God is not a man.

 

102. God is not a man, nor will He ever choose to become an inferior being: Some believers confuse God with mortality, thinking that He could, or would, consent to take on the form of a human body, and become a mere, inferior, human animal; a physically, imperfect, limited, beast of nature.  CHRISTIANITY: Matthew: 5:48 “Your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect.” John: 4:24 “God is a Spirit,” A Perfect Spirit. He is pure spiritual perfection. For God to take on the form of a mere human animal, limited in all of its actions and functions, a being of His own creation, is the greatest of all imperfections. For God, Who is Pure, Perfection, to become imperfection, is complete imperfection itself. BAHA’I FAITH: “God is pure perfection, and creatures are but imperfections. For God to descend into the conditions of existence would be the greatest of imperfections;” “Briefly, the Superior Reality does not descend nor abase itself to inferior states; then how could it be that the Universal Reality of God, which is freed from all descriptions and qualifications, notwithstanding It’s absolute sanctity and purity, should resolve Itself into the forms of the realities of the creatures, which are the source of imperfections? This is a pure imagination which one cannot conceive. On the contrary, this Holy Essence is the sum of the divine perfections; and all creatures are favored by the bounty of resplendency through emanation, and receive the lights, the perfection and the beauty of It’s Kingdom, in the same way that all earthly creatures obtain the bounty of the light of the rays of the sun, but the sun does not descend and does not abase itself to the favored realities of earthly beings.” “For example, when you look at man, you see that he is weak. This very weakness of the creature is a proof of the power of the Eternal Almighty One, because, if there were no power, weakness could not be imagined. Then the weakness of the creature is a proof of the power of God; for if there were no power, there could be no weakness; so from this weakness it becomes evident that there is power in the world. Again, in the contingent world there is poverty; then necessarily wealth exists, since poverty is apparent in the world. In the contingent world there is ignorance; necessarily knowledge exists, because ignorance is found; for if there were no knowledge, neither would there be ignorance. Ignorance is the nonexistence of knowledge, and if there were no existence, nonexistence could not be realized.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, pp. 5, 113 and 295)

So, for an Exulted Creator, Who is an All Powerful, Omnipotent Being, Who is All Knowing, Omniscient and All Possessing, to degrade Himself, as to descend into a state of perpetual weakness, ignorance and poverty, is one of the greatest of imperfections one can imagine. Going from the state of total Supreme knowledge and Understanding to a state of unknowing, ignorance is completely unimaginable, and unacceptable, to an intelligent being; but this was indeed, something that was all too plausible to the unseeing, ignorant people of the past, who just couldn’t image a creator who was greater or more powerful then themselves. To image that, The One True Creator of everything in existence, could ever be trapped in the confines and limitations of a tiny physical human body is beyond imagination. I ask you, how could God or anything, for that matter, that is so great and powerful ever be constrained and restricted into the confines of such a thing as a mere minuscule, human existence? Why would such a being, that is so far above and beyond anything that we can ever think of or image, Who is the summit and pinnacle of all knowledge, power, perfection and complete glory, ever consent or agree to exist, in the confines of such a reduced existence of such limitations and loss? But then, a lot of the people are just trying to create God in their image, after their thoughts and likeness, not the other way around. But to God, He would never consent to such a meaningless, unsuitable, pointless, impracticable use of His existence:  JUDAISM: Ecclesiastes: 3:19 “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other;” 3:20 “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” “yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast.”

The writings of God are clear, God is not a man, He is of the spirit in nature:  JUDAISM: Numbers: 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” Judith: 8:16 “For God is not as man, that He may be threatened; neither is He as the son of man, that He should be wavering.” (Deuterocanonical Apocrypha) Job: 33:12 “God is greater than man.” He is far, far more than man. Hosea: 11:9 “I am God, and not man.” Isaiah: 31:3 “The Egyptians are men, and not God.”  CHRISTIANITY: John: 1:18 “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of The Father, he hath declared Him.” So, according to Jesus’ very own words, no man has seen God at any time? So, Jesus Christ was not God on this earth, because when you looked at Jesus, he tells us, you were not physically looking at God on this earth. John: 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship The Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” John: 4:24 For, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” And again Jesus tells us: 1 John: 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time.” Clearly Jesus is telling us that God is not in the form of a man that we can see and, according to Christ, never has been; for none have ever seen God on this earth. Enoch: “No flesh could behold Him (God).” 18:10 “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven,” not on earth. (Matthew and Apocrypha) Ephesians: 4:4 “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;” 4:5 “One Lord, one faith, one baptism,” 4:6 “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” There is no place where He is not found, but John: 4:24 “God is a Spirit.” and there is no place where He is physically seen. Acts: 17:27 “That they should seek The Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though He be not far from every one of us:”  JUDAISM: Jeremiah: 23:23 “Am I a God at hand, saith The LORD, and not a God afar off?” Jeremiah: 23:24 “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith The LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith The LORD.” This ability to be everywhere at once is far above and beyond the ability of the mere human frailty of a man, and as I have already stated, it seems to be inconceivable that the greatness of God would ever even consider becoming such imperfection by the very nature of His great, exulted, omnipotent self.

 BABI RELIGION: “God hath, out of sheer nothingness and through the potency of His command, created the heavens and the earth and whatever lieth between them. He is single and peerless in His eternal unity with none to join partner with His holy Essence, nor is there any soul, except His Own Self, who can befittingly comprehend Him…”

“The purpose of God in creating man is but for him to know Him. Indeed God hath knowledge of all things and is self-sufficient above the need of all mankind.”

“Indeed, if any living creature were to pause to meditate he would undoubtedly realize that these verses are not the work of man, but are solely to be ascribed unto God, the One, the Peerless, Who causeth them to flow forth from the tongue of whomsoever He willeth, and hath not revealed nor will He reveal them save through the Focal Point of God‘s Primal Will.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, pp. 61, 62 and 104)

 ISLAM: 28. “Allah (God) doth wish to lighten your (difficulties): for man was created weak (in flesh).” Allah could not be reduced to the weakness of flesh. 70. “For Allah is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 4 and 16)

 6. (Muhammad stated) “I am but a man like you: it is revealed to me by inspiration, that your Allah is One Allah: so stand true to Him, and ask for His forgiveness.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  41)

 110. (Muhammad tells us) “I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.” 136. “We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord, we make no difference between one and another of them, (all are men in the service of Allah) and we bow to Allah.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 2 and 18)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 5. “I will speak of that which (He), the Holiest declared to me as the word that is best for mortals to obey; while he said: ‘they who for my sake render Him obedience, shall all attain unto Welfare and Immortality by the actions of The Good Spirit’ – (He) Mazda Ahura (God).” (The Good Spirit is above and beyond the constraints of human flesh)

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 45)

 1. “Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda: O Ahura Mazda, most Beneficent Spirit, Maker of the material world, Thou Holy One!”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Vendidad 2)

 HINDUISM: “Never the Spirit (Brahma/God) was born; the Spirit shall cease to be never; Never was time It was not; End and Beginning are dreams! Birthless and deathless and changeless remaineth the Spirit forever;”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 2)

 “I am the Spirit seated deep in every creature’s heart;”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 10)

 9. “His (Brahma’s, God’s) form is not to be seen, no one beholds him with the eye. He is imagined by the heart, by wisdom, by the mind. Those who know this, are immortal.”

(Hinduism, Upanishads vol. 2, Katha-Upanishad)

 BUDDHISM: “There is an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. If there were not this Unborn, this Unoriginated, this Uncreated, this Unformed, escape from the world of the born, the originated, the created, the formed, would not be possible.” (God was not born He is Unformed, Unborn not a man of created flesh)

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, the Word (The Eightfold Path))

 “Brahma (God) has not been seen by any man face to face the Buddha tells us.” God is not found in the form of a man that can be seen. (Buddhist Dharma, TEVIGGA SUTTA)

 SABEANISM: “Thou, my lord Manda-d-Hiia, art blessed and praised And thy praise is established (on high). This is prayer and praise which came to them from The great place of Light and the everlasting Abode.” “For thou wast in existence before all.” “In the name of The Life (God)! I worship The First Life (Haiyi, Qadmaiyi/God) and praise my lord Manda-d-Hiia. Thou art immeasurable, infinite and (for) ever.” “To every man whose term of life is over Thou wilt be a Helper, Saviour and Guide.” The First Life (God) cannot be a man, for man’s life is short lives for a term on this world and then it is over; whereas God’s existence is eternal, before all, infinite and (for) ever. His life never had a beginning and shall never have an end, so He can’t be a man who has a mortal term and then it is over. God has manifestations, messengers, who are His image and counter-part in this life on this world for that, but God Himself will never take on the imperfect shape of an earthly human; He is far to grand and magnificent to become a mere human animal. “Arise, worship and praise The Great Life And praise His Counter-part, that is the image of The Life.” “I worship and praise that channel of light, The messenger of all rays-of-light. (The manifestation of God on this earth) Every day, daily, they gaze on his likeness And upon the great Countenance of Glory.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 35, 75, 76, 114 thru 116)

 BABI RELIGION: “For none has seen The Father who is in heaven.” “GOD is sanctified from His servants and no direct relationship ever existed between Him and any created thing, while ye have all arisen at His bidding. Verily He is your Lord and your God, your Master and your King. He ordaineth your movements at His behest throughout the day-time and in the night season.” “He is the Unseen, the Inaccessible, the Most Exalted, the Best Beloved.” “Verily God is supreme over all the peoples of the world.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, pp. 74, 92 and 131)

BAHA’I FAITH: “God is pure perfection, and creatures are but imperfections. For God to descend into the conditions of existence would be the greatest of imperfections; on the contrary, His manifestation, His appearance, His rising are like the reflection of the sun in a clear, pure, polished mirror. All the creatures are evident signs of God, like the earthly beings upon all of which the rays of the sun shine. But upon the plains, the mountains, the trees and fruits, only a portion of the light shines, through which they become visible, and are reared, and attain to the object of their existence, while the Perfect Man is in the condition of a clear mirror in which the Sun of Reality becomes visible and manifest with all its qualities and perfections. So the Reality of Christ was a clear and polished mirror of the greatest purity and fineness. The Sun of Reality, the Essence of Divinity, reflected itself in this mirror and manifested its light and heat in it; but from the exaltation of its holiness, and the heaven of its sanctity, the Sun did not descend to dwell and abide in the mirror. No, it continues to subsist in its exaltation and sublimity, while appearing and becoming manifest in the mirror in beauty and perfection.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 113)