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Can we understand God? |
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2003/2/13 16:22 From Los Angeles, California
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Nearly all today's prominent religions have in common that whichever deity is worshipped, that deity is "infinite." That is, the deity is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Most religions (with some notable exceptions) also recognize that humans are finite; we have limited understanding and knowledge.
This being the case, how can any one religion which subscribes to this theory assume that all other religions are wrong? Are Christians right and Muslims wrong, or Jews right and Hindus wrong? It seems to me that somebody has to be wrong, but I don't know if that also means that somebody has to be right. Is anybody at all right? If so, how do we know they're right?
Posted on: 2005/3/12 16:27
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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2003/9/30 6:48 From Phoenix, Arizona
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Why assume that someone has to be wrong and someone else absolutely right? If deity is indeed infinite, might there not be an infinite number of paths to understanding deity? And might they not also be right...each and every one of them?
Posted on: 2005/3/12 23:09
Edited by Lightsinger on 2005/3/12 23:09:47
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I can only please one person a day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either. |
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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2003/2/13 16:35 From Fenton, Michigan
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I gotta go with Lightsinger on this one. I always think of religion as being like the story of the two blind men describing the elephant: the man holding the trunk says an elephant is snakelike, while the man leaning against the leg says the elephant is like a horse. They're both right, but they're also both wrong. Without seeing the whole picture, neither one can claim authority for his position. If we can't see all of God, and can't understand all of God, then how can we assume that someone else's perceptions of God are wrong?
Posted on: 2005/3/13 5:00
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Steven Shelton Director of Made-up Titles 
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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2003/2/13 16:17 Posts:
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This is a question of faith, specifically whether or not one believes that the Bible is the Word of God. If one does, then the answer becomes apparent: anything that contradicts or deviates from the Bible is wrong. For instance, the Bible says that the only way to reach Heaven is through Jesus Christ. Anything that says otherwise is wrong. If you don't have faith, then I guess anything goes.
Posted on: 2005/4/25 9:44
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Beelzebubba "One Hell of a Redneck" |
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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This presumes that only Christian faith qualifies as "faith." I respect your beliefs, and I understand that in order to hold to them, you must believe that your faith is the only "true" faith. But other people are equally convinced that if something goes against the Torah or the Quran, then the belief is wrong. The statement that if you don't believe in the Bible then you must not have any faith and that "anything goes" is simply unfounded. There ARE other faiths besides Christianity, even if you don't recognize them as such. Because someone is a Jew of a Muslim does NOT mean the same thing as "anything goes."
Posted on: 2005/4/25 10:00
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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2003/2/13 16:21 Posts:
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While I think the wording that he chose does carry that kind of connotation, I think the larger truth of what Bubba was getting at is true. Whether or not someone is "right" is a matter of faith; religion is per se something that cannot be proven and requires faith. It's not like there's ever going to be any scientific "proof" of one deity or another. That's not how religion works.
Posted on: 2005/5/5 6:52
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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2005/5/9 14:21 Posts:
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There is no way to know if anyone is right where it concerns gods. In fact, it cannot even be known by believers...they simply choose to "believe" what logic and reason tell us is not true. There is nothing wrong with that, of course.
If it could be known, there would be no need for faith, for faith is the substance of things hoped for and things not seen. I, for one, see no benefit to any sort of "faith" as defined by Christianity. Grant
Posted on: 2005/5/9 18:44
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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<<...anything goes.>>
I hope you are referring to "anything goes" with regard to belief...rather than the more usual theist argument that says without God, anything goes with regard to right and wrong. There is no basis for such an argument, if so. It doesn't take religion to make us moral...in fact, I would say there is more evidence for the opposite being true. Grant
Posted on: 2005/5/9 18:47
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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As a matter of fact, I am saying that without faith, there is no morality. We only know of "right" and "wrong" because of the wisdom given to us by God. For that matter, God creates the rules, so He determines what is right and wrong. Without God, we are left to determine "right" and "wrong" on nothing more than our own hedonistic nature. This seems to be why there is so much hatred of God and Christians by liberals, who want to do away with morality and live by an "anything goes" philosophy. If we turn out backs on God, He will surely turn His back on us.
Posted on: 2005/5/17 6:20
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Beelzebubba "One Hell of a Redneck" |
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Re: Can we understand God? |
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I was assuming a Christian perspective, but I suppse that what you are saying is true in a larger sense. It is faith in the ultimate moral authority of a higher power that guides most people in their moral choices. (As an evangelical, I would say that God is the source of all true morality and people who are following false gods are emulating but not truly following the morals God set forth, but at least they have something to guide them, which is better than nothing, I suppose.) And you are completely right about the faith part. Of you could "prove" God existed, you wouldn't need faith, and faith is the bedrock of salvation. Following God means handing yourself over to Him unconditionally on faith. It's a trust thing. Either you trust God or you don't. If you have to "prove" that God exists then you are saying that you don't trust Him.
Posted on: 2005/5/17 6:25
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