Why God is God Alone, and No One Else

[Complexity]

Problem with that is that a young carpenter arrived on the scene and said God has sent him to give messages to the world such as "love one another".
Natch he was killed for saying appalling stuff like that, and people have been wondering whether to believe him ever since..

Superstitious nonsense.

 

[Minoosh]

Is it possible for people to agree there is one God?

You've clarified this to, "Is it possible for monotheists to agree they worship the same deity?"

Is that right?

My answer is maybe ... but that it wouldn't change much, there would still be wars fought for all the usual reasons. Religion is often just an excuse.

 

[Minoosh]

And from a non-atheist point of view:

Having agreed they worship the same deity, would they understand that anything they place above God is an object of idolatry?

This is my problem with all religions; they worship man-made concepts which, by definition, are not God.

Why "God is God Alone, and No One Else" then becomes a process of elimination. Anyone and anything you can name are not God, except God.

There is no god but God.

If you're an atheist, the thread is nonsensical and "theology" is the study of human delusions. If you're not an atheist/agnostic, you are accepting the premise that God exists. Depending on your starting premises, there is either nothing to talk about, or there is room for interesting conversation.

 

[bikerdruid]

You've clarified this to, "Is it possible for monotheists to agree they worship the same deity?"

Is that right?

i musta missed that memo...

 

[RandFan]

If you're an atheist, the thread is nonsensical and "theology" is the study of human delusions. If you're not an atheist/agnostic, you are accepting the premise that God exists. Depending on your starting premises, there is either nothing to talk about, or there is room for interesting conversation.

There is always room to talk.

 

[pthena]

Ethnikos,

This thing you propose, as modified by the Conan analogy, conquering and ruling under the name of some god, has already been done.

Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. . .
. . .
The Huns were a group of Eurasian nomads, appearing from east of the Volga, who migrated into Europe c. 370 and built up an enormous empire there. Their main military techniques were mounted archery and javelin throwing. They were possibly the descendants of the Xiongnu who had been northern neighbours of China three hundred years before[5] and may be the first expansion of Turkic people across Eurasia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attila

His one god would be Tengri, and he would have ruled as son of Tengri, and appointed Ruler by Tengri.

Genghis Khan, 1162-1227, also fits this model, and with the same god Tengri(the blue sky) whose appointed son he was and who appointed him the great khan.

He died in 1227 after defeating the Western Xia. He was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Mongolia at an unknown location. His descendants went on to stretch the Mongol Empire across most of Eurasia by conquering and/or creating vassal states out of all of modern-day China, Korea, the Caucasus, Central Asian countries, and substantial portions of modern Eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Many of these invasions resulted in the large-scale slaughter of local populations, which have given Genghis Khan and his empire a fearsome reputation in local histories.[8] Mongol campaigns may have resulted in the deaths of 40 million people."[9]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Khan

This culture was not noted for any strong religious focus, merely submission to the Messiah (appointed by the god) as ruler.

This time period is known as 'the Dark Ages'. It's all been done before.

 

[Minoosh]

i musta missed that memo...

In post 84 the OP made some attempt to clarify the question ... I "clarified" it further - I'm bad that way.

 

[Ethnikos]

Are you are asking is it possible for people to accept this "one God"? Well only if you provide proof of its existence.

The proof is that there appear from time to time persons telling of a God we can not see but somehow they can. Religions are created and people are born into cultures dominated by these religions.
So most people would already have this idea in their minds somewhere of an entity not normally perceivable, except on rare occasions, usually back in the dim past. If just ordinary people, not in the employ of a religion were to get together and talk, they may find that this ultimate God behind all the religions, is remarkably similar, so not so much a scientific proof but a comparison of feelings.

 

[dafydd]

The proof is that there appear from time to time persons telling of a God we can not see but somehow they can. Religions are created and people are born into cultures dominated by these religions.
So most people would already have this idea in their minds somewhere of an entity not normally perceivable, except on rare occasions, usually back in the dim past. If just ordinary people, not in the employ of a religion were to get together and talk, they may find that this ultimate God behind all the religions, is remarkably similar, so not so much a scientific proof but a comparison of feelings.

They are called psychiatric cases. People have all kinds of delusions and hallucinations.

 

[Ethnikos]

Not always. Shinto is a very good example of a religion that incorporates a very different notion of "gods" (kami), and to practitioners of Shinto, the creation of the universe and people was sort of a committee decision, not a single act by one being. You do have to be careful to avoid the fallacy of translation. Kami is not really the same thing as god.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto

Many indigenous religions are inherently polytheistic, or naturalistic, which doesn't match your world view at all.

It seems disorganised other than a sort of an idea which emerges organically, not under a direction of an individual.
You could have a God existing outside the universe, having made a universe containing the Myriad, who do take active roles in shaping the interior of the Universe which had all the materials necessary for creating multiple worlds inside it.
There would be no way of knowing directly, any but the Myriad. I don't know how resistant the people who believe in the Myriad would be to the idea that they did not make themselves. I imagine that the idea that one individual can not direct the others within the group of the Myriad, is something already built into the system so it would already be good and in no need of any modification.

 

[Ethnikos]

To prove it to you.....

Ireland....same god.....500 year war.
WWI and WWII ..... nations of the same god....killed millions of each other despite being believers in the same god
Iraq-Iran war..... same god....
Iraq-Kuwait.....same god
30 years war
100 years war
Spanish-English wars​

Like I said, people claiming to know God better than the other person, so the unknowable quality of God is something important to focus on.
Like with Christianity or at least my take on it, Jesus says God is not known directly but I know God directly but I cant tell you what I know, you have to experience it yourself on a spiritual level.
That makes each person the knower of God and they should realize God comes to them in a different way and it is not something you can force onto others.

 

[Ethnikos]

Having agreed they worship the same deity, would they understand that anything they place above God is an object of idolatry?

I am not advocating a new religion but a way of coexisting on a level of the ordinary people, not meetings between religious elite who have a personal stake such as a salary and pension from a religious institution.
The general consensus is that God demands no worship and if anyone wants to, that is their own choice.

 

[dafydd]

I know God directly .

Which one of the many gods that mankind has invented are you claiming acquaintanceship with? What's he like after a couple of beers?

 

[Ethnikos]

This culture was not noted for any strong religious focus, merely submission to the Messiah (appointed by the god) as ruler.

This time period is known as 'the Dark Ages'. It's all been done before.

Maybe an agreement needs to be made that any Messiah type person should never be allowed.
My answer to complaints would be, if the world ends and God appears, then he will appoint a Messiah, anything short of that, would be only a pretender and not to be given political authority based on supposed religious authority.

 

[dafydd]

I am not advocating a new religion but a way of coexisting on a level of the ordinary people, not meetings between religious elite who have a personal stake such as a salary and pension from a religious institution.
The general consensus is that God demands no worship and if anyone wants to, that is their own choice.

Why are you making things up.? How do you know that? Have you conducted a large scale poll or did your god pal tell you?

 

[dafydd]

Maybe an agreement needs to be made that any Messiah type person should never be allowed.
My answer to complaints would be, if the world ends and God appears, then he will appoint a Messiah, anything short of that, would be only a pretender and not to be given political authority based on supposed religious authority.

Why do you never answer questions?

 

[Ethnikos]

Which one of the many gods that mankind has invented are you claiming acquaintanceship with? What's he like after a couple of beers?

My point was that according to Jesus what and who God was and what He was like, is irrelevant.

 

[Ethnikos]

Why are you making things up.? How do you know that? Have you conducted a large scale poll or did your god pal tell you?

I meant if this hypothetical consensus came about, another thing to consider is this point.

ETA: this operation consensus would not be to get people to do anything but to stop some antisocial behaviors, such as getting into conflicts.

 

[dafydd]

My point was that according to Jesus what and who God was and what He was like, is irrelevant.

Which gospel is that in? Quote it,please. Also please answer this.


Originally Posted by Ethnikos
'I am not advocating a new religion but a way of coexisting on a level of the ordinary people, not meetings between religious elite who have a personal stake such as a salary and pension from a religious institution.
The general consensus is that God demands no worship and if anyone wants to, that is their own choice.'



Why are you making things up.? How do you know that? Have you conducted a large scale poll or did your god pal tell you?

 

[dafydd]

I meant if this hypothetical consensus came about, another thing to consider is this point.

Why don't you say what you mean the first time round,it would make this a lot easier. If? If my granny had balls she'd be my grandpa. What is the point of this thread?