1Cor 1:24

Steven Craig Miller scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Tue Mar 28 08:07:15 EST 2000


To: Carl W. Conrad,

<< It's always rather bothered me that we use "God" as a proper name rather 
than a generic noun, perhaps because if one claims to be a monotheist, the 
word can only have one referent, whether or not that word was originally a 
proper noun. >>

IMO I think it has more to do with it normally being used among those who 
having a common sectarian belief as opposed to monotheism as such. In my 
family I often refer to my wife as "Mother" or "Mommy" when talking to 
members of my family, even though we are fully aware that other families 
have mothers too. Even out in public, the use of "Mommy" and "Papa" 
absolutely is quite common as long as the conversation is among our family. 
But once the conversation opens up to include outsiders, usually "Mommy" 
and "Papa" are either dropped or the terms are clarified (there are the 
occasional exceptions). Also, parents often introduce themselves in 
relation to their children. I might say: "I'm Joy's father" to a parent who 
might recognize my child's name, but not mine. Whether fortunately, or 
unfortunately, for many sectarian groups, when talking to people outside of 
their sect it is impossible to drop using the term "God," since for many 
God doesn't have a proper name, aside from the term"God." (Here I'm using 
"sect" to mean "religious group.")

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller at www.plantnet.com




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