If I take away words, speech, ideas, logical tools (therefore taking the Bible, pastors, religious divisions/belief systems out of the equation), am I still left with God? Of course, God is always there.
To me the Bible is a guide. It is a collection of inspirational writings. It has been changed many times, it has been translated and defined, it has been through many hands of men. When people refer to God writing the bible, well actually the bible has been redefined many times in history. What you would be saying is you trust a group of men you have never known, that they knew what God wanted in the bible. I'll tell you what I'm interested in, is not if, but why would they omit anything? If God wrote everything the prophets wrote, then why would they omit anything they said? To say nothing was omitted through editing is a kind of ignorance. It is what man does. Look at the massive organisation of the Catholic church. Was it started out of meekness, or power? How are most 'religious organisations' built up, out of meekness or power?
Exactly who tells you to put all your faith in the bible, is it the bible? Who tells you to read the bible inside out, is it the bible? Who tells you to take every single word literally, as matter of fact, is it the bible? Who tells you what the bible scriptures mean, is it the bible? Who tells you the bible is the whole truth and nothing but the truth (as in it has never ever been edited), is it the bible?
Everything to do with how people treat the bible, or how people are told to trust only the bible, or maybe how every other 'book' on earth is ALL LIES, does not come from the bible, and it does not come from God. These type of people are WALL-BUILDERS because, they have not overcome their own walls. They are people of many walls. As Christians we are supposed to go out there and break down walls.
To me God is everywhere, and in every person. Love. Whether they are Muslim, or Christian, Atheist, Kung-Fu Fighter, Butcher, Gay. It doesn't mean that I am saying they are connected to God. Everyone has God and they have free-will to follow God or follow themselves. I've known many good people in my life who spend their time helping others, more than some who read the bible inside out and yet spend more time bickering than being loving or helpful. Where does the connection to God come, is it through the bible, or is it through Jesus? And even the word 'through' is taken literally by the majority.
If I want to be a master of Kung-Fu then maybe Bruce Lee would be a good example. He is dead now, he in spirit. But if I thought of mastering kung-fu through the spirit of Bruce Lee, then to me, that is the same kind as the 'through' regarding knowing God through Jesus. Do I need to idolise Bruce Lee to master kung-fu? Or worship him? No, it is more about understanding, what was his attitude and his way of being that made him a master of kung-fu. I could read a book written by a 2nd or 3rd person, but it wouldn't tell me much if I wasn't able to submit to the spirit of what I am trying to do.
Being more Christlike, trying to be more selfless, trying to love enemies or those you fall out with, trying to be still rather than let your thoughts control your words and actions, hanging with those that many others will have put on the other side of a wall.