Too many religions

[Breathe]

You sort of answered my question, yes. Although it takes some effort for me to understand what you mean.

You are truly a theist (or panentheist, I suppose), aren't you?

Yeah, I really am. (Panentheist is right. )

The way you put it, it seems that you are completely rid of my almost instinctive suspicion of belief in God.

What do you mean?

 

[LuisDantas]

That is my way of saying that I have seen so many people justify so many cruel or foolish actions with belief in God that I don't favor belief, even in others.

It is nice to be reminded every now and then that it may indeed work and be a positive factor for some people.

 

[Breathe]

That is my way of saying that I have seen so many people justify so many cruel or foolish actions with belief in God that I don't favor belief, even in others.

It is nice to be reminded every now and then that it may indeed work and be a positive factor for some people.

Awww, thank you! :highfive:

FTR, there are some people's views of God that freak me out and are alien to my own, so I totally understand where you're coming from.

 

[John Martin]

Now I agree with Panentheism as it is the most perfect way to describe God's omnipresence. He is seperate but at the same time always with his creation. He literally involves all of existence and because of the concept of an "expanding universe" this ties in with the concept of god being "infinite".

Human beings grow in their relationship with God. There are three types of monotheisms( I borrow the concepts from Hinduism to describe them, dvaita-duality, visistaadvaita-qualified non-duality and advaita- non duality) I am adding monotheism to it :dualistic monotheism, qualified non-dualistic monotheism and non-dualistic monotheism.
In dualistic monotheism there is only one God, one infinite being, creation is finite. There is an essential difference between God and creation. The whole of creation is in God, it is panentheism.
In Qualified non-dualistic monotheism also there is only one God, but creation is the manifestation of God, it is an emanation from God. The relationship between God and creation is more intimate. God is like the soul and creation is like his body. God and creation are not one. There is a subtle essential difference between God and creation. It is also panentheism
In Non-dualistic monotheism also there is only one God, one infinite Being( Brahman sathyam). Creation, the names and forms, is unreal-unsubstantial- finite. Human soul is none other than Brahman, God. If we take God as the infinite space and the human soul is the space within the walls. The space within the walls is nothing but the infinite space.Once the walls are gone it is one. Here also we can speak of panentheism, everything is in God.
In the dualistic monotheism we say God is greater than us. Our relationship with God is like the earth separate from the sea. In the qualified non-dualistic monotheism we say we are in God and God in in us. It is an experience mutual indwelling. We are like an iceberg floating on the sea. In the non-dualistic monotheism we say we and God are one or God alone is. The ocean alone is. The ice melts into water. There is only one God. Creation does not have any substance.
Jesus Christ said: My Father is greater than I; I am in the Father and the Father is in me; and the Father and I are one'. He grew from the dualistic monotheism to the non-dualistic monotheism-via qualified non-dualistic monotheism.
Even though we can accept panentheism we need to be aware of the various possibilities we have within in it. In the Prophetic religions it is mainly dualistic monotheism. Mystics of these religions go beyond it. In Hinduism there are there are many systems. Advaita system or non-dualistic monotheism is considered the highest possibilty. Christianity has three positions: one for human beings and three for Jesus Christ. Human beings are basically creatures of God. It is dualistic monotheism. Jesus Christ is one hundred percent human being( dualistic monotheism). He is the son of God( qualified non-dualistic monotheism) and he is ultimately one with God( non-dualistic monotheism).
Human beings have the possibility to grow from the dualistic monotheism to non-dualistic monotheism. Hence panentheism is the truth but within that understanding there are different possibilities are there.Prophetic religions tend to emphasize dualistic monotheism. Hinduism emphasizes non-dualistic monotheism. Christianity limits human beings to dualistic monotheism and accepts non-dualistic monotheism to Jesus Christ. I would like to propose Integral Dynamic Monotheism. It is monotheism which says that there is only one God, one infinite Being. It is Dynamic in the sense human relationship with God is is not static but dynamic: it ascending and descending. it is ascending from dualistic monotheism to non-dualistic monotheism and again descending from non-dualistic monotheism to dualistic monotheism, which is necessary as long as we live in the physical body and in the world of time and space and in human relationships. It is integral in the sense that it accepts every spiritual path that helps human beings to grow in divine-human relationship and human-human relationships.

 

[CG Didymus]

Personally:

As an inclusive panentheist, I see all religions as a people's attempts at grasping the Same Divine: I all conceptions of God: Allah, Vāhigurū, Śiva, Viṣṇu, Bahá, Yahweh, and more, as attempts to reach it and to explain it to others: it differs because of the following:

• culture
• history
• traditions
• folklore
• myths
• language
• prophets
• preachers
• reformers

...and many more. These are just a few.

Yet, I believe the truths are still referring to the same Being, just in different ways from their own experiences, histories, cultures, and discriminations...

That is too sensible and too obvious for "true" believers to see. How many Christians read the same Book and believe differently? Not that long ago, all "true" Christians were Catholics. Not that long ago, children became part of the same religion as their parents. All true believers in a religion have good reasons why they think their religion is better than another person's. Maybe they have a verse in their Holy Book that says so, but so do other people in other religions. Many people have experienced "God" and "know" their religion is right. But lots of people, in lots of religions experience "God" and swear they are right. Religions are subjective. They work for the believers and can look very foolish to everybody else.

 

[Titanic]

I do not agree that they are too many religion's and that is coming from an agnostic.

 

[Breathe]

Religions are subjective.

Yeah.

To me, religion is a bit like salt. Good on the food of life, but too much can be poisonous.

(For some reason, I wanted to write mustard instead of salt... :areyoucra I need sleep.)

 

[CG Didymus]

I wanted to write mustard instead of salt...

No, no, that's profound. Everybody uses salt, but only a few use mustard or, what about the diet in general. Suppose the meat and potahto people of the West thought their diet to be superior to the food eaten in the East?