{"id":389,"date":"2008-09-08T05:03:00","date_gmt":"2008-09-08T05:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/conversationswithgod\/2008\/09\/where-god-is.html"},"modified":"2008-09-08T05:03:00","modified_gmt":"2008-09-08T05:03:00","slug":"where-god-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/conversationswithgod\/2008\/09\/where-god-is.html","title":{"rendered":"Where God is"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Did you notice that the theology represented by our traditional teachings is a theology of separation? In this theology, we are “over here” and God is “over there.”
\nWhere, exactly, is God? And, wherever God is, is God separate from us, or One with us? These are the critical questions of modern theology.
\nTwo days ago I published on this blog an excerpt from my book What God Wants<\/em>, in which I point out that the theology represented by our traditional teachings is a theology of separation. “In this theology, we are ‘over here’ and God is ‘over there’.”
\nIn response to that, a nice person posting as “Bob” placed this entry into the Comments Section…
\n<\/p>\n

The theology of my Church (Roman Catholic) doesn’t teach that. It teaches that the Lord is in here *points to heart*, that the Holy Spirit resides in each of us.
\nIt would be nice if you checked your facts against the official teachings of the organized religions you like to talk about.
\nPosted by: Bob | September 6, 2008 8:05 AM<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/strong>
\nBob, my friend…I happen to have been raised<\/em> Catholic. I was an altar boy, and came “this close” to entering the seminary. With respect, I believe I know what the Roman Catholic Church teaches about God. And it does not teach that God and we are One. It teaches that “God is ‘over there’ and we are ‘over here,’ exactly as I said that it does. It certainly does not teach that God is undivided from humans, and that we are all One and the Same Thing.
\nYes, the Catholic Church teaches that the Holy Spirit resides within each of us, and that the Lord is in here (pointing to the heart, but it nevertheless indicates in all its dogma and doctrine the Theology of Separation: that is, God and Man are separate, have been separated by Original Sin, and it is Man’s challenge to “get back” to God. And “getting back” is by no means guaranteed. In fact, i was taught that even a pure baby, if it was not baptized immediately and then should happen to die, could not return to the Kingdom of Heaven, but was sent to a place called Limbo.
\nOnly now, two years ago, did the Pope declare that the centuries-old teaching of “Limbo” was inaccurate, and that there is no such place.
\nThank you, Pope Benedict!
\nPlease, Bob, let us not be disingenuous here. We both know that the Catholic Church teaches a Separation Theology. God is “there”. We are “here.” Our job, our challenge, is to “return to God, which is in Heaven.” If we sin, we are judged, condemned, and punished with everlasting<\/i> separation from God — continuing the separation that began at childbirth.
\nThe story of Adam and Eve being thrown out of Eden is not something I have made up, Bob. The Catholic Church taught it to me.
\nFellow and Former Catholics, am I crazy here?
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Did you notice that the theology represented by our traditional teachings is a theology of separation? In this theology, we are “over here” and God is “over there.” Where, exactly, is God? And, wherever God is, is God separate from us, or One with us? These are the critical questions of modern theology. 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