Is God a concept by which we measure our pain?

Question

I'm sure you all heard the song by John Lennon called God where he states "God is a concept by which we measure our pain."

Do you believe this to be true?

What do you think he was trying to say?

Answer 1

maybe the concept of God being pure joy and asbolute happiness...by which we measure pain....

Answer 2

...YES...god is man made...man inflicts pain on another man...

Answer 3

God is a concept, but I doubt it is a concept by which to measure pain. The concept of a god came thousands of years ago when people worshiped gods to increase rain chances, crop production and even fertility. It is my belief that the advancement of language and human thought that lead to this so called god that created the humans and the universe.  

Answer 4

certainly, God is the concept by which we measure many things, possibly everything, but pain in particular because the first place our thoughts always rush to in a moment of pain is "Why?? do i really deserve this? If someone could stop it, they should." ...so there's that reason, where we cant make sense of misfortune.  then theres the idea that God is a heavenly thing, living in paradise. that, to be God would be the ultimately perfect experience. so we contrast all negative experiences against the most perfect one we could possibly imagine, so we measure against it.

he says God is a concept, which might suggest that that's all God is, but it could also be the case that for most people, thats all that we can conceive of God as being, that we cant understand it, and thats just the best attempt at understanding we can make. he also says some other interesting things that suggest that perhaps the lyrics should be taken at immedient face value... like "I dont believe in Beatles"

whatever the case, the song functions as a list of things he held very close, and took seriously. aside from all the musical references: Hindu spiritual practice and culture - Yoga, The Bhagavat Gita (hindu bible) and Mantras (chants or prayers), as well as Buddhism, ancient magically practices of divination like IChing and Tarot, and other theosophic enterprises. theses were such a huge part of his life, such a huge part of his identity that his music is peppered with various references to them. he even found himself his own guru, for spiritual growth, as well as developing and expanding his creativity (he took that very seriously).

all these external ideas and practices finally ran their course, and he detached himself from them. its not that he rejected them, its that he grew past them. what each of those external things did for him, he learned to do for him self. he did not become atheist, he rose to a new and higher level of understanding.. he says.. "now I'm reborn". all those external influences became part of his own internal source, and one of which, was God.

Answer 5

nah if ya really wanna know its not god causin pain its this world we live in. this whole world, society and believes are wat causin pain for ya. we cant smoke, drink too much and other little things. god is always here for ya and will condone u for ya sins but will never forget his hand created us so his love is unlimited.

Answer 6

God is the Supreme Being Who made heaven and earth and all things.

Only good comes from God  so  you cannot measure pain in this way.

Pain is something we experience here on the earth not in heaven with God.