Continuing the discussion from the FF board about "G-d&Not being the most observant of Jews, I won't attempt to answer the question of God vs. G-d myself, especially since I was only
introduced to the issue via some American friends. However, here are two good links about the subject:
Why do some Jews spell God, "G-d"?
The name of G-d
Coice quotes from the two links:
Because a name represents the reputation of the thing named, a name should be treated with the same respect as the thing's reputation. For this reason, God's Names, in all of their forms, are treated with enormous respect and reverence in Judaism.
and
Among some traditional Jews, speaking even the word "Adonai" is avoided outside of worship or study. This "stand-in" for God's name is itself replaced by "Ha-Shem" ("The Name"). The practice also has been extended to other Hebrew words associated with God. For example, the Hebrew word "Elohim," which means "God" (the title, not God's name), is pronounced "Elokim" outside of prayer and study.
In recent years, some Jews have carried the practice even further by abstaining from writing the English word "God" and substituting the spelling, "G-d" or "Gd." However, there is no prohibition in Jewish law from writing "God" in any language other than Hebrew.
and finally -
Some Reform Jews observe the custom of spelling God as "G-d." Most do not. In any case, it would be inappropriate and opposed to Jewish values to correct or shame a person for keeping this practice if it is done out of respect and reverence for God.
Another point relating to the subject is the matter of
erasing God's name. While writing God's name is generally allowed, erasing the name which has been written permanently - that is, on paper - is forbidden. So some Jews might be wary of writing the name down in case it gets destroyed or thrown away, and of writing it online and on message boards, for instance, in case someone else prints it and later destroys it.
TL; DR, but I hope anyone who was interested got their answers :-)
