Is God More of an NT Concept?

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The titular topic sounded more interesting. Church of course is an NT-framed concept because NTs are the majority.

The concept of god(s) itself has been argued to be a side-effect of humans' hair-trigger agency detection. Some people will tell you they regularly hear/see whichever god(s) they believe in. Others just have this "feeling" that "something" is out there and others have no such feeling... at all. You can find people of nearly all neurotypes on the extreme ends and in the middle of the scale. Their feelings heavily influence, but don't definitively determine their beliefs.

So in that sense, no, god is not strictly an NT concept.

I hope this opinion isn't too unpopular:

We are not made in God's image but rather we have made Him in our own.

The thing about religion is that depending on the community's culture, how the pillars are interpreted varies by the people. Hateful Christians are very guilty of cherry-picking verses but that is not to say God is an NT concept. The way some people experience definitely becomes a social if not collective experience at times. I forget which philosopher said it... But religion existsto control the masses.

I think this confuses God with church. Many people use church for the reasons you state, and they may consider that their relationship toward God. One could argue that God really has nothing to do with churches, though. Didn't Spinoza say something like we should love God without expecting Him to love us back? I think in theology, philosophy, and art you'll find many ideas of God that are much more nuanced and not people-centric.

One other important point in the Gospels is that Jesus also tells the disciples that they never really understood his teachings. You could read that as a metaphor for Christians and their relationship with the Bible.

I wouldn't take too many churchgoers seriously since most have probably not read the Bible, anyway. Church is a symbolic act that means different things to different people, kind of like weddings. Weddings are not necessary for commitment or love, though.

Indoctrination by the Church of Post-Modernism? Everything has to be an NT concept, western concept, male concept, etc. Nothing can just be a human concept.

Also, people misunderstand why they have an ASD diagnosis. The diagnosis is for the disorder, not just autism. You can have autistic traits that don't disorder your life and you won't get a diagnosis, but that doesn't mean you're not autistic. If you think the diagnosis is purely for being autistic, then everything becomes ND versus NT.

It sounds like Lucius Annaeus Seneca "Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." With thousands and thousands of sects & sub-sects in Christianity alone, it seems pretty safe to say "God's image" is formed by the people. There's clearly not a unified concept of what "God" is/means/wants.

The social aspects are definitely NT. I used to be very active in my former church where I used to live. Was I with the popular crowd? No and that was ok. I worked in language ministry, citizenship class and the media center....during the summer, VBS kitchen. My personality and abilities were valued. Although the daughter of our family deacon was jealous of me as I worked these ministries with her mom.

Out here it's just different.

As a catholic I believe my religion is precisely catholic (that is, for all the people), so AS and NT can be included in it.
Maybe you have your opinion from your experience with some groups of christians, but if you think in thinks like monasticism you can see that christianity is much more than that (not saying that all aspies should be monks, but I think that a monastery activitiy is more AS than NT).

That's common for Catholics to believe they are The Church. Monasteries and convents are admirable pursuits.

God and worship thereof can be very ASD as we take rules seriously however we may not always click with established church rituals.

"Gods," spirits, what have you, were "created" because people sought to make sense of a world which seems to go haywire sometimes.

Then, somebody came with the idea that there's a "God" who rules over all living things, and all spiritual beings.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the person who came up with all this was neurodivergent in some way.

While that may be the 'Official' RCC party line, it doesn't work that way in practice. Every church -- RCC or Reformed -- that I've ever attended has been full of people who will have little to do with strangers, and nothing to do with strange people.

I don't care much about it. I'm a pagan and I believe in the universe, karma and being kind to nature and animals. Churches are beautiful and all but i'd rather go outside somewhere away from others and feel the peaceful energy from the trees, plants and flowers.

Going to church for me seems like a very outdated thing to do, NT or not, unless you're old or from an extremely strictly religious family but that could depend on where you're from as well of course...

In general I do respect peoples beliefs and would never make fun of or look down upon someone for being religious. I have one religious friend and I don't mind hearing about his religious traditions and holidays if anything it's interesting to learn. Unfortunately I feel that many religious people are judgmental especially if they're NT.

Superaliengirl, I'm pagan friendly.....I know where you are coming from.

Fnord, very true about differences in people not being easily accepted in traditional settings. At least that's been my experience.

Mine as well. It's as if there is an unwritten rule in every church that says:

"Before we'll let you become one of us, you must first actually BE one of us".

That appears to be the unwritten rule. Now days I'm not involved in any ministries. Just Sunday attendance....that's it.

Ezra! Generalizing again. Did you check that 99% before posting it?

The better to understand myself and others.