God as a person (summary)

Traditional religion has often tended to see God as a person, particularly in the Judeo-Christian tradition; an old, bearded man in the sky with the characteristics and behaviour of a person and even human body parts.
God is seen as a person yet separate and remote from us.

Some argue we should not see God as a person with human characteristics.
Surely God is far greater than a projection of human traits, writ large.
By seeing God as a person, we see God as a mere being rather than the ground of all Being.
By seeing God as a person, we create God in our own image.
Surely God is as far removed from a personhood as can be imagined?
Surely God is not an old man in the sky?
To see God as a person is to anthropomorphise way too much.
Even to speak about God having will is anthropomorphic.
Surely God is far too dynamic to be a static person?
God is not a human-like object separate from us.
To see God as a person opens us up to the risk of being patriarchal.
To see God as a person runs the risk of the relationship becoming dysfunctional.
Some argue it’s not a bad thing to see God as a person; just as long as we realise it is an incomplete way to see God.

Instead of seeing God as a person, we could choose to see God as energy.
Instead of seeing God as a person, we could choose to see God as intelligence or consciousness.
Instead of seeing God as a person, we could choose to see God as a force.
Instead of seeing God as a person, we could choose to see God as the ultimate reality.
Instead of seeing God as a person, we could choose to see God as an omnipotent and omniscient presence or an all-pervading spirit.