On my use of the term "God"

This is described a little at the bottom of some posts in which I reference God. I want to clarify a bit my use of the term, as it is a loaded one. People will make assumptions about what I mean, and will put their own definitions into it. (I suppose that's true of everything anyone ever reads or writes, but this is a particularly volatile subject.)

I do not define God in the way of any particular religion; I have no specific deity in mind. I will use the terms "God," "Spirit," "all that is," and probably several others interchangeably. When I do, I am referring to the benevolent force that I do believe exists that unites all life.

I am not referring to any kind of "destiny," "creator," "judge," etc. It's simply the binding force of the universe, which I do believe is the spark of life, consciousness, love, and I do believe is benevolent in that I believe all beings are basically good. As my mother used to say, "if we weren't all basically good to begin with, we'd have blown ourselves up a long time ago." (Some may argue that we're getting damn close, but that is to be left for a more political discussion.)

I am not using the term to comment on anyone else's beliefs or use of the term. And this definition may evolve over time. But for now, this is where I'm coming from, and I certainly welcome questions if there is something upsetting or concerning in my use of the word. I do, however, reserve the right to respectfully disagree with people if I so choose.