How much better off would we be if we could put our pieces of the puzzle together?

Question

I'm talking to: all Christian denominations as well as other belief systems that teach love of God and neighbor.

I'm convinced that our religious differences are all cosmetic and linguistic. God is too big for any one person or one faith to conceive of entirely. WHATEVER idea we have of God is going to be too small, too limited, therefore essentially wrong.

We all have pieces of the bigger picture, but instead of putting them together and seeing how they interrelate, we fight and call each other names and create acrimony over them.

I'm not asking how feasible this is: I know it's not likely to happen in my lifetime. Egos are too big. But do you think we would all benefit from working together to help get a clearer concept of God? If so, why? If not, why not?

Answer 1

There are so many different religions and belief systems. While differences can be substantial, I agree with your point that we can all benefit from working together to help get a clearer concept of God.

I believe in Christianity, but even among Christians there are differences. Although I am Christian, I'm not inflexible enough to realize that other beliefs may be valid. Religion is man's effort to interpret God. Therefore, I think all religions and beliefs hold truths which together give us a clearer picture of God.

Answer 2

I disagree that all differences are merely cosmetic and linguistic. What you are suggesting is an old refrain, that all religions are really the same at the core. This is only close to being true on the ethical level. The problem is not that a given religion does not have a clear concept of God: the "problem" (if it is one) is that they do have clear concepts, but they disagree with each other.

If I say there is one God, loving, intelligent, and transcendent, and this God is the ultimate truth of the Universe and made the Universe, and somebody else says the Universe came about naturally but there are several thousand exalted human-like creature that they are calling gods, how can there be any agreement on concept of God? Sure, they can work together to make life better ... but agreement does not make any sense.

Answer 3

I think it's a nice sentiment, but it's not concepts of God that are the problem. It's how we choose to live out our faith in light of our beliefs about God that create differences and divisions. For example, a person's belief that women are inferior and should not have authority over a man has little or nothing to do with God, but goes to how one interprets scripture. I don't think uniformity is a solution, diversity of opinion and belief is part of the human experience. How we address those differences, and how we view those who hold different beliefs gets more to the core of how we can strive to at least live peacefully with one another.

Answer 4

If you ask one religion about another, the answer would be something like this. They believe in God and Jesus but not like us. Very few churches follow a full Bible religion, they claim that their way is the correct interpretation. It will never go together with Jesus, some will say it is not him for he does not believe as we do.

Answer 5

I don't think those are our puzzle pieces to try and fit together. No such puzzle exists or could. No one can know the infinite mind of God. It is totally beyond our comprhension. There will be no perfection in this world. Of course it would be nice if we could all just get along. But look in your own family or those around you. We can't even get along with ourselves, how can we expect to get along with the world?

Answer 6

The differences are much more than cosmetic. Spiritualists interpret the Bible from a totally opposite viewpoint, but yes we would all be better off if this were possible.

Answer 7

Oh, I agree with you on that. But when they get together they need to reconsider the stuff in the bible that just doesn't make sense and delete it. I am proud to say that I am an Agnostic.