How can we know (in every sense of the word) God?
If God knows everything, then he must know that none of us finite human beings can grasp or comprehend his infinite nature, though the human species through the years has passionately sought that elusive goal. It is an elusive goal because it is a vastly greater quantity than our tiny cup can hold. We can never hold it as long as we are convinced that God is something we can understand, something we can quantify, describe, or use as we would a formula or tool. We cannot even use God (infinite and unknowable) as a standard by which to measure others (finite, but also the secret inner person is unknowable to others, right?).
In this life we can not be too close to him, this very topic even being displayed in the OT eg with Moses.
If that is the case, why would he care if we refer to him by different names?
Is it not true that the Bible itself has many names for the one true God? El, JHVH, Elohim, Adonai, etc.?
Some might say, and it might be the case, that through Christ we can know God intimately. But necessarily this intimacy is different than intimate human relationships, because we cannot speak face-to-face, cannot grasp his hand, etc. We can read about Jesus and learn what he was like when he was a living man. No, our knowledge of Christ only comes when we do what he did. Essentially we follow him, and in following his lead, we experience life the way he did, and become a representation or facsimile of him. It might be similar to a child growing to adult, becoming a parent, and only then understanding the background, the basis of his own parents parenthood.
If that is an adequate analogy, then in this life we are at that 'lower' or earlier stage-- that of child to God's parental status. We don't understand what it takes because we are still as children, so we must trust, have faith in our parent, God. And when the time is right, when we mature, we will get there.
But, what is the point? Is the point of becoming like Christ in order that we avert destruction, like Jesus did when he died... Oh wait a minute-- He wasn't trying to 'get there' or save his own hide, was he? No, the point of following Christ's path is love enacted for others benefit. It is only when we love others so actively that we give up and die to self that we can begin to know God.
I come from a traditional Christian viewpoint, but I see parallels in other philosophies. Here is one:
'Bodhisattva' is traditionally described as: "anyone who, motivated by great compassion, has generated bodhicitta, which is a spontaneous wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings."
If my view is limited by my perspective, and your view is limited by your perspective, then if we were to collaborate our combined views would be greater, right? If like minded, spiritually God-seeking, motivated people got together, I don't know, as some sort of group (Church?), wouldn't our view widen, our understanding grow, our faith in our Great Parent strengthened?
Doesn't all of this make a heck of a lot more sense than living according to meaningless rules and regulations of what to do and not do in order to be 'a good boy'?
