2006-12-28 21:34:23 · 16 answers · asked by Bartleby 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Well, our ideas about "god" are formed by our experiences. Usually those things that are directly connected to the survival of a people (food, reproduction, good weather, water sources, etc.) are deified, as well as those things that negatively impact their survival (war, death itself, any natural dangers in their environment) .
If you think about it, you'll realize that people who lived in very harsh conditions, with little wiggle room for error in survival have quite harsh gods who have strict rules for their people. You won't have to do any deep research to think of several cultures in which this is so.
People who live in very mild climates, with lots of uncultivated food available, have largely benign gods - the Hawaiians, for example, have only one Deity that's altogether unpleasant - Pele. In those cultures, interestingly enough, the non-benign gods are the worst of the worst - requiring human sacrifice, and so on. I haven't quite figured out why that is so.
Agreeing on the nature of "God" would be the equivalent of a water lily agreeing with a desert daisy on the nature of reality.
In any case, one of the big problems with so-called monotheistic religions (which are never in fact monotheistic) is why things that are harmful to humans exist. Unless the single god is a trickster or inconstant or arbitrary, if in fact the single god is all-good, there has to be another god of bad things. OR "God" has to be kind of a conflicted being.
So there's an essential conflict here. If God is what is responsible for everything, then there needs to be an explanation of why bad things happen to people, even pious people. In monotheistic religions, this essential conflict is sometimes served by giving "God" two natures; loving and punishing; creating and destroying, and so on.
The dual nature of a monotheistic "God" means that some people will emphasize the loving side, and some will emphasize the rule-making, judgmental side. THAT seems to be a matter of personality on the part of the worshiper.
Accommodating both personalities of "God" is a problem for most people, and that's why they resort, in the end, to giving up the attempt to reconcile the different sides of "God's" personality, or come up with very convoluted explanations that make no sense to outsiders (people who have a different conception of "god").
To many people, it makes a far better explanation of the world that they experience to say that there are many deities; some helpful to humans, some harmful.
With all this in mind, HOW can we "agree on a single theory of God"?
2006-12-29 02:39:20 · answer #1 · answered by Praise Singer 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
As in a supreme being? If God was real then he she or it would make it known to everyone that no theories are required of he she or it. If God is compassion, unconditional love and goodwill then no theories are required to justify anyway.
2006-12-28 21:42:12 · answer #2 · answered by kicking_back 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why can't we agree on everyone eating the same thing for dinner tonight?
Too vague....
You had a relationship with your father.. If you have any siblings, they also had a relationship with you father. Your mother had a relationship with your father. So did your aunt and uncles. Your grand parents had a relationship with your father. If given a picture, they would all identify this person as being the same person. Everyone knew this person, but not everyone saw him in the same light, or had the same opinion of him or his true nature. Everyone has their own perspective of who your father was.
Why should it be any different with God?
2006-12-28 21:46:20 · answer #3 · answered by Mr Cellophane 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because REASON and DEBATE are denied by the current system of faiths and beliefs.
the jehova witnesses claim to have a reasonable debate process and claim to know the truth in a greater detail because of their system. but it still refuses to listen to things that may be true contrary to their Own conclusions.
The mormons have prophets and Men of God that Cannot err, so they are taught by what they are told, but if someone disagrees with any of that process that individual is condemned and forsaken.
Many protestant churches have the same process, if you disagree with traditional dogma, you cant be ONE of them, and therefore are an enemy.
Basically it is False traditions that are taught, and anything that disagrees with fundamental dogmas, cannot ever be true.
2006-12-28 21:43:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I tend to believe that God by His very nature is far too complex and vast for any one mind or perspective to comprehend. We tend to relate to the aspects of God most comfortable and comprehend-able for our own limited understanding and personality. But I don't believe that we by any means grasp all there of to understand of God.
2006-12-28 21:44:29 · answer #5 · answered by dave 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Satan uses religion to blind the eyes of the people from seeing the truth of the Word of God.
2006-12-28 21:39:10 · answer #6 · answered by djm749 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If "god" is real and all powerful .Why does he need to be a THEORY ?????
We`re not admitting that there is a possibilty that he is not in existence are we ?????
2006-12-28 21:39:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of a thing called, "Choice"......
Some choose not to believe and so they see nothing.... and believers choose to have faith in that which cannot be seen with the open eyes.....
your sister,
Ginger
2006-12-28 21:37:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because we were all born with FREE WILL : )
Love & Blessings
Milly
2006-12-28 21:42:44 · answer #9 · answered by milly_1963 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with this that nature itself is god.
om namah shivaya.
2006-12-28 21:37:15 · answer #10 · answered by rajesh bhowmick 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋