John Lennon wrote: "God is a concept by which we measure our pain". What do you think he meant by that?

Question

John Lennon wrote: "God is a concept by which we measure our pain". What do you think he meant by that?

Answer 1

Lennon was an iconoclast. I got the impression that he rebelled first and reasoned later.  He admitted it himself he was anti-establishment because of his working class roots.  This fits with an archetype.  There seems to be a tenancy later  to apply meaning to a lot of things he just came out with.  

He might have meant something, or he might have been just making it up because people were hanging on his every word.

Answer 2

I think he meant that "we" use God as a scape-goat for everything bad that happens.  The most common way of doing that is just passing everything bad off as "another trial for me to endure", that "it's for my benefit."  It allows people to accept those things and not do anything about it and not upset their conscience.

Answer 3

I guess he was referring to the fact God is often the name invoked by those who are in dire situations, desperate. Therefore the more times one calls for God, the greater the desperation ; so 2 calls for God, 3 calls for God, God becomes the measure of pain. It's interesting he slipped in the idea God is a concept.

Answer 4

those who leave everything in gods hand would eventually see gods hand in everything

Answer 5

i think it means God is infinite and so is our suffering until we die. that to me is a very powerful quote. :)

Answer 6

Well, he was high when he wrote it.  But one way to look at it, is alot of folks are in pain, we turn to drugs, alcohol, whatever form of escape...God technically is a man inspired concept, otherwise more bears would try to get into churches on Sundays.  God and Religion, in our western cultures are always associated with guilt.  "I'm going to h**l if I do that".  "I have to give the church a certain percent of my wages", "I'm not doing enough for other people"...Blah, friggin', blah.  

Answer 7

hmmm...good quote...It could be that we "concept" god as too measure our "good" and "bad" in what we do in life as in the "pain" being the bad as how we measure it up to god...maybe that

one more thing though

just LET IT BE !

:)