Why do people believe in different gods?

Question

I would like to understand why people believe in different gods etc and why they think that their god is the only god etc? I'm also someone who doesn't know who or what to believe in until I see it for my own eyes. Also why are many wars around the world "religious wars"? Isn't religion supposed to be about love and peace?

Answer 1

the short answer is,

basically you're born, your parents tell you about one religion, and you choose that one - it's not exactly informed consent.

you base your whole life on the beliefs of whichever 'team' you support and when they play an away match you tend to go along with it.

you get so wrapped up in the whole 'why don't you agree with our way of thinking' you forget that you don't have any grounds to disagree with them, and go to war.

Answer 2

Because people believe in different things – no two people believe in the same god, we all have our own ideas and beliefs about divine beings, although we all may find common ground with gods similar to one another's ideas of the divine we are all still very different people and so we have very different gods.

We all create our own gods, for our own needs, and as such although many religious doctrines teach henotheistic principles [recognising their gods while not denying the existence of others] all people will believe their god is the only true god because to them that is completely true – if that was not the case there would be no reason why they would be following that god – their god is the one true god to them, the god that they believe in, it is a very personal thing.

When a person believes their god is the one true god they expect other people to be able to see that too, with something so personal to have someone tell them that their god is not the one true god is essentially saying that the person themselves are wrong. When things get personal like this problems arise, put this onto a bigger scale where it is not one persons god against another but a whole groups shared idea of god against another's, when someone says their god is not the true god they are saying in turn that the group as a whole are also wrong.

Personal attacks from person to person don’t bode well with anyone, attacks then from group to group is not just saying they are wrong but saying their religion, culture or society is wrong.

Answer 3

Look closer at the roots of religion, for example the buddist priests have 8 precepts..... a short version of 10 commandments, discussing this with a devout muslim revealed they have the same sort of statement in the Koran. Seems to me they may all be right in saying 'only one god'..... called differently in different cultures. The christians bible was written 500 yrs after the event, result of 'chinese whispers', handmedown stories, then translated and interpreted many times...so what is true. Were the alleged 'religious wars' really about religion or recial supremacy???

Answer 4

all I know is that there is only one God and that's the god I worship and glorify. The bible says blessed is he that believes and have not seen. Can you see the wind/air? no, but you do feel the effects of those elements. Can you see particles in the air, no, but their there. You may not be able to see God and his son Jesus Christ, but you can notice the effects that our savior has on our daily lives. Just think about it, have you ever been in a situation where you didn't know where you were going to find an answer to your problems? and at the last minute, your problems were all resolved. I want you to reflect upon your life and review the negative and positive experiences you've gone through. As for the "religious wars", I feel that it is all ignorance and false teachings that provoke people to do the things they do. I don't like to refer to Christianity as a religion, but as a lifestlye. I know that the lifestlye of Christianity doesn't involve "religious wars". It is the religions and teachings that are false and fooling people that causing these "religious wars". just think about your life and your position in life, and remember, blessed is he who does not see and believes. May God bless you.

Answer 5

This is not a world of wars against people.
This is a Spiritual war of Gods. People are fighting the spiritual Battle for the War.

It is God Jehovah vs all other gods.

God Jehovah's army will be the victors.

Good Question. Have a nice weekend.

Answer 6

There is only one true God,creator of Heaven & Earth.
People who believe in other gods ( little g ), have not experienced being "Born Again". This is by Grace through Faith...Ephesians 2: 8-9. They don't know who
the true God is because they have been blinded by the gods of this world.In 2 corinthians,ch. 4- verses 3-6.
Paul tells us why the unbeliever speaks against God. The reason they donot see the light of the gospel.
2 Cor. ch. 4: 4--- ' the god of this world ( satan ) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is
the image of God "

Answer 7

People believe in different Gods, for the same exact reason that people speak different languages. The Geography of their birth. And what their parents teach them. People speak english and love Nascar because they were born in the South. People believe in an irrational God because they were taught it. Or else it doesn't make any sense to have so many Gods..... and only one is right?

Answer 8

It is my understanding that everyone who believes in some Higher Intelligence believes in the same God -- people just experience Him in different ways. For example, I once heard a theory that all the religions in the world can be split up into three categories: religions of the book (Christianity - Bible, Islam - Quran), religions of silence (Buddhism - meditation), and religions of spirits (Native American beliefs - animism, Hinduism). I, as a Catholic Christian, believe in God the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). The religions of the book seem closest to understanding the concept of God the Son; the religions of silence seem to best comprehend God as the Father (reaching into their souls to connect with the inner self and thus their Creator); and the religions of spirits seem to best understand God the Holy Spirit (God's everyday presence in this world).

So to me, I see all religions as simply a different way of interpretting God -- thus why I respect them all. If you find it difficult to grasp the concept of a Higher Intelligence when there appears to be no direct physical evidence for you (a view obviously not uncommon), that's all right. It is *my* understanding that God would not judge you for lack of faith, but strength of character.

There is always the path of the religions of silence, though, in which there is often no "god" to reach out to, but your own potential in mind and body. If you were ever to accept a religion, perhaps one such as Buddhism would be easiest to grasp, as it focuses on one's integrity.

Religious wars are indeed a contradiction to a religion's very own teachings of love and peace, as you suggest, and come about only for lack of acceptance for other opinions. Some people become so wrapped up in their own faith that they forget to realize that someone else's opinion still counts for something. And for this very reason, religious fanatics and sometimes the brainwashed, lead a devoted group down the wrong path. In the name of their religion, they fight, but it is a corruption of their morals that they promote.

Answer 9

personally i don't believe, its because we all live in different worlds, we all live on one world thou, but we all want it to be one god, and we all want it be are god, so everyone fights, the people that believe in the gods are bascially to scared to admit we are all alone in this fucked up world, being run by aliens, we are aliens lab rats. They tryed with dinosaures, they were boring, they didn't do much, so they started with us, the first ones where actual fact monkeys, after a couple of years they mucked about abit more and the first human began man, and later women, to keep us going, by having more humans, since then we have down running water, electric, roads, satalites, phones, travel, to one side of the country to the other side of the world, internet, homes may i say anymore, we have done it by are selves because we are all by are selves, and the aliens have now fucked up because we are basically nearly as intelligent as them, and they know it, we will kill are selves in the end, because we got to greedy, and selfish. But after are time here, we go to a much better place. After the aliens are done with us, if we don't kill are selves, they we start again, and again and they will try different things, also whats to say they started with us before the dionsaures and then changed there minds like most of us do. WHO KNOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 10

Interesting to note that many of the rarer and lesser contacted indigenous peoples of the world have very Earth-bound spiritual cults that seem to promote love and peace as a way of life. Whereas the Mediterranean/Near-Asian melting pot has more 'evolved', human-bound religious cults that impose socio-political divisions and promote hostility.

Answer 11

There is only one god. He just have different name. Jews call him Yahweh, Christians call him God, and Muslims call him Allah. Remember they all mean the same, its just different terminology (different languages). You would have to study all these religions in depth in order for you to see which one is right for you. Do not close your mind and discriminate. Study them all in order to find truth. Religion has been high jacked for political purposes. No religion (Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc..) propagate war. It is the misguided followers of these religions who in the name of politics use religion as a tool. Be wise!