We Are God....

Philosophy Forums Religion and Spirituality
1

August 8, 2006

Regarding this thread, “We Are God”, here are preliminary post excerpts from “Fear and Wisdom” in Religion, by Nick

Nick’s quotes were:

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.

To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. - Bertrand Russell

Luxin to Nick:

Fear, Love and Understanding’s opposite

July 15, 2006

Hi Nick,

The 2 quotes reflect the same truth. To fear God doesn’t make sense – literally interpreted it means “fear yourself”, because we are God. The correct interpretation is “respect God”, elaborated as the only truly fearful thing is the awful consequences of not respecting God or respecting our True Self. My saying “God is not for the fearful” may…

Aspiring to be a pure troublemaker, I’m inserting the following transcript of my first talk. I am not editing it to reflect slight changes in viewpoint, so one should not think it reflects my thoughts exactly.

Glory be to me! (Abu Yazid al-Bistam, d. 874)

I am the Truth! [Anah al-Haq!] (Mansur al-Hallaj, executed for “blasphemy” in 922)

i included the article:

fear, the destroyer of all things

by luxin
luxin729y@yahoo.ca

…

Nick to Luxin:

What gave you the idea that we are God?

I’ve posted this before and probably will again since it is so useful to express this point. You like these old stories. It tells of the danger of sleep manifesting as egotism.

(story omitted – see original thread…)

This is why the ancient traditions speak of man’s nothingness. I believe that experiencing this is on the path to wisdom.

me to Nick:

We are God

July 29, 2006

Hi Nick,

If we aren’t God, then what could He be? Your sheep allegory suggests that the sheep (i.e., most of us) do not have the substance to see the lies we are being fed, and relates the fact that there are “evil” people who can lead we sheep astray. When we God-sheep realize we are not just sheep (usually after we have been led astray, but usually more by our own weakness than any “magician”) the time of our cringing obedience to false authority can be over.

To realize one is part of God carries more responsibility than the average person is ready to take on. Not believing in one’s universal essence only furthers the self-deceit you speak of. It is a fearful thing for most to contemplate being part of God; it suggests more change and growth than most want to face. Most God-sheep want to cling to the fallacy that they are just “sheep”. The price for this we all pay…

The real danger in the allegory is not the magician, but the pathetic state of the sheep. For every victim there is a victimizer. But I haven’t the slightest concern for victims – this is the work of community organizations.

Yours,

Luxin
luxin729y@yahoo.ca

tfdmissmatch to Luxin:

I am a human.
I am not a god.
I am not part of a god.
These truths are evident.

Humans are not gods. Humans are Creation.

Equating God and Man is a drastic misinterpretation of the Bible. English has at least preserved enough of the original meaning of the source Biblical texts to make this obvious. My uncle has a doctorate in theology and he disagrees with the notion of self being a God. By no means can the text in its original form be interpreted to say such a thing. The proclamation of self is an idea that is entirely fabricated and has no Biblical basis.

Luxin, perhaps Christianity is not the best religion for you. If you want to make your own “truths” then you should find a religion that encourages you to do so. The Bible is very clear in respect to this issue. Christians dont make the truths, they discover them.

Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. - Albert Einstein.

Advice is seldom welcome. Those who need it most, like it least. - Samuel Johnson.

Dear tfdmissmatch,

Thank you for your criticism. I haven’t read a … hehehehe. Pardon me, just enjoying myself. I have to censor myself because I don’t want to annoy you too much, but I have thoroughly enjoyed your response. All I can say is God bless literalists. hehehehe. What suggested I might be inclined to Christianity? I belong to all religions yet belong to none, because I’m an unrestricted member of the human race. Yes, I quote the Bible all the time, because it is one of the greatest books of wisdom every written. Perhaps you should read it?

“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:17, KJV

  1. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
  2. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
    (Psalms 82.6-7)

(to Jews about to stone him for ‘blasphemy’ and God-presumption:)
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?
(John 10.34)

Whatsoever is, is in God. (Spinoza, Ethics, 1677)

God is the indwelling, not the transient cause, of all things. (Spinoza, Ethics)

Wherever you turn, there is the face of God. (Koran, 2:109)

I say that we are God. If some can’t handle that, or believe the divisive propaganda that seeks to put the control of people in the hands of a few divinely inspired folks, I can only accept that reality is not for everybody.

Note the alleged quote of the alleged man Jesus in John 10.34 above. I feel in good company with Jesus or whoever inspired that quote. Actually, the fact that it has not been edited out or rewritten by ecclesiastics long ago is an effing miracle.

As an aside, all quotes except the last would be considered those of Jews.

But I’m a Taoist really. What would I know about God?

I’m a lamb really, but a wolf for the truth. Give me a nice jugular vein any day. I love this quote…

He who wants to wrestle with wolves should have claws of bears. (Swedish)

Hoping I receive more stimulating feedback. It’s all good!

Yours,

Luxin
luxin729y@yahoo.ca

Ned Flanders to me:

Jesus was not saying that everyone is God. Look at verse 36.

36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.

Jesus proved his divinity by what he did. Can you?

“There’s nary an animal alive that can outrun a greased Scotsman”

Connections comment:

Sounds like a tall order Ned

August 8, 2006

Dear All,

Putting divinity out of one’s scope is dangerous self-depreciation, yet the majority appear to do it. Millions have been persecuted or slaughtered to defend the hierarchical fallacy that we are not all (at least potentially) equally divine.

My own conscience told me that saying things that threaten the foundations of people’s conceptual existence was likely inadvisable, and my friend afterward advised me not to do it. He doesn’t annoy people directly, but neither of us can avoid annoying people in the extreme with the briefest of statements. I don’t generally intentionally annoy people because I like to see everybody happy. Perhaps I could “clean up my act” a bit. I must say my response to tdfmissmatch was rather annoying, putting myself in his or her shoes. One must be careful with words because they can’t be taken back. However if we don’t make mistakes we never learn.

I apologize to you, tdfmissmatch, and to all who hold their doctrines dear, whether religionists, philosophers, or scholars. However, the considered truths I shared will stand from my viewpoint. After all is said or done, only the truth is left. An existence where fewer and fewer mistakes are made as time goes on is the path of wisdom. I am obviously not wise, and treasure the concept that I am a fool. I thank the Tarot for reminding me of this. In the higher cards interpretive statements like “the fool has finally discovered the secrets of life” are found.

I’m happy that some of you have responded as I hoped you would, even though I may have gone a bit overboard to get a response. I’m a fun-loving person and have been fairly bored up to now. I trust you will forgive me. After all, we are all God. I will do my best not to have fun “at your expense”. Clearly, if Inquisitors had been able to collar me during the Inquisition, I would have burned at the stake. The Inquisition is actually still with us, but doesn’t operate quite the same. Clearly, we will post things that many of us would not be able to say to the faces of those they write to. If I was sitting among you, it is likely you would not hear me say a word. I know when people around me are not ready to hear what I have to say and if there’s the likelihood that I will upset them; facial expressions, body language, voice quality and the quality of conversation are so important and easily read by the perceptive.

Until we can free ourselves from doctrine, truth is the thing that threatens the very “core of our being”, that core being a substitute for reality. The reason truth, and those who presume to represent it, are so threatening is because truth separates people from other people and things that have, until truth is realized, been considered essential to their continued well-being.

The symbol of wisdom or truth is the sword in Matthew 10.34-39 following. “I”, “my” or “me” do not represent any particular man, but the truth or God in all. Truth naturally divides for the good of all, and this process is beyond mere human will. This concept does not give one license to reject anyone consciously; truth realizers and formalists are naturally separated without intolerance, confrontation or bitterness. “Foe” will be misinterpreted. “Life” means the life of the spirit, not our physical or mortal life. Literalists can never understand the esoteric meaning of their holy books.

  1. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

  2. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

  3. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

  4. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

  5. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

  6. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

To get closer to the truth that lies within we must “give up” (actually, replace) more and more of what we have held dear, until it seems there is nothing left. But, paradoxically, everything is found, and everything that will ever be truly important to us. At the core of our being is the divine, the eternal, and wisdom which bring balance and happiness. Most of us are overbalanced by ego and so-called “reality”: mortgages; jobs in profit-motivated business; poisoning ourselves with fast food; doing exactly what authorities tell us to do. If someone asked you to jump over a cliff would you do it? In terms of your tremendous inner potential, such is figuratively exactly what forces that demand conformity are insidiously but themselves unconsciously “requiring” you to do. No conspiracy theory holds because there is no conspiracy. There is only conceptual darkness.

Ned, you’re assuming Jesus was a real person; there is no evidence of such; he, as the earliest Christians, the persecuted Gnostics claimed, was only symbolic; a symbol of the potential of all of us: Christ Consciousness: forgiving all, etc. Held back by literally interpreted doctrines, religionists can never attain to the wisdom of a “Jesus” or “Buddha”. If Christ had been a real man, he would have laughed at the thought of a religion named after him. Those who believe in love, forgiveness, the oneness and equal divinity or power of all will always be renegades and heretics, naturally “opposing” those who seek earthly and so-called “spiritual” power. I am an admitted heretic and proud of it. One “philosopher” a few years ago did want me to be crucified to see if I would bleed. I since learned to present myself as a real person, not a “disembodied voice on the web”. Closed minds will only view me as a deluded piece of rubbish, nothing. But I know what I am. If I say what we are – the collective essence of God – or just God – and offense is taken, that’s not my problem. I speak for the benefit of truth seekers, not those will deny their very being.

Nick, those who claim to represent truth must at first be viewed as egotists by formalists who cling to doctrine. Yes, experiencing nothingness (where the ego is dead) is essential to the state where true consciousness replaces the illusions of the ego. In your quoted allegory of the eagle who thought he was a chicken, in which it is implied that the eagle could have flown had he known he was an eagle, the eagle’s “false somethingness” was the illusion he was just a chicken; he clung to this to the end. Not able to “give up” his illusion, he went to his grave with it. He no doubt dismissed the flying eagle he saw as an illusion. I was touched by this allegory. I say we are God, but must become as nothing to realize and experience our godliness. However, “becoming nothing” doesn’t mean an inability to say and do some things perceived as outrageous; it means absolute fearlessness where truth is involved. And the path to perfection, if followed, is a continuum that would not seem to reach its end until near or at death.

Truth seekers, the answers you seek are found in and through mathematics, the key to all things. Numbers are not everything, but may lead those who love in the highest sense to the ultimate attainment of happiness and wisdom. If you would like a brief life analysis providing the proof of how your numbers affect your entire existence, just email me. “There is nothing to fear but fear itself”.

I’m not a cult recuiter, and neither are those near me. Followers need doctrines and formality; personalities to look up to. I won’t be at the center of a (corrupt) cult. I value being despised over being praised, for being “spat upon” is proof of my state. Only the few can bear the weight of truth. I am not to be feared, and very few will ever get to know me, because of what I claim to represent. “Nature has buried truth at the bottom of the sea”. (Democritus)

I have to get busy working on a website for a while. Talk to you later. Thank you.

2

Well, you don’t know your religious history very well. While this used to be a popular view, you’ll be hard pressed to find a serious academic (Jew, Christian or athiest) these days who doesn’t believe Jesus was a real person. If you don’t know that then you can’t have looked into it very deeply.

This quote is simply laughable. Christian Gnosticism became popular in the 3rd century AD and possibly slightly earlier. The Nag Hammadi library dates from the 3rd and 4th century. But this is about 100-200 years after the gospels were written. I think you’ve been watching too many ron howard films for your own good. Try reading a book or 2 sometime.

Other than your own inner rumblings, do you have any evidence at all to support this statement? Jesus was very concerned about establishing a church on earth.

Matthew 16
18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

You’ve got to be kidding right? What a renegade you are! I’ve got news for you, the vast majority of the population of the US either believe in “love, forgiveness…etc”. or don’t really care. So it’s not this great counter-culture thought process that you seem to think it is. Maybe you should watch a few disney films and get back to us. But you’re probably right in thinking that you are a heritic. And there will come a day when you wont be proud of it.

I don’t find it offensive, just unintelligent. And it sounds like you’re on some immature heroic quest to be a martyr. Wake up! Most people around you will either agree with you, or don’t really care. So your new found heresy wont get you burned at the stake any time soon. Sorry to burst your bubble.

3

one word for you: kudos.

besides that, great job. couldn’t have put it better myself.

4

Dear Ned, christianthinker, and all authoritative thinkers,

I stand corrected. Thank you.

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 13, tr Gia-Fu Feng

Thirteen

Accept disgrace willingly.
Accept misfortune as the human condition.

What do you mean by “Accept disgrace willingly”?
Accept being unimportant.
Do not be concerned with loss or gain.
This is called “accepting disgrace willingly”.

What do you mean by “Accept misfortune as the human condition”?
Misfortune comes from having a body.
Without a body, how could there be misfortune?

Surrender yourself humbly, then you can be trusted to care for all things.
Love the world as you own self; then you can truly care for all things.

Have a great day.

5

You’re very welcome. Just let me know next time you need help with your thinking. For a start, you might want to stop reading all that eastern mystic stuff, I think it’s weakening your brain power…

6

LOL cheapshot!

But seriously, Meditation has HUUGE benefits regarding mental activity. So, ya…try again ?

7

It was a cheapshot but I’m not going to argue if someone wants to play the persecuted soul.

I agree. But meditation is not confined to an eastern tradition. It is one of the Christian disciplines, like fasting and silence and the others.

Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 48:9
Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love

Psalm 77:12
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

Psalm 119:15
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

Psalm 119:23
Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.

Psalm 119:27
Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.

Psalm 119:78
May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.

Psalm 119:97
Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

Psalm 119:99
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.

8

August 12, 2006

Dear All,

In the attempt to belittle another for the sake of self-enhancement, we humiliate ourselves, for we are all equally divine and one in spirit. I have humiliated myself in this way, foolishly believing that my disparagement was subtle and somehow justified or necessary. As I wrote my supercilious remarks that can never be taken back, but are now only a record of “the man I was” – for I believe I have grown – I recall a feeling of self-righteous delight, and also, in “the background of my thoughts” a tiny voice was saying “Are you sure about writing this?” – but that feeling of delight – which in Eastern thought is called “delighting in evil” – swept me along toward the retribution dispensed by my own divinity or higher consciousness, which was the bitter realization of my error after a temporary separation from my divine source. Repentance or personal error realization (which need not be accompanied by worry) is, to me, proof of our divinity, or that we are God. Only gods can realize their errors and reprove themselves. One who presumes superiority over another, or that the other is in an inferior or undesirable state, lives in a dream world of what one thinks one is (manifestations of ego), not what one really is, which is Divine. Oppressing another is oppressing oneself, plus the delusion that one is actually oppressing another.

The other gods in this thread have proven their divinity through their realizations, not that it needed to be proven. Also, I am not implying that anyone is not a god either. We are all “brothers and sisters”, all equally divine. What separates us in another matter, created by human mind that is not one with Divine mind or its higher conscious essence.

In order to realize our divinity, it seems unavoidably necessary that we misuse our Divine power of the Word in order to experience the uncomfortable consequences in our own minds and emotions. It seems axiomatic to me that self-exaltation and self-abasement, or self-righteousness and humiliation, always exist concurrently. Therefore, if we are to be what we really are – gods or God collectively, we must be happy, equanimous and mostly free of the disturbing consequences of “sin”, which should only serve to highlight, not detract from, our divinity. What “sin” is becomes obvious to the sensitive and perceptive. A few will eventually tire of humiliating themselves by misusing the Divine Word, and seek a way out of their self-imposed hell. Hell on earth in proof of heaven on earth.

There is a quality of consciousness – the ‘five’ quality – which serves, through seeking, analysis, and judgment, frequently incorrect, to refute and break down outworn and useless concepts and doctrines. The ‘fiveish’ person’s unrefined state manifests as harsh criticism of everything and everyone from a self standpoint, the intent being to discover the Truth that may stand up to their intense scrutiny. But criticism without understanding, humility, and a sense of awe regarding our unified and divinely intended evolution as equal men and women toward collective happiness and fulfillment is only useful to the critic who can draw from their inner source of Reason – the word of God – and assess their criticism in its light. The ‘fiveish’ person may “shoot themselves in the foot”, miss the Truth, and, fearful of criticism and persecuted because of their ill-advised confrontation of authority, “taking the law into their own hands”, lose the freedom they treasure so much. “The tongue is the neck’s enemy” (Egyptian proverb, q R. G. H. Sui, Master Manager). The ‘five’ life path, Hitler, had the spirit of God in him; that spirit was suppressed by the ungodly intolerance of his thoughts; with the negative power of the Word and its influence over weak minds, he encouraged degenerate forces to escalate.

The unbalanced ‘fiveish’ become paranoid, anti-social, and subject to violent verbal outbursts in public, like my ‘fiveish’ genius bass player friend, James Bescott, who fell into the hands of authorities who doped him senseless; who had demons chasing him down the street; and who was recently killed, backed over by a truck beside his mother. He was a great soul; one of the most perceptive, sensitive, intelligent, fun-loving and boldly life- and love-driven people I have ever met; and I miss him terribly. Though basically a mental case by the age of 17, I was too shrewd to fall into the hands of psychiatric authorities, who I knew were “lightweights” I shouldn’t waste any time with. So I had to lift myself out of my own muck by my “bootstraps”. Only self-understanding, love and mathematics allowed me to do this, and almost 38 years later it’s an ongoing process. I have made progress, however. I consider myself to be “on the path”, and ready to dialogue with anyone on the planet on any thoughtful subject.

I have a significant amount of the ‘five’ quality, so I sense, and have lived, to a limited extent, the path of the “persecuted” reformer. It takes one who is “persecuted” to know another. But “persecution” is not a terrible thing to me; it is an honour to be opposed, and proof of what one represents. Paranoia regarding one’s illusive opposition is unnecessary, because the opposition to Truth is unconscious and not anything one should be concerned about. The sensitive lover of humanity who perceives opposition that may threaten their purpose soon finds another means to show their love. Persecutions and martyrdom can only happen where potentially martyr-making authorities feel directly threatened by the “persecuted and martyrs”, who will all lack shrewdness and foresight to some degree, or may be simply unfortunate, such as being a ready target as an outspoken religionist. I am an “underground man”, not fearful of anyone. I want to meet everyone, and look forward to mutually empowering dialogue with a few. Ned, I treasure your comment regarding me, “What a renegade you are!”.

I was a harsh and satirically contemptuous critic years ago, and old vicious habits die hard. But where there is conscience there is divinity, and that state of mind of oneness with all our dear humanity which we do not want to hurt because we mostly hurt ourselves thereby. We all want to be one with all people and life; this is our natural state. God is one. We are God. In this state anything is possible. But, truth seekers, look to the Truth, not to the man. A true teacher doesn’t care about having a follower; only the truth matters. Not that I’m ready to be a teacher. I am just “playing with my tea set” right now. Would you like to play too?

There is a story in the Avadhuta Gita which talks of the avadhut who stopped at a wayside inn and was asked by the innkeeper, “What is your teaching?” He replied, “There is no teacher, no teaching and no one taught.” And then he walked away. (quote of U. G. Krishnamurti) Your teacher is within. I want to talk to your teacher.

Many believe that “Christ” is simply to be worshipped as he was “one with the Father” (essentially God). To believe this, and to believe that perhaps the most outstanding exemplar of the Law of Love would not want all of us to share the benefits of being “one with the Father” – including the “peace that passeth understanding” – is to be, in my view, greatly influenced by a belief that seeks to give divinity or “spiritual power” to a few hierarchical individuals and “take it away” from the rest; with this unconcious denial of one’s own true power goes our disastrously underestimated responsibility to speak and act in a divine, loving way, as gods are meant to.

Those who misunderstand the highest sense of love will interpret it as being simply weak mush; such love is unknown to most, but as a vehicle for Truth, there is nothing stronger. Those who bear the highest love have the greatest humility and their efforts, if true, cannot be stopped. Free of the fetters of ego, their power is the figurative Taoistic water that wears away mountains.

The true function of criticism is to indirectly encourage happiness and fulfillment by discussing The Lie; that is, all that furthers the fallacy that we are divided from each other by our individuality or groups – the fallacy that we are not all equally Divine and potentially powerful enough to rise above the slavery promoted by the unconscious forces that demand conformity and lust for earthly power alone – the fallacy that we are not God in our collective essence. Saying any particular alleged man – e.g. Jesus – is Divine is to imply that one may not be as supposedly Divine as he. Every one of us is as potentially Divine as he, and there is no need for crucifixion to prove it. Proof of divinity or higher consciousness is a happy life full of love, free of actual physical persecution by authority. That is why I believe the crucifixion of Jesus is just a convenient and clever story. The concession of a friend, who takes the story literally, I found interesting: “He (Jesus) had to have been mentally unbalanced”. This was from a man who experienced “Messianic delusions” during a 2-week padded cell stay after 6 months of indulgence in pot. Mental health authorities undoubtedly have a criterion which when present initiates a hospital discharge – perhaps “patient does not believe he is [potentially equal to] Christ [Buddha etc.] or God [a god]”.

This jazz guitar genius friend is regularly praised and is ambivalent about it. He knows that we are all gods, but is wondering if he can handle it because of all the human, weak thinking that suggests we are not God. I see his “delusions” as actually being insight into his true essential nature, which is potentially Christ Consciousness.

The dark forces’ unconscious program of “divide and conquer” serves to keep all the unperceptive – that is, all of us to some degree and at least for part of our lives – serving as pawns in the “very real” illusion of reality that is life without higher conscious awareness. Recognizing our divinity, the influence of numbers in our lives, and the impediment of formalism are initial steps towards freedom, happiness and wisdom. But it is profitable for a few to keep billions of people from knowing what they are – to keep the status quo – so they can then be thoroughly used, even slaughtered, for profit. But don’t misunderstand me; political leaders are only pawns; and the dark forces beyond them exist because of and within our imperceptive state, being gods who don’t know we are gods. The price to be paid for not knowing or ignoring what we are is manifesting in every life and every corner of the earth. But there is hope for those who know they are God and prove it mathematically.

The Bible writers knew that a few would figure out what was meant by the alleged Jesus’s dismissal of Peter (the alleged founder and “rock” of the Church) as a symbol of Satan with “Get thee behind me”, after Peter attempted to influence Christ he was merely human, and that he should be afraid.

My intent is not to malign characters that many hold sacred, but to bring out for the few the truthful, esoteric interpretation of “Get thee behind me”. Esoterically, individuals who are ready to be given, by Nature, true power and wisdom must mentally rise above personality and formalistic doctrine. As “Buddha” said, when “pointing at the moon” – “The finger is not the moon”.

Vivekananda’s quote below can be interpreted as discussing an ordinary religion; but following such is not the path to wisdom. The “universal religion”, or heart of all religions – will always include the mathematical key – and is an “underground” whose members are leaders who earn their trust because they both understand and experience or exemplify the higher meaning of love. There are no followers in such a “religion” – only religionists can be followers. We are all leaders because we are God.

9

December 12, 2006

I found this poem by Ramana Maharshi that reflects the truth that God is none other than us:

The Self Is Known To Everyone

The Self is known to every one but not clearly.
You always exist.
The Be-ing is the Self. ‘I am’ is the name of God.
Of all definitions of God,
none is indeed so well put as the Biblical statement
‘I AM THAT I AM’ in Exodus (Chap.3).
There are other statements,
such as Brahmaivaham, Aham Brahmasmi and Soham.
But none is so direct as the name JEHOVAH = I AM.
The Absolute Being is what is—It is the Self.
It is God. Knowing the Self, God is known.
In fact God is none other than the Self

10

If a god is a self-righteous, overly-admired lump of delusional ego, then men are definitely “gods”…

11

Are we God?
It is written that God created man in his image. With man’s flaws, how can he be the image of God? isn’t God perfect, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient? if God is in everything and everywhere then we can not separate God from anything. God is in all of us. God and man are a unit, one does not exist without the other. We are not the whole, we are just small parts of the whole. We are not God but we have God in us. We are parts of a system, God is a system and because it is a system, it has parts, and law and order. Man, living and non-living things belong to this system. If we define God being as all-inclusive, then God is single for it is difficult to have more than one being. it is a unit of itself that contains everything, from the simplest cell to the most complex; from an individual to races of men; from town/city, county, state, country, continent, planet, universe until we reach the last unit that include everything.
Back to the question, how can the flawed man be the image of God? Why do we have floods, fire, earthquakes, tsunamis, why do we become ill and die, why do we grow old, why do we have to eat? The system has its law, and everything proceeds from that law. Everything about us is matter, then there is an energy or force that makes matter move, then there is mind or consciousness, which is neither matter nor energy nor a product of them. And that law is very familiar to us: for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. Sometimes this law is not evident immediately. Sometimes reactions are slow and delayed like our build up of anxieties or anger in a person, or a build up of gasses inside a volcano or building up of stresses in person or things around us resulting to natural catastrophic events, fighting among men, wars, etc. We should not fault the system but we can take action to prevent their wraths. We cannot defy, modify or change God, the system, or THE LAW. GOD is that LAW. THY WILL BE DONE.
I tried to have an open mind about Luxin’s suggestion that Jesus Christ did not exist but I just cannot accept this idea. Jesus the Christ existed, was real, attained Christ -hood, Christ consciousness, like Buddha attained the Buddha- hood, the highest state of consciousness. I also believe all of us have the capability of attaining the christ consciousness. We have that power. It is called desire. The strenght of desire will enable man to know God. Only if man wills to know God. With sincerity, avenues will be opened to those who want to know God. I don’t think God will deny you that desire. But do not believe in God if you cannot prove to yourself that there is a God because only you can tell, nobody else can experience God for you.