my thoughts exactly. But I do wonder what is God...exactly? I know that, that question can probably never be answered, only opinions.
It's more than we can figure out, I think.
If you asked me to put a definitive answer to it, though, I'd say that God isn't a "being" as we understand physical being. God is knowledge. All knowledge. Infinite knowledge. As in the answer to every question you've ever had. When you're no longer here, what sustains is the essence of what you really are, not the shell you allow people to see.
The more you start thinking about it, the more confused you get though. You either see what you see and develop a belief based on that or you decide that there's nothing there and develop your processes on that basis.
For me? Life would be a sucking black abyss if there was no hope that a greater purpose existed.
Yeah, I realize that a lot of what the early church developed was intended to control people and I know that organized religion, as a whole, has the tendency to stray into expedient doctrine -- promote what serves you best. But I also live by the idea that the church doesn't define me, I define the church. And I don't mean that in a self-centered way. I go to church to be exposed to other people who believe along the same lines as I do, to hear scholars discuss their interpretation of the Bible and out of a sense of community/fellowship. But what I do and how I act toward others (this board notwithstanding) says more about the church than the church doctrine says about me. I get that the doctrine is important. I don't do the evangelical emotion-based thing. I need rationality, I need a minister who is educated and can discuss the issues rather than one who podium pounds and sweats me into hell.
Ahhh.. but that's enough. Religion is intensely personal. Needs to stay that way. Not up to me to tell a Baptist he doesn't get it, or for a Baptist to tell me I'm not going to make it because I've never been dunked (which happens). Not for me to tell a Jew, Muslim, Budhist, Taoist, Mormon or any other what they should believe.