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Originally Posted by c.dric  i can't put myself in a theist's mind so i have to rely on commonly accepted definitions ( 1, 2) and those definitions usually associate theism with a personal god with a concrete influence on the world by opposition to the non-personal god of the deists and the abstract, metaphorical god of the pantheists.
Either "your average intelligent theist" isn't really a theist after all or the commonly accepted definition of theism is wrong and should be redefined. |
The definition seems to be somewhat vague. I don't understand what 'personal God' even means. The wikipedia article on the subject begins with "The phrase personal God is religious term used far more often by laypeople than by theologians due to its numerous connotations."
If by personal you mean 'having a personality that is to some extent human-like', then this belief is said in the bible to be sinful.
If you mean 'having a personal meaning to people, being the subject of love, prayer and worship' then I would say that the God of Pantheism, as opposed to the God of Deism,
is personal. I don't think that there exists a greater love than the love of existence itself, so it makes perfect sense to love and worship God. Prayer, of course, is not strictly speaking heard, but is more like targeted meditation, which can lead to better understanding of yourself and the world, and has therapeutic value.