More Questions from Answers: Belief and Reason

Essay by KalapurayilUniversity, Bachelor'sA, June 2014

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More Questions from Answers: Belief and Reason

The concept of God or gods presents a question of loaded terms, because this same word represents a global variety of belief systems regarding the existence of one or more gods- if any. Once a system of belief takes hold within a group of people, the believers usually start by explaining their beliefs, their reasoning, the source of their system, and how their religion differs from others. Usually this means that believers explain why only their ways of belief can be 'right'. There are exceptions, of course, such as the Hindu doctrine of ishdaveda, which postulates that Jesus might have indeed been a representative of a greater divine presence. (Rambachan xv-xvii) Despite the arguing about whose god is the 'right one', most believers follow similar rules based on their faith. Are these gods really so different?

Keeping the gods separate proves its own challenge when many of the rules of believers are the same.

Also, most faiths say that a god or god has certain roles, duties, or special symbols that belong to them. In Christianity, Jesus is called a fisher of men, a shepherd, a king, lord of hosts, etc. and represents only the semi-human form of a single god with three separate divisions. Similar to this three-part, one god belief, Krishna's character divided into father, lover, and child types during his journeys, which are very similar to the ancient parts of the Bible. (Muhammad 9-10) Robert Stade wrote an entire book on the different religious roles and names in Islamic faith. Allah also is the creator, the protector, the king, the provider, etc. Both gods speak of non-believers. In Islam, they receive bad luck and trials, but in Christianity these trials test faithfulness and may...