Ben Newman

Well, I don't understand the programming aspect of this at all, but well- a theological question. Does using another culture's name for Hashem (and I'm being a little frum in phrasing this so that I'm clear), still indicating the single G-d who created the universe, etc really make you pagan? Or if so, how? I mean, Maimonides is well known to have written Allah to say G-d when writing in Arabic. So is it that these other names are taken from pantheon-type settings and do not in their usual context imply one-and-only G-d? And if you want to use them to indicate the one-and-only G-d, how does the use of that other name function in your spiritual/prayer process? Are you worshipping G-d through these other beings, or do you see them as emanations of Hashem, or are they seen as intercessors, or what? Sorry to ask so many questions- but this raised some real curiosity for me about your theological system and how you can work with paganism and still say Shema and mean it.