinion of God was developed in their childhood, they need to search for answers to what they think now. This can be a very stimulating and interesting quest because our opinion of the Divine includes our beliefs about life, the universe, and our place therein.

The Divine can be anything you want it to be. In fact, if you follow the path of spirituality, one of the refreshing aspects is that it teaches tolerance of all beliefs and philosophies. No one dogma is the correct one, all are accepted. You will eventually find the one that feels right to you, and this can take ten minutes or a lifetime.
We readily accept the beliefs of our family and peers, because these are the only ones we are exposed to. Many people go through life and never question what they believe.

However, for those that do, a close connection with the Divine taps straight into a long history of meaningful living. In all the ancient cultures, Divine connection was of optimal importance to their life and happiness. It seems as if there is a wave of consciousness that is sweeping over the planet at this time, and you are invited to examine your beliefs and find yourself a Divine relationship that feeds you.

Written by Caroline Nettle

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