Does God Care About Theology?

[Raban]

In the Abrahamic faiths, (except for Judaism) it matters greatly over the 'nature' of God. To Christians, you have to believe that Christ is the Divine Son of God on Earth to be saved. In Islam you have to submit to Allah, who has all of these rules and laws about his nature and customs you should do.
In my mind I fail to see why belief in a system devised by humans to explain a divine being is very important. I can figure out from the Bible a theological doctrine which may have no shred of truth, and the promulgate it to the world, and say "Here this is the only way" but that does not mean anything. Furthermore, one can believe something but have absolutely no value in it; so why would an all powerful God care about what club you're in? If you actually are 'judged' wouldn't it make more sense to judge your nature? (I know that in Islam Allah may 'forgive' whomever he chooses.) So in other words does God care about beliefs, or action (not works, I differentiate between the two; action is acting on principles which works MAY also be subject to, but I think of works as a broader blind term)?

 

[sojourner]

God cares about the state of the heart.

 

[Falvlun]

I can't believe that a God would care whether you believed in Creationism or Evolution, Trinity or not, Catholicism or Protestantism, or any of those myriad of other small points that people within religions like to argue with each other. (I just chose Christianity because that's the one I know.)

 

[Quintessence]

May I ask how you are defining theology? Isn't theology the study of the god(s), not a belief system? In that context, I can definitely imagine the god(s) wanting humans to study and know them. It's kind of a necessity if you expect to know proper ways to honor such god(s) in ritual or worship, isn't it?

 

[Raban]

Well in Christianity, you have had massive discordance and war between people saying you have to believe this in this way, otherwise you are going to go to hell or something similar.

 

[Quintessence]

Well in Christianity, you have had massive discordance and war between people saying you have to believe this in this way, otherwise you are going to go to hell or something similar.

That's true in some cases, but I don't consider that a problem of theology, I consider that a problem of people being people. Theology is like an academic discipline; what you do with your findings from there can be as political or apolitical as the people allow it to be. A person belonging to a particular academic discipline can choose to claim "this is the only right way to interpret this subject area" or they can say "my interpretation of this subject area is a collection of ideas and should not be considered dogma." Am I making sense?

 

[Renji]

When you mentioned "theology", do you mean set of belief(s), creeds and dogmas/teachings? That's what your OP's trying to convey. If that's the case, I must say, that's different from theology.

 

[Falvlun]

The term can be used for the study of God as a whole, or the study of a particular religious dogma, ie "Christian theology".

 

[Renji]

The term can be used for the study of God as a whole, or the study of a particular religious dogma, ie "Christian theology".

That's the exact key term here. It's the "study", and not totally what a person like you and me follows or believes in.

 

[Falvlun]

That's the exact key term here. It's the "study", and not totally what a person like you and me follows or believes in.

I think that might be a distinction without a point.

 

[Renji]

I think that might be a distinction without a point.

Well actually there is a point, though I won't dwell on it that much because it covers a different topic. Here's the thing, if "theology" in this case pertains to the Faith of the person (his beliefs, whatever his "heart" contains/hope for), God would look into that, but if it just pertains to theology as in study( it's more on the intellect, but God looks on the heart, not intellect), God wouldn't care much on that, unless you "study" to know more about that God.

 

[Breathe]

God cares about the state of the heart.

^ This.

I do not believe in a God who is petty enough to send people to eternal damnation for one believing in another religion. I think of all (save parody) religions as attempts to reach the Divine.

In the prayers and adorations of righteous men
Praises of all prophets are together bound.
All their praises mingle into a single stream,
as the water from several cups poured into a jug.
Because the praised is none but the One,
all religions by this token are the same.
Remember, all praise is directed to God's light
and the various worshipped forms are from this light.

-- Part of "All Religions are in Substance One and the Same" by Rumi.​

 

[seeking4truth]

Since God keeps revealing Himself and His wishes to us through prophets and books I suppose He must care.
That's why He keeps trying to put us straight.

 

[Thief]

And let's not forget the few of us that lean to God without dogma.
No recitals, no ceremonies, no rituals, no creed...etc...etc....etc....

Theology isn't found in scripture...though it might seem that way.

Does God care theology?
What you think and feel about Him?

Likely so.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

God cares as much about people and what they believe as I care about a tiny group of bacteria living in a pin-sized area 17.2 inches into my small intestine.

 

[Sunstone]

The whole and entire concern of an infinite and all powerful God is focused intently and exclusively on what some super-apes infesting a small planet in a mid-sized galaxy think about Him? Yeah, I can buy that.

 

[Thief]

The whole and entire concern of an infinite and all powerful God is focused intently and exclusively on what some super-apes infesting a small planet in a mid-sized galaxy think about Him? Yeah, I can buy that.

I do.

There's not much else but dead lumps of chemistry orbiting the stars.

This place is total chaos!
WHAT A SHOW!

 

[Kilgore Trout]

The whole and entire concern of an infinite and all powerful God is focused intently and exclusively on what some super-apes infesting a small planet in a mid-sized galaxy think about Him? Yeah, I can buy that.

This idea appeals to many of the less intelligent super-apes, for obvious reasons.

 

[Thief]

This idea appeals to many of the less intelligent super-apes, for obvious reasons.

Hummmmmm.....
Misanthropic humanist......
Less than intelligent humanist.....

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Hummmmmm.....
Misanthropic humanist......
Less than intelligent humanist.....

The dictionary is your friend.