1. INTRODUCTION
Understanding God’s so-called ‘being’ and his relationship to our universe and ourselves. Differing theories held by the world’s major religions, when compared, offer overall concepts that are logical.
So what IS God? Well, trust me, logical theories about God’s being and existence ARE available for us ‘thinkers’!
Firstly though, I think most of us know ‘what God is not’. Few could believe that he is an old white haired gentleman, dressed in wonderful robes, sitting on a golden throne up on the clouds. Simple views like that have badly damaged many a thinker’s ability to trust in God’s existence.
This article tries to ‘sort out’ the big differences between major religious groups … and make overall sense of them! And I think God’s existence DOES come up looking ‘believable’ as a result. Please trust me and read on through this whole article.
(I am from a senior auditing background and the majority of my advisory team are Christian clergy. To glimpse the ‘who’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ of this website please click here.)
Please note that if you, the reader, simply want to ‘TEST’ for yourself whether God actually does exist, I suggest that maybe you begin by reading the article, “How to believe in God”.
2. CONFLICTING VIEWS ?
Now we know the major religions of this world each have millions of followers. And, we should logically be able to turn to those religions for a common answer on, “What is God?” However, they don’t really ‘seem’ to agree upfront do they?
And yes, it APPEARS that conflict about, “what and who God is?” does at least exist between the two major camps – the “pantheist religions” and the “monotheist religions” – when we first glimpse them.
BUT, let’s check them out …
3. PANTHEISM
The pantheist religions (including Taoism in its early form, parts of Hinduism and Buddhism, Shinto as a whole) SEEM to have a very different viewpoint from mainstream monotheism, as explained under Heading 4 below. Monotheism includes religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
3.1 God’s relationship to reality
Pantheists simply, and importantly, view God as the “basis of reality itself”. That is ‘God’, ‘reality’, and even ‘human mindfulness’ are believed to be ‘one and the same,’ as I will explain. This outlook is often based on the mystical experiences (i.e. arising from religious ‘meditation’) of the founders of relevant religions. And there are two sub-articles linked to this article, titled “Mysticism explained” and “Mysticism evaluated“, that explain what that stuff is about. That is, the way ‘deep’ religious meditation CAN lead us to better understand how God, the universe and ourselves all fit into the ‘big picture’.
Anyway, within pantheism, everything is understood as having a shared ‘one-ness’ with reality itself, and as such with God. That is, God as such, is TOTALLY present in/ throughout this world, and the universe as a whole. (The term for God’s presence in that regard is “immanence”.)
3.2 Human relationship with God
Many of pantheism’s writings offer a theoretical state where, in very simple terms, all living and inanimate things, although having a ‘visible’ individuality (when we look at them or feel them), are ALSO One (i.e. God). In this particular school of thought it is reasoned that ‘God is all of us’ and indeed everything else that does exist.
As indicated above, the individuality or separate nature that we seem to have is supposedly just not there! For example, your basis is God, as my basis is also God. And the trees outside my window, as I write this, are also God. Our basis might SEEM to be separate from God … but it really is not … as far as pantheism is concerned.
And look, I ABSOLUTELY understand the basis of the reasoning behind that view at least, because it stems from experiences of mysticism that I have successfully tested. Yes, as explained in that article, “Mysticism evaluated” I have personally analysed and then evaluated those overall experiences. So yes, I do at least know where pantheists “are coming from” with their beliefs.
The planet Earth, and indeed the entire universe, within these models takes on a whole new religious dimension. In pantheist systems of belief there is NO God external to the universe, or even separate to ourselves, with whom we humans CAN enter into a personal relationship.
But finally on this subject of “pantheism”, please keep in mind, it is theoretically possible for each of us human beings to ‘connect’ our minds with the basis of reality (i.e. God) as such … to experience ‘it’ for ourselves … to be ‘enlightened‘ in a religious sense. That is come to test our ‘one-ness’ with everything else that does exist within IT (God), i.e. through meditation/ mysticism.
Now, let’s look at the ‘other religious group’ …
4. MONOTHEISM
Yes, let’s now study the ‘other side of the coin’ that is monotheism.
The monotheist religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have a common heritage. (For an understanding of Christianity’s basis have a look at the article, “Christianity explained simply”. )
Somewhere around three thousand plus years ago I believe that God ‘orchestrated’ or organised a particular verse present in the Christian Bible that obviously intrigues me. It provides some understanding of his actual being. And God did this through the name that he chose for himself there, “I AM” (as used in the title of this website). It appears firstly in the Christian Old Testament [Exodus 3:14) and is repeated again in a very profound way within the Christian New Testament [John 8:58]. The Jewish religion ALSO accepts the wording in Exodus 3:14. Of course the New Testament belongs only to the Christian religion.
The name “I AM” makes it clear that: God ‘exists’, God ‘IS’, although not necessarily in a physical sense like us. It also hints that he himself is ‘uncreated’ and ‘self-existent’. Essentially, God just is! Indeed, unlike us humans etc, God is NOT reliant on any other force for his existence. The term “I AM” also indicates his transcendence (absolute superiority), when compared to us human beings.
“I AM” is a pretty impressive name alright.
In essence, each of the three great monotheist religions maintain that there is only one God. There is also a very strong emphasis, within monotheism, on the ‘transcendent’ nature of God that I already mentioned above. That is: all three religions understand God as all-powerful, all-knowing and beyond our ability to even understand the basis of his existance.
4.1 A personal relationship with God
Again, with regards to any relationship we may hold with God, there is a VERY different outlook here in the monotheist religions to the ‘pantheist’ view.
As already stated, with regards to monotheism, God theoretically transcends us, our universe and even our ability to fully perceive or understand him.
Unlike pantheists though, ALL monotheists agree that God and each of us humans are separate beings. YES, our individual human existences rely on God’s ongoing ‘creative force’, BUT each of us have definite ‘separation’ from him as distinct ‘beings’. In effect, that is the way he HAS created us to be.
AND all monotheist religions believe that God is capable of, and indeed WANTS to have, a personal ‘one-on-one’ relationship with every human being in this world. As a result, most monotheist followers tend to think of God as a ‘super’ person. The term, “personal God” also arises from this outlook. So as to understand a bit about the Christian-based ‘personal relationship with God’ that awaits each of us, please read the article, “How to build a relationship with God“.
4.2 God’s relationship to reality
When it comes to God’s relationship with our planet though, ‘some’ Christians point to the Biblical Book of Genesis. And that alone, when taken LITERALLY by those in the ‘fundamentalist movement‘, indicates that God created the world and has his own existence outside of it, i.e. totally separate from it.
Theoretically, in that view, the world generally continues to tick along quite well and ‘independently’ without his help. (Obviously this outlook is VERY DIFFERENT from that one held by pantheist religions.) ‘Non-fundamentalists‘ like me (i.e. the majority of Christians) certainly don’t agree with it either.
In fact there ARE verses, in both the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible, that suggest we are CONTINUALLY dependent on God for our existences. And they CLEARLY mean that God is ‘immanent’, as well as being ‘transcendent’. I offer those Biblical explanations of God’s relationship to reality under the next heading.
So, within most of Christianity, this element of God’s nature termed, “immanence” (i.e. God’s presence ‘pervades’ the entire universe) is definitely acknowledged. Remember, pantheism ‘is all about’ that aspect of God. But pantheism DOES NOT include ‘transcendence’ at all in its theology.
And as we read those Bible verses that follow in this article, we get the impression that reality is ‘held together’ or ’empowered to exist’ by God, and it also probably exists ‘within him’. As explained earlier, God is ‘uncreated’ and ‘self-existent’ in a transcendent sense.
As such, it seems indeed likely that as well as being transcendent, God also contains everything that does exist – our universe, us and eternity – within himself. Have a look under Heading 2 in the article, “Why is God invisible?” for a further explanation on this outlook.
How can we think of God’s ‘existence’ in this monotheist context, then? Could God be described as a ‘spiritual force’ … or a ‘super-powerful mind’? You know, I believe we just waste our time trying to work it out! But, God certainly has no need of ‘structure’ or ‘form’ as we know it. No, I personally do NOT think that he is an old white haired gentleman, dressed in wonderful robes, sitting on a golden throne!
4.3 The Bible and how it does all fit together
Firstly, I need to explain that the Bible’s “Old Testament” (written way before the Jesus bits: the New Testament) certainly does offer explanations to us human beings about ‘the total existence of reality itself’ through its imagery. That is the universe, and all within it, is continually dependent on God for its existence. So bear that in mind that the following verse from the Old Testament refers to God’s immanence.
Do I not fill heaven and earth?
[Jeremiah 23:24] (Written as the words of God.)
BUT when it comes to the “New Testament” (the Jesus bits) the Bible offers MUCH ‘clearer’ explanations of God’s immanence and his transcendent and sustaining nature. So, one example verse from the New Testament states:
God did this so men would seek him
and perhaps reach out for him and find him,
though he is not far from each of us.
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’
As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
[Acts 17:27-28]
So, to me, it is pretty clear that the Bible intends us to know that God IS immanent; his presence and power pervades reality, as we know it. And as such, he even makes ‘everything’ be!
5. THEORIES OF AFTER-LIFE
The theories of ‘life after physical death’, or ‘after-lives’, of the two religious ‘schools of thought’ differ radically. Not surprisingly, their theories are related to their different viewpoints on God’s nature.
5.1 Pantheism and death
Pantheism, due to its LACK of a God with ‘separate‘ yet underlying existence to the universe and each of us, cannot offer us ‘personal’ relationships with God after death. (There is no state of ‘Heaven’, in this religious system, to share with God or each other.)
Commonly, pantheist religions offer either ‘rebirth‘ or ‘reincarnation of the soul‘, through life after life in human form, here on earth (i.e. they do NOT believe in ‘eternal life’ after just one life on Earth, as monotheist religions do). In some cases they CAN offer a peaceful end to the ‘ongoing suffering lives caused through reincarnation’.
5.2 Monotheism and death
Within monotheist religions on the other hand, God’s ‘being’ IS transcendent and (figuratively speaking) he is elevated way above all else that exists. His ‘basis’ pre-existed the universe, at the least. God is not reliant on the universe’s existence for his own. No, the universe continually relies on God’s creative/ sustaining power. As do we human beings.
And because he has personal relationships with each of his ‘faithful followers’ during their lives, then life after death CAN be with him in a state of ‘eternity’ that he also created for us (what the Bible refers to as “Heaven”).
6. EVALUATING BELIEFS
In the early stages of my own faith journey, as mentioned already, I decided to investigate meditation/ mysticism for myself. At the time I wanted to ‘evaluate’ all there was to know about God’s existence.
6.1 Insight through mysticism (Links to more info)
As explained under Heading 3 above, that sub-article, “Mysticism explained” is available to you and it offers an overview of the practise of mysticism. And that includes its historical use within both pantheism and monotheism (including the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions).
And a further sub-article, “Mysticism evaluated” also mentioned there, offers details about my own ‘full-on’ experiences and my verdict on those experiences. I know that even surprised me!
6.2 Both opinions are based on reason
But, before moving on with this article, let us look at how we CAN reconcile two apparently opposing views of God’s existence: pantheism and monotheism? These differences fuel the arguments of atheists and even cause some doubt in the minds of ‘faithful’ thinkers. Obviously these thinkers, within their own systems of faith (pantheism and monotheism), wonder how can the god of another ‘faith’ differ so much from their own.
Maybe, you have already worked it out? Well, from my own understanding, it is just a case of ‘differing aspects‘ of our one God being RECOGNISED within the experiences of the two groups. As is the case when two individual people ‘beg to differ’ on any logically based opinion, one view MAY be more important in the scheme of things BUT that doesn’t stop both opinions having a logical basis.
‘Monotheism‘ bases its beliefs on its methods of ‘personally’ engaging with God. That is by deliberately entering into a ‘one-on-one personal relationship‘ with a transcendent God who we believe HAS created us for that purpose. Trust me on this, that relationship ‘can be proven‘ to be VERY REAL for each of us. And again, please see the article, “How to believe in God”.
‘Pantheism‘ on the other hand bases its beliefs on the outcome of ‘experiencing our unity‘ with God, as the spiritual ground of being, e.g. through the practise of mysticism. And mysticism, as I see it, REALLY highlights God’s immanent aspects. That leads them to concentrate on a relationship that I guess we can describe as a ‘connection’. But it is NOT a ‘personal relationship’ as such. Again trust me, it IS possible to come to accept their point of view as well.
Fundamentally though, it is clear that both pantheism AND monotheism share their differing experiences with the SAME God! That is they both rely on that spiritual basis (often named “God”) that dwells within and through reality as we know it!
7. CHOOSING PANTHEISM OR MONOTHEISM?
So, as far as I am concerned both major streams of religion, ‘pantheism’ and ‘monotheism’, do have substance. As stated, I believe that they are both based on the relative religious experiences of their followers. Yes, they are both connecting with the same God! Although most of us are not aware of that!
And I feel at this point that I need to offer an explanation of why I have chosen a monotheist religion (Christianity) for myself. Firstly though, before going on, let me make it clear that God loves us all, regardless of our chosen religions. In the words of South Africa’s Archbishop Tutu, “God is not a Christian.” The late Desmond Tutu went on to declare that, with regards to us humans, “None is an outsider … all are held in a divine embrace that will not let us go – all, for God has no enemies.”
7.1 Considering the alternatives
Well, not withstanding that God loves us all, I personally believe our choice of religion DOES matter. Most religions contain some truth. Some religions obviously contain more truth than others. And again some ‘religious truths’ are more important than others.
So, although God may love the followers of all religions, as Desmond Tutu stated, I do NOT believe that God views all religions as equal.
As explained, I seriously trialled mysticism for myself – to experience God’s immanence. I could have left it at that, but due to my additional experiences of a ‘personal God’, I also came to have a practical understanding of other aspects of him.
These additional experiences of mine support the Jewish/ Christian/ Muslim view of God’s transcendent nature, and his potential ‘personal relationship‘ with each of us human beings. And that understanding differs so much from pantheist beliefs. Look … the majority of this website concentrates on ‘engaging/ connecting with God’, in a Christian sense, within our lives and the Church, guided by the Bible I must add. And yes, we all CAN come to ‘rock-solid belief ‘ in God’s existence through engaging with him in that way.
Theories on the nature of God’s ‘existence’ (immanence and transcendence) have little relevance to the average monotheistic believer (Jew, Christian or Muslim). They generally have no need to think about it. AND, ‘on the other hand’, I can see the pantheist’s point as to why they solely concentrate on a totally immanent God.
BUT! When it comes ‘to the crunch’ for Judaism, Christianity or Islam, the transcendent and personal aspects of God HAVE to be there. Otherwise, we cannot have the God who loves and cares for each individual one of us. That is a God who can: listen to us, strengthen us, guide us and assist us, even offer each of us an eternal life … if we choose to ‘go for it’!
AND ‘Christianity‘ as a monotheist religion certainly adds emphasis to one of God’s personal characteristics, “love”.
7.2 Monotheism is my winner
By comparison to monotheist religions, the follower of a pantheist religion will experience a very different relationship with God. Their religious experiences will lead them to what is best explained as a sense of DEEP contentment that is very meaningful and holy. They can, through their practises, detach themselves from all the worries of this planet and enter into a peaceful yet ‘non-personal’ relationship with the ‘Universe’. That is, a spiritual relationship with a God who, to them, is solely the ‘ground of all being’ and nothing more. Bear in mind though their overall experiences can be very rewarding for them.
However, from my experience of both types of religion, the loss of a relationship with the personal God of Jews, Christians and Muslims – which unfortunately occurs through the pantheist religions – is a bit of a trade-off. There are in fact, truly POSITIVE life-changing outcomes available to us through a monotheist relationship. For more on this, again please read the article, “What does faith offer us?”
BUT bear in mind that I still have a deep respect for those people who can commit to a long term relationship with God as the basis of the Universe (and nothing more). There are rich rewards for them. It is a ‘beautiful thing’, BUT to my point of view it is NOT the ‘whole thing’.
8. WHERE TO NEXT?
By all means access the writings of the world’s great religions to learn more of God’s theoretical being, and relationship to humankind, if you wish.
The caption, from Psalm 46:10 in the Bible, “Be still, and know that I am God” in the image at the beginning of this article, carries a strong message from God for all monotheist religions. It is about realising that he is indeed real, and we should actually acknowledge him; engage with him as our religious books explain. The verse also carries a tone of his ‘might’. Yeah, God DOES deserve our respect as such!
Of course God has other characteristics, as far as monotheists are concerned. For example, as I have mentioned already, us Christians recognise his deep loving nature; the way he has and still does bestow his ‘grace‘ upon us. So, if you feel that you would like to begin a relationship with the great I AM and ‘test the waters’, then access the “Journey of faith” section of this website, beginning with the article, “How to believe in God”.
Methods to build ‘Christian faith’ and come to believe in him (i.e. by recognising his presence ‘in the Church‘ and ‘in your life‘) are also introduced in that section of the website. AND let’s not forget the Bible itself either! Please have a read of the article, “Our amazing Bible” to get some idea about it and indeed how to understand its wisdom.
The final section of this website explains the basics of Christianity. The first article, “Christianity explained simply” is sub-titled “God’s Beloved” for a good reason. It provides an overview of the religion:
- How God is to be understood within it;
- How we should connect/ engage with him ‘personally‘;
- How we should treat our fellow human beings etc.
It certainly includes descriptions of God’s ‘personal’ nature, i.e. the ‘who is God’ stuff, as opposed to the nature of God’s being that has been the primary subject of this article.
And please note that the next article in this “Deal with Doubts” subsection of this website is, “Why is God invisible?“. It delves more deeply into subjects such as God, the “Ground of Being”, i.e. his state of “immanence”.