Khan 1

Andrew Khan
Mr. Buescher
Philosophy 1st
14 December 2014

Philosophy Inquiry Final: The Concept of God

One of mankind's biggest questions has always been, if there is a God, what is his nature?
Unfortunately, all we have is speculation and theory on this matter. However, I aim to answer this
question concisely. After much time spent researching this topic, I've come to the conclusion that God
is relative to the individual and is just as unique as they are. This is because God is a reflection of this
person's subconscious that they are interacting with and explains the close relationship that a person
will feel with God, why they will agree with him, and why God has been interpreted so differently
throughout history.
Many religious people feel that they have a close, personal relationship with God when in
reality, they have a close relationship with themselves. If God is simply a vessel for our ideas and
beliefs, of course we're going to feel that we understand him well. The only exception I can conceive is
of someone that hasn't put much thought into their core beliefs at all which would be a contradiction.
Also, this would explain why we feel that we are always within his presence. It would only make sense
since we can't leave our own presence. Some may argue that there are objective things we can say
about God's being that would exclude the possibility of him being open to interpretation. My response
to this would be that there are many different interpretations already that change the fundamentals of
God within other religions, so for it to be on an individual level isn't much of a stretch.

Khan 2

God is often thought to be a source of inspiration to many that provides answers to people. But
if he actually comes from their opinion on the matter, would they have any reason to disagree? If God
is reflecting someone's opinions back to themselves, it would seem illogical for them to contest it. A
common argument would be that people can be unwilling to accept what they might get out of this
practice, but it doesn't change the fact that the source is stemming from their sense of moral right,
which may not be the most pleasant option to the individual and be why they choose against it, but they
will agree with the reasoning behind it.
If God is relative to the individual, and the individual has the capacity to change significantly,
so too would his perception of God. History has shown us an evolution of morals and practices up to
this point that have been widely accepted. It would seem reasonable that as society changes it's outlook
on what is accepted, so too would each member within it. If this is the case, and there is a wave of
change, it would make sense that our cultural outlooks and theories would adapt to fit this new system
as well, and as such, our outlook on a divine being would follow.
So, we can see that the possibility that God is relative to the person imagining him answers a
number of questions. If he were essentially a compilation of an individual's ideas, the two will share
opinions. If he is really a projection for the individual's innermost thoughts, he will always be present
in that person's life. With being subjective, the concept surrounding God is subject to change. If all
these are true, then it would seem that God is possibly an internal force rather than an external one that
acts upon each individual differently.