Do we know what "love" is? Every human being has his own definition of it, just like what God is. This is why the Bible doesn't tell you what God is, but simply "I will be what I will be" (commonly translated as "I am"). It lets your fancy do the rest.
It's all just words. That's why with words we can create castles in the sky and pretend they are real. That's why we can speak of "God" as if it were some well defined entity and not really know what it is.
Whatever it is, again, it’s not a cognitive function IMHO
This goes back to the essence versus form. Unless you know what the essence is (which requires cognitive function) you can't recognize the form. To illustrate: we know that an old man and an infant are "human". How do we know that given that they have very little in common physically? Because we have a set number of "identifiers" of the "human nature," i.e. of qualities that define humans.
Thus, even though man, woman, child, boy, girl, black, white, etc. don't look the same we recognize them as being one (in nature), regardless of form, size, color, etc. Without knowing the qualities that make humans human we could not recognize humans by shape alone.
But with God or love, or justice, or truth, there are no well defined sets of identifiers. There are practically as many as there are people on earth. So how can we "know" what they are except what we make them out to be?
We use these concepts as if they were clearly and unequivocally defined realities, when in fact they are what I call "Platonic species" defined in our own fancy. So, God can be Allah to some and Shiva, Jesus, Sun, etc. to others, or love can me a tall blond to you or a short brunette to me, and other may go even further...and I won't even go there!
So, we use the same "Platonic species" that mean many different things to each individual, and dress them with the same words, pretending the same words mean the same thing!
Thus, we don't say that God is just but Justice (even though "justice" means many different things to many different people). We don't say that God is loving, but Love (even though "love" is many different things to many different people)...etc. How self-deceiving!
Based on these individually created "qualifiers" we pretend to "know" God and what is from God. Thus, a Colombian drug cartel boss may think his fortune is God sent, and thank God every day for his "blessings", while a Mother Teresa may think that life of poverty is showing God's favor, or that suffering is "purification" of one's soul that leads to sainthood.
It's all words games. I love Craig Lee Duckett's take on this.
Beautiful explanation and quote!
"It's only words. But words are all I have..."
Words are never the thing itself, but very useful for communicating. Fortunately they are not the only means possible.
Unless you know what the essence is (which requires cognitive function) you can't recognize the form.
Do you need to know the word for chocolate to taste it? The word for sun to be warmed by it?
So, we use the same "Platonic species" that mean many different things to each individual, and dress them with the same words…
"It's only words. But words are all I have..."
Based on these individually created "qualifiers" we pretend to "know" God and what is from God.
Or we describe our experience, learn from others, discuss with each other, acknowledge and appreciate the wonder of existence, mindful of our human limitations.
It need not be a bad thing.