"God" is so formal and menacing...can't we try a different name?

[mopaul]

when one speaks of god in america, it's more of a title than a name. all the other religions get to have names for their gods, why can't we? krishna, buddha, yahweh, jehovah, shiva, zeus, thor, isis, osiris, bal, moloch, etc. but all those are so old and redundent.

what about something a little more modern and up to date? like say, steve, or hank? it might make speaking to god less imposing and less like a creation talking to a creator. it might be more like talking to your co worker, or relative if god had a more down to earth handle.

maybe rachel? or mindy? or maybe constance, or britney? maybe we could have different names for different denominations. the mormons might try norman. jehovah could become jerry, or joe even. buddha would be bob, or bud. we might try trotting out old timey names for our new god like, tritan, or mars, or jupiter, or waldo.

but in any event, god is just too sterile and cold when speaking of the supreme being who made you and everything else. and when you smash your thumb with a hammer, and eventually you will, you can scream out "BRAD-DAMMIT!" at the top of your lungs.

[The Sushi Bandit]

1. like DOG??

thats GOD spelled backwards!

[arcane1]

9. "dog is my co-pilot" remains, to this day....

as my favorite bumper sticker :-)

[geniph]

2. Well, since it seems to be the name of the day

how about Al, as in You Can Call Me Al?

[JVS]

3. If God were named Wilbur, Im sure Wilbur would become intimidating

[JohnKleeb]

4. names for god? here are mine

Bob
Sir
Prayer Dude
Bearded guy
The guy who sees everything
now female names
M'am
Godness

[goobergunch]

5. God is an acronym for...

Game
Overall
Director

[sexybomber]

6. you could always call Him "The Dude"

like in the Big Lebowski.

[slackmaster]

7. Church of the SubGenius calls it Jehovah-1

Sometimes abbreviated JHVH-1.

http://www.subgenius.com/pam1/pamphlet_p1.html

[liberalpress]

8. For non-threatening names...

... I've always liked good old all-american "Jim."

[QuietStorm]

10. Nature

Ephemeral and non-material, wherein Universal Law kicks in with a bit more understanding. No churches, temples or mosques. Just nature. Ah there we go. Nature. Take it completely away from self altogether but for a mindful practice toward connectivity the silent being. Elementary. An embracing of a state of unknowing. Not to know it all, but to unknow it all.

[geniph]

11. Of course, the obvious answer is Gaia...

but people have a distressing tendency to mispronounce it...

[JitterbugPerfume]

13. or just plain ole

Mother Earth


or Phil

[Don_G]

12. God=Whom?

...well, I have this fat, hairy cat I've learned a lot from and she's given me better advice from any of the Tech Support Sites I've visited so far....

God may be a pretty hairy pusssycat, but so far "it's" been a better Tech Rep than anything Dell and Microshaft has offered so far....

My cat offers an opinion gratis, the others don't....

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. Seems like names just cause trouble.

People identify with the label and the little notions the label invokes rather than attempting to identify with the "God" being for what it/he/she simply is.

[orangecoloredapple]

15. I've known a few hispanics with the name Jesus

and they were pretty laid back. We have had some good conversations. So, I vote for Jesus.

[Xithras]

16. God has a name already, and you listed it there

The true name of the Christian God is Yahweh (pronounced yah-WAY). Jews and early Christians were superstitious about the name of God and believed that mispronouncing his name, even slightly, would offend him. So they started calling him Adonai, which translates to the English "God" or "Lord". Christians typically aren't afraid of offending him by mospronouncing his name anymore, but the name has still fallen into general disuse.

[jafap]

17. I kinda like Joshua myself

but I also have been a proponent of the "Theory of Fred" as explained in Marvel Comics Defenders Giant sized #4 - the cosmos was created in 1991 by a cosmic entity known only as "Fred". As one of DU's latest articles mentioned - it is not a theory which can be disproven, unless Fred decides to reveal himself.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

18. Well,

we Sufi initiates call Him/Her the Beloved. But we also acknowledge the many names and forms, including Inana, Baal,Krishna,Paravati,Ahura Mazda, Elohim,Allah, etc, etc. Whatever makes God personal to you is all right,imho.

[kathee]

19. My brother

always said, "Super Lord Dude"

I think that is a good one.
Course he had my kids calling him that all the time.:D

[kathee]

My brother

always said, "Super Lord Dude"

I think that is a good one.
Course he had my kids calling him that all the time.:D

[kathee]

20. My brother

always said, "Super Lord Dude"

I think that is a good one.
Course he had my kids calling him that all the time.:D

[redeye]

21. I say Hank...

...from Kissing Hank's Ass.

[TrogL]

22. Yo!

as in "Yo! Mofo! What's with the tornado?"

[ornotna]

23. I always liked the Popeye/old testament name

I yam what I yam.