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To: Forest Keeper; Kolokotronis
I just don't see how God can go from being impersonal to personal (Incarnation), presumably back to impersonal today. If God is impersonal there can be no meaningful relationship

What is "personal" to you? If you talk to your congressman and ask him to do something, is that a "personal" relationship? What is personal about the OT God? Does anyone hug him? Does anyone kiss him? Does anyone call him "Daddy?"

What Kolo is telling you is that the ineffable OWN is impersonal compared to the human Jesus. A human being is a lot more personal than a burning bush. That's why Christ reminds us that it is only through him that we can see the Father.

4,728 posted on 04/02/2008 6:00:25 AM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodox is pure Christainity)
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To: kosta50; Kolokotronis
What is "personal" to you? If you talk to your congressman and ask him to do something, is that a "personal" relationship? What is personal about the OT God? Does anyone hug him? Does anyone kiss him? Does anyone call him "Daddy?"

To me "personal" means that which has a personality, distinguishable from others, has the ability to reason and love, and communicates with others. The alternative would be an impersonal God, subject to irrational actions and thoughts, who acts randomly. An impersonal God also would not have much if anything to do with us. He would just sit back and let history play itself out however it did, by chance.

The OT God was very personal. He spoke to His prophets directly and even gave the appearance of bargaining with them on occasion. IOW, He suffered their words without need to. He clearly WANTED to interact with them, AND let us know that He wanted to. An impersonal God wouldn't have bothered. ..... Hugging and kissing are certainly personal, but are not required to be personal.

What Kolo is telling you is that the ineffable OWN is impersonal compared to the human Jesus. A human being is a lot more personal than a burning bush. That's why Christ reminds us that it is only through him that we can see the Father.

I was unaware of any relative comparisons being made. I understood your position to be that God is impersonal, irrational, and unknowable, regardless of any other position. Could you restate your correct position without comparing it to anything else?

4,897 posted on 04/12/2008 3:34:56 AM PDT by Forest Keeper (It is a joy to me to know that God had my number, before He created numbers.)
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