Some theists don't like to use the word "god" they prefer the phrase "higher power". This word annoys me. No its not because it was coined by alcoholics anonymous a group who take advantage of alcoholics by saying their addiction is a disease and they need god to cure them. Its not that. Its that the phrase, it is so vague as to be meaningless.
Yes "god" can be vague but it can be specific as well. "Higher power" has no specific meanings. Its it is just vague.
Do I believe in a higher power? Yes. People who are stronger than me, people in groups, If I'm in the woods with out a gun: a bear, a person with a gun, a person in a tall building with a hunting or sniper rifle, the government, the people as a whole, the earth, the sun, the electromagnetic force, and gravity! And thats just a few higher powers.
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To me, the word “higher power” is nothing more than an attempt by believers to claim that their beliefs are scientific, just like those who claim to believe in the “Universe” or an “energy”. Don’t they realize that making something sound scientific doesn’t make it true?
I don’t think the term was coined to make god sound scientific but it has been used that way.
Its basically an appeal to vagueness. Convince people that there is this vague god out there you can then more easily convince them of a specific god.
[...] the definitions of the word “god”. While “god” is no where near as vague as “higher power” it is (like many words in the english language) rather vague. It could mean anything from a creator [...]