A world with one God?

If the entire population followed one God (for this case, we will asume the Christian God)
what do you think would happen? Would there be less war, poverty and conflicts in your opinion?

It depends what you mean by following one God. If we Christians would still be divided into all the groups we are now - Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Protestants (of various kinds) etc. then, no, I don't think the world would be a more peaceful place. Just look at the 4th Crusade, the Counter Reformation and the Albigensian Crusade for the sorts of hings Christians of one church will do to others who they don't think are really Christian at all. If everyone followed the same faith, and thus we were all one Church, things might possibly be more peaceful but I'm not even sure of that. Inter-church wars would become a thing of the past, but we were all one Church once and it didn't stop heresies and schisms occuring and there'd be no reason to assume that at least some of these wouldn't be put down with violence. In any case, human nature is such that I suspect that even if we removed religious motivations we'd still find some other reason to fight.

James

What I also meant to say was if there were no other religions, or sub religions. If all were basically Chritsian. (no denominations)

i think we would still find things to fight about...it shouldn't be that hard

Renaldo said:

If the entire population followed one God (for this case, we will asume the Christian God)
what do you think would happen? Would there be less war, poverty and conflicts in your opinion?

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What if we rephrased it to: What if the whole world finally realized that the Supreme Being (God) they worship is actual the same being and they can stop arguing with, torturing and killing each other?

Renaldo that is a great question!! I have to think about it parameters of it for a while. But if you take its cousin Islam there is lessened friction in that camp. I am thinking it may be due to Ramada. No friction in the buddist or taoist camps. I think our nature as a species makes us emotionally inclinded for physical competition for resources and that God or no God there will be some warfare between "tribes". But certainly I think a religion can influence that propensity either postitivly or negativly. Hence the large disparity between fricition amoungts various beliefs.

jewscout said:

i think we would still find things to fight about...it shouldn't be that hard

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We do a pretty good job of that already JS.

By the way, the question is not specifically asking if there would be less wars.

Have you considered we may actually need differences between religions to have spiritual growth.
What we don't need is for those differences to lead to war.
I would prefer a Global society that could freely and fully accept all religions.

Terry
_____________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

Renaldo said:

We do a pretty good job of that already JS.

By the way, the question is not specifically asking if there would be less wars.

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yes but it was part of the question

in the end even if we all had the same identical religious beliefs i think we would still have many of the same problems...there really wouldn't be much of a difference IMPO

Terrywoodenpic said:

Have you considered we may actually need differences between religions to have spiritual growth.
What we don't need is for those differences to lead to war.
I would prefer a Global society that could freely and fully accept all religions.

Terry
_____________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

Click to expand...

I tend to agree with you Terry; for one, religions are steeped in Cultures. For us all to be united 'under' one God would mean that we would pretty well all have to have the same sort of culture. You could be in Tibet, Australia or Finland, and all these would look the same - would we really want that?

Besides, diversity is whar brings up discussions. If we all felt the same, we would never question our own beliefs.

I agree with JS. We would still find something to fight about, but it would probably be petty issues that would eventually lead to newer denominations.

Malus01,

There are those that actually base their beliefs and therefore their “opinions” on what God says. Here is what God has said and promised:

Psalms 37:9-11, LITV: “For evildoers shall be cut off; and the ones waiting on Jehovah, they shall inherit the earth. (10) It is but a little while and the wicked shall not be; yea, you shall consider his place, and he is not. (11) But the meek shall inherit the earth; yea, they shall delight themselves in abundant peace.”

Psalms 37:27-29, LITV: “Turn away from evil and do good and live forever. (28) For Jehovah loves judgment [justice] and does not forsake His saints [loyal or faithful ones]; they are preserved forever; but the wicked's seed shall be cut off. (29) The righteous shall inherit the earth and live on it forever.”

Jesus reminds us of those promises in the Sermon on the Mount and at other times also. Other scriptures provide more details:

Psalm 72:16: “There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; On the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.”

Isaiah 65:17, 21-25, LITV: “For, behold, I create new heavens and new earth. And the former things shall not be recalled, and they shall not go up on the heart. . . . (21) And they shall build houses and live in them; and they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. (22) They shall not build, and another live in them; they shall not plant, and another eat. For like the days of the tree are the days of My people; and My elect shall grow old to the work of their hands. (23) They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for terror. For they are the seed of the beloved ones of Jehovah, and their offspring with them. (24) And it will be, before they call, I will answer. While they are speaking, then I will hear. (25) The wolf and the lamb shall feed as one; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And dust is the food of the snake. They shall not do evil nor destroy in all My holy mountain, says Jehovah.”

Hosea 2:18, LITV: “And in that day I will cut a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and the creepers of the ground. And I will break the bow and the sword, and the battle out of the earth, and I will make them to lie down safely.”

Isaiah 2:2-4, LITV: “And it shall be in the last days, the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it. (3) And many people shall go and say, Come and let us go up to the mount of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach from His ways, and we will walk in His paths. For out of Zion the Law will go forth, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. (4) And He shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war any more.”

Micah 4:1-5, LITV: “But it shall be in the end of the days, the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established on the top of the mountains; and it shall be lifted up from the hills; and peoples shall flow on it. (2) And many nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us from His ways, and we will walk in His paths. For the Law shall go forth out of Zion, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. (3) And He shall judge between many peoples, and will decide for strong nations afar off. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, nor shall they learn war still. (4) But they shall each one sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and there shall be no trembling. For the mouth of Jehovah of Hosts has spoken. (5) For all the peoples walk, each one in the name of his god; but we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God forever and ever.

Jeremiah 31:33-34, LITV: “But this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days, declares Jehovah, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (34) And they shall no longer each man teach his neighbor, and each man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah. For they shall all know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them, declares Jehovah. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.”

I did not run down all the cross-references but more than one writer in the “New Testament” quotes the above verses and applies them to us, those living now, and to our future (compare Revelation 21:1-4 and 2 Peter 3:13).

Isaiah 55:8-11: ““For the thoughts of you people are not my thoughts, nor are my ways your ways,” is the utterance of Jehovah. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as the pouring rain descends, and the snow, from the heavens and does not return to that place, unless it actually saturates the earth and makes it produce and sprout, and seed is actually given to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so my word that goes forth from my mouth will prove to be. It will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.”

Malus01, some may prefer their own “opinions,” I prefer God’s. We can be “certain” that the world of peace, security and plenty you envisioned in your question is what God wants us to have.



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Malus01 said:

If the entire population followed one God (for this case, we will asume the Christian God)
what do you think would happen? Would there be less war, poverty and conflicts in your opinion?

Click to expand...

I think we'd have as many denominations within that One Religion as we do religions today.

The founders of this great country had the forsight to not have the government sanction one religion. What was their purpose? I think that it would be the fallible nature of mankind. That is to say, if we only had one, would that would this still be the "one true religion"?

JS has a very good point. Power and Wealth are still the driving forces in the world today. The next great force is elitism. "Our religion is the true religion and yours is not!" This concept creates new denominations and atheists.