are some people afraid to spell God?

[datasuspect]

why do they spell it G-d?

i notice this on newspaper comments sections mostly, i don't get it?

[Maestro]

1. God, God, God!

I don't know why. It would seem that not spelling it as a proper noun would be more disrespectful. :shrug:

[datasuspect]

2. dunno

it's a headscratcher.

sorta like capitalizing words like Freedom in the middle of a sentence.

[unpossibles]

3. cause if you say God's name, you'll get stoned

or something like that. Not that "God" is really the name anyway, but.... No sense trying to use logic here.

[datasuspect]

4. i'll get stoned?

god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god god



where's my buzz at?

[formerrepuke]

13. You're still one taking-the-name-in-vain away from being struck down by lightning.

[supernova]

5. IIRC, in Jewish tradition

God's name is unpronouceable and you don't do it.

So spelling it G-d or some equivalent on the net is akin to keeping "God" sacred. Not everyone who does this is Jewish, but some do it as a sign of respect and spirituality.

[Westegg]

24. My 13-year-old Jewish girlfriend...

...back in the '70s, wrote me letters from her summer camp every day (ah, young love!), and it was the first time I'd ever seen "G-d". I sort of instantly got it, you know? That it was some kind of Jewish religious thing about not writing out "God" in full. Her family was not a religious one, but she'd gone to Hebrew School and been Bat Mitzvahed and all that, so I assumed it was part of the religious training she'd picked up there. I found it amusing as, even at 13, she was quite the sinner in God's eyes. I mean if you go by the book. I was a Presbyterian myself, so I could write whatever I wanted. I still do! Even back then-- and to this very day-- I could look at my life, and look at the world, and realize that nothing I ever would or could write was going to offend or insult or otherwise undermine any God that might exist.

I'm quite certain about that. Obviously, others are not.

[supernova]

35. I was also raised Presby

And I don't think the Jewish tradition has the same concept of "sin" as we Prostestants do, Your girlfriend was however, just being respectful in the way she was taught.

While I don't think it offends God to spell out G-o-d, I think it's rather sweet that they avoid it.

[Kutjara]

6. The poor confused little fundies...

...can't differentiate between mentioning God's name and "taking His name in vain" in violation of the third Commandment. So they err on the side of caution and adopt the "Voldemort" strategy of not naming Him at all.

[rockymountaindem]

7. It's a sign of respect, in Judaism at least

I don't know about anybody else who does it, but some Jews write G-d because eventually whatever they write it on will probably end up on the floor or in a landfill or something, so to prevent "God" from ending up there, they just write "G-d".

I do that when I write on paper, but not on the internet, since a bunch of digital information doesn't really exist anyway, in my opinion.

[Boojatta]

8. What the f***? Imagine being afraid of the word G*d!

I am afraid of the Holy F***.

[amitten]

9. A Jewish friend explained it this way:

If you write the word God down, and then it gets thrown away (or deleted, I guess) it's a sign of disrespect.

[Tyler Durden]

10. I always wondered why God would care.

I mean, Omnipotent, busy running all those galaxies, quasars, etc, plus HE knows how many other dimensions.

I always looked on the "Taking the Lord's Name in vain" as a sort of a silly human construct. If I were God, my reaction would be a lack of reaction, or "So?"

[Fire Walk With Me]

11. I've read that taking the name in vain is more about not actually meaning it when you pray.

Prayer without feeling and genuine intent is ineffective.

"Sin" is any action which separates us from contact with God. Which goes to the silence of the senses allowing space for communion, but dark energy from negative behaviour acting as literal occlusion.

[Tyler Durden]

15. I always liked this quote:

KING CLAUDIUS

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:
Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

Will always turned a great phrase.

[Deep13]

12. Many Fundy Christians are...

...because it constitutes taking the name of God in vain. Except it doesn't.

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. Because if the thing that it is written on gets destroyed, or thrown away,

or otherwise taken out of use, then it is disrespectful to God. The only appropriate way to dispose of something with "God" spelled out in full is to burn it entirely as a holocaust*.

Doing this is a Jewish tradition, not a Christian one. And it is not based in fear, but out of respect.

And it has nothing to do with not wanting to pronounce God's name, because "God" isn't God's name - it's YHWH, with probable vowel inclusion making it Yahweh, but we don't really know. In Hebrew scripture, the name of God is vowel pointed for the word "Adonai", since God's name is not to be pronounced (and it is from this odd vowel pointing that morons came up with Jehovah - which YHWH with Adonai's vowels - for God's name; so take that, Jehovah's witnesses: there is no Jehovah.)



* Many think "holocaust" refers to what the Nazis did to the Jewish people in WWII - that's Holocaust, with a capital H, which comes from the ancient Hebrew word for burnt sacrifice, "holocaust".

[tjwmason]

16. Some Christians have adopted it.

From what I've seen, they tend to be pretty hard-line evangelicals - I'm guessing that it comes from dispensationalist views.

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. Yes, there are some Christians that do it - and I'm with you,

in my experience, it's been the hardline dispensationalist Zionists. That is, people who have a kind of Christian-variant faith into which very little actual thought or Biblical study went into. IMO. :7

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

32. But you're not supposed to *say* "Jehovah."

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/stoned-for-saying-jehovah-life-of-brian/3172136346

[Mythsaje]

18. "GOD" isn't a name, it's a title.

Some people are confused by this fact.

I use Gawd, myself, because I don't believe in one.

[Blue-Jay]

19. Right. His name is actually "Melvin".

[Mythsaje]

21. No, it's "Art."

"Our father, who's Art in heaven."

:evilgrin:

[texas1928]

23. Nope it is Herb...

Jesus has his first name as his middle name.

[Iggo]

27. Yep, Art Christ.

I thought everyone knew that.

[Deep13]

20. This halibut is good enough for Jehovah.

Just saying.

[Alexander]

22. "Jehovah" begins with an "I"!

[Javaman]

26. Hey there is no I in team!!! nt

[Kutjara]

31. But there is in "win." n/t

[Javaman]

36. But there is no "win" in god! LOL nt

[av8rdave]

25. I'm guessing most freepers can't

even if you spotted them the "G" and the "O."

[hippywife]

28. Are you sure that wasn't an edit

for God damn? :rofl:

[baldguy]

29. Because they're idiots.

"Thou shalt not take thy Lord God's name in vain."

God has a name - and it's not "God", it's "Jehovah"

[datasuspect]

30. god has 99 names

Allah The Greatest Name
Ar-Rahman 1 The All-Compassionate
Ar-Rahim 2 The All-Merciful
Al-Malik 3 The Absolute Ruler
Al-Quddus 4 The Pure One
As-Salam 5 The Source of Peace
Al-Mu'min 6 The Inspirer of Faith
Al-Muhaymin 7 The Guardian
Al-'Aziz 8 The Victorious
Al-Jabbar 9 The Compeller
Al-Mutakabbir 10 The Greatest
Al-Khaliq 11 The Creator
Al-Bari' 12 The Maker of Order
Al-Musawwir 13 The Shaper of Beauty
Al-Ghaffar 14 The Forgiving
Al-Qahhar 15 The Subduer
Al-Wahhab 16 The Giver of All
Ar-Razzaq 17 The Sustainer
Al-Fattah 18 The Opener
Al-'Alim 19 The Knower of All
Al-Qabid 20 The Constrictor
Al-Basit 21 The Reliever
Al-Khafid 22 The Abaser
Ar-Rafi' 23 The Exalter
Al-Mu'izz 24 The Bestower of Honors
Al-Mudhill 25 The Humiliator
As-Sami 26 The Hearer of All
Al-Basir 27 The Seer of All
Al-Hakam 28 The Judge
Al-'Adl 29 The Just
Al-Latif 30 The Subtle One
Al-Khabir 31 The All-Aware
Al-Halim 32 The Forebearing
Al-'Azim 33 The Magnificent
Al-Ghafur 34 The Forgiver and Hider of Faults
Ash-Shakur 35 The Rewarder of Thankfulness
Al-'Ali 36 The Highest
Al-Kabir 37 The Greatest
Al-Hafiz 38 The Preserver
Al-Muqit 39 The Nourisher
Al-Hasib 40 The Accounter
Al-Jalil 41 The Mighty
Al-Karim 42 The Generous
Ar-Raqib 43 The Watchful One
Al-Mujib 44 The Responder to Prayer
Al-Wasi' 45 The All-Comprehending
Al-Hakim 46 The Perfectly Wise
Al-Wadud 47 The Loving One
Al-Majíd 48 The Majestic One
Al-Ba'ith 49 The Resurrector
Ash-Shahid 50 The Witness
Al-h Haqq 51 The Truth
Al-Wakil 52 The Trustee
Al-Qawi 53 The Possessor of All Strength
Al-Matin 54 The Forceful One
Al-Wáli 55 The Governor
Al-Hamid 56 The Praised One
Al-Muhsi 57 The Appraiser
Al-Mubdi 58 The Originator
Al-Mu'id 59 The Restorer
Al-Muhyi 60 The Giver of Life
Al-Mumit 61 The Taker of Life
Al-Hayy 62 The Ever Living One
Al-Qayyum 63 The Self-Existing One
Al-Wajid 64 The Finder
Al-Májid 65 The Glorious
Al-Wahid 66 The Only One
Al-Ahad 67 The One
As-Samad 68 The Satisfier of All Needs
Al-Qadir 69 The All Powerful
Al-Muqtadir 70 The Creator of All Power
Al-Muqaddim 71 The Expediter
Al-Mu'akhkhir 72 The Delayer
Al-Awwal 73 The First
Al-Akhir 74 The Last
Az-Zahir 75 The Manifest One
Al-Batin 76 The Hidden One
Al-Walí 77 The Protecting Friend
Al-Muta'ali 78 The Supreme One
Al-Barr 79 The Doer of Good
At-Tawwib 80 The Guide to Repentance
Al-Muntaqim 81 The Avenger
Al-Afu 82 The Forgiver
Ar-Ra'uf 83 The Clement
Malik al-Mulk 84 The Owner of All
Dhul-Jalali
Wal-Ikram 85 The Lord of Majesty and Bounty
Al-Muqsit 86 The Equitable One
Al-Jami 87 The Gatherer
Al-Ghani 88 The Rich One
Al-Mughni 89 The Enricher
Al-Mani' 90 The Preventer of Harm
Ad-Darr 91 The Creator of The Harmful
An-Nafi 92 The Creator of Good
An-Nur 93 The Light
Al-Hadi 94 The Guide
Al-Badi 95 The Originator
Al-Baqi 96 The Everlasting One
Al-Warith 97 The Inheritor of All
Ar-Rashid 98 The Righteous Teacher
As-Sabur 99 The Patient One

[baldguy]

33. Exactly

And all those wonderful, intelligent, imaginative, free prople in the American heartland can't be bothered to use anything other than "God".

[madinmaryland]

34. I'm sorry, but are referring to the FSM? And i will spell it out...

FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER