The three Abrahamic Gods

[blü 2]

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are referred to, often enough, as the Abrahamic religions, which many take to be an assertion that they worship the one God.

But neither the Jews nor the Muslims worship the Trinitarian God of the Christians.

And the Jewish God never made a covenant with either the Christians (thanks to Paul) or the Muslims.

And only the Jews follow the Law. The Christians have their own usual rules, and the Muslims have their own usual rules.

It's undoubtedly true that people of decency, kindness,and generosity are found in all three, as in the rest of humanity.

But praying to Yahweh, praying to the crucified Jesus or the Triune God, and praying to Allah are three distinct conceptual frames, psychologically and culturally.

All three claim a common starting point but (evolution being a force of nature) from there I see three gods, not one.

Any argument?

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Just wanted to point out you forgot Baha'i and that there is only One God for all Faiths.

That's how I see it, but no need to argue the point, as that would be pointless

Regards Tony

 

[Harel13]

Any argument?

Nope, I agree.

 

[Estro Felino]

As a Christian I will tell you that our God is a God of Love.
It is a God that came to Earth to show us His Love.
As Life, it is an act of Love.

We do not believe in a "Covenant"...between God and people. Since all the people of the world are God's children.

So I agree with the OP as for the three Gods. This doesn't mean that the things in common are not countless. And that dialogue is not fruitful.

 

[Heyo]

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are referred to, often enough, as the Abrahamic religions, which many take to be an assertion that they worship the one God.

But neither the Jews nor the Muslims worship the Trinitarian God of the Christians.

And the Jewish God never made a covenant with either the Christians (thanks to Paul) or the Muslims.

And only the Jews follow the Law. The Christians have their own usual rules, and the Muslims have their own usual rules.

It's undoubtedly true that people of decency, kindness,and generosity are found in all three, as in the rest of humanity.

But praying to Yahweh, praying to the crucified Jesus or the Triune God, and praying to Allah are three distinct conceptual frames, psychologically and culturally.

All three claim a common starting point but (evolution being a force of nature) from there I see three gods, not one.

Any argument?

Only three? I see millions if not billions.

It is a serious problem of identity. When you have two independent descriptions of a thing you expect there to be differences, through interpretation, perception or false memories. Eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable. But at an arbitrary level of contradiction you ask yourself if the descriptions even refer to the same thing or if the eyewitnesses even were at the same event. Is the Mormon god the same as the JW god? Or is it a case of mistaken identity?

 

[Estro Felino]

Only three? I see millions if not billions.

It is a serious problem of identity. When you have two independent descriptions of a thing you expect there to be differences, through interpretation, perception or false memories. Eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable. But at an arbitrary level of contradiction you ask yourself if the descriptions even refer to the same thing or if the eyewitnesses even were at the same event. Is the Mormon god the same as the JW god? Or is it a case of mistaken identity?

I think that is not the matter.
As the play Nathan the Wise by G E Lessing shows, identity is a value, not a limit.
Mutual respect is something we have achieved during Enlightenment, I guess

 

[danieldemol]

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are referred to, often enough, as the Abrahamic religions, which many take to be an assertion that they worship the one God.

But neither the Jews nor the Muslims worship the Trinitarian God of the Christians.

And the Jewish God never made a covenant with either the Christians (thanks to Paul) or the Muslims.

And only the Jews follow the Law. The Christians have their own usual rules, and the Muslims have their own usual rules.

It's undoubtedly true that people of decency, kindness,and generosity are found in all three, as in the rest of humanity.

But praying to Yahweh, praying to the crucified Jesus or the Triune God, and praying to Allah are three distinct conceptual frames, psychologically and culturally.

All three claim a common starting point but (evolution being a force of nature) from there I see three gods, not one.

Any argument?

I see the term 'Abrahamic' as an umbrella term for a family of God beliefs founded by Abraham (assuming Abraham actually existed as a historical person) and having evolved in a myriad different directions.

 

[ajay0]

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are referred to, often enough, as the Abrahamic religions, which many take to be an assertion that they worship the one God.

But neither the Jews nor the Muslims worship the Trinitarian God of the Christians.

And the Jewish God never made a covenant with either the Christians (thanks to Paul) or the Muslims.

And only the Jews follow the Law. The Christians have their own usual rules, and the Muslims have their own usual rules.

It's undoubtedly true that people of decency, kindness,and generosity are found in all three, as in the rest of humanity.

But praying to Yahweh, praying to the crucified Jesus or the Triune God, and praying to Allah are three distinct conceptual frames, psychologically and culturally.

All three claim a common starting point but (evolution being a force of nature) from there I see three gods, not one.

Any argument?

Yes, I too have spotted the same and was wondering about it for some time.

Christians keep emphasizing themselves to be monotheistic inspite of their Trinitarian God. I consider only the Jehovah's Witness to be intellectually honest in this regard.

Also I consider the Jews and Muslims the most identical in their cultural practices amongst the Abrahamic faiths.

This is quite ironical, considering the animosity amongst them at the political level.

 

[Heyo]

identity is a value, not a limit.

Tell that to a judge who has to convict someone on the bases of eyewitness accounts (or even identifying the accused in a line-up). Are two people enough, three, ... nine out of ten?
I'm the judge who has to convict "god" of existing. And when I add up all the descriptions and subtract those which contradict, I end up with an empty set.

 

[blü 2]

Only three? I see millions if not billions.

Well, yes, that's definitely one way of looking at. Here I was using the coarse filter.

It is a serious problem of identity. When you have two independent descriptions of a thing you expect there to be differences, through interpretation, perception or false memories. Eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable. But at an arbitrary level of contradiction you ask yourself if the descriptions even refer to the same thing or if the eyewitnesses even were at the same event. Is the Mormon god the same as the JW god? Or is it a case of mistaken identity?

Perhaps (working backwards from your remark above) the reason is more cultural; Judaism becomes significant in the Canaan Levant three thousand years ago, Christianity flourishes in Graeco-Roman soil from a bit less than two thousand years ago, Islam arises 1300 years ago in a more eastern setting against an uncertain background with some Jewish influences.

 

[blü 2]

I see the term 'Abrahamic' as an umbrella term for a family of God beliefs founded by Abraham (assuming Abraham actually existed as a historical person) and having evolved in a myriad different directions.

Evolved in different directions, indeed!

 

[blü 2]

Yes, I too have spotted the same and was wondering about it for some time.

Christians keep emphasizing themselves to be monotheistic inspite of their Trinitarian God. I consider only the Jehovah's Witness to be intellectually honest in this regard.

Also I consider the Jews and Muslims the most identical in their cultural practices amongst the Abrahamic faiths.

This is quite ironical, considering the animosity amongst them at the political level.

Jesus fought with his family, all but never had a kind word for any of them; Catholics and Protestants fought the breathtakingly destructive and savage Thirty Years War; you may know of the sheer malice of the Serbia-Croatia conflict when Jugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s, Maybe being of one tribe brings out that special sharpness.

 

[Cooky]

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are referred to, often enough, as the Abrahamic religions, which many take to be an assertion that they worship the one God.

But neither the Jews nor the Muslims worship the Trinitarian God of the Christians.

And the Jewish God never made a covenant with either the Christians (thanks to Paul) or the Muslims.

And only the Jews follow the Law. The Christians have their own usual rules, and the Muslims have their own usual rules.

It's undoubtedly true that people of decency, kindness,and generosity are found in all three, as in the rest of humanity.

But praying to Yahweh, praying to the crucified Jesus or the Triune God, and praying to Allah are three distinct conceptual frames, psychologically and culturally.

All three claim a common starting point but (evolution being a force of nature) from there I see three gods, not one.

Any argument?

I agree, we should emphasize our differences, and use those differences to wall ourselves off.

 

[Cooky]

Jesus fought with his family, all but never had a kind word for any of them; Catholics and Protestants fought the breathtakingly destructive and savage Thirty Years War; you may know of the sheer malice of the Serbia-Croatia conflict when Jugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s, Maybe being of one tribe brings out that special sharpness.

Yes that sharpness isn't unlike the edge of any good weapon.

 

[blü 2]

I agree, we should emphasize our differences, and use those differences to wall ourselves off.

I don't think it's a question of exclusion ─ as I said in the OP, there are good people everywhere. The issue is the claim, when it's made, that the three have the same God, which in my view they simply don't.

 

[blü 2]

Yes that sharpness isn't unlike the edge of any good weapon.

View attachment 47434

Is that you in the picture?

 

[Brian2]

Yes, I too have spotted the same and was wondering about it for some time.

Christians keep emphasizing themselves to be monotheistic inspite of their Trinitarian God. I consider only the Jehovah's Witness to be intellectually honest in this regard.

Also I consider the Jews and Muslims the most identical in their cultural practices amongst the Abrahamic faiths.

This is quite ironical, considering the animosity amongst them at the political level.

The Jehovah's Witnesses look to be henotheistic to me.
The Bible is monotheistic all the way through and in the New Testament there is an expansion of just what God is.

 

[1213]

...Trinitarian God of the Christians...

All three claim a common starting point but (evolution being a force of nature) from there I see three gods, not one.

Any argument?

I just want to say that the common idea of Trinity is not Biblical, because Paul said:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5

And Jesus said:

This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
John 17:3

…the Father is greater than I.
John 14:28

Jesus and Paul really agree with OT on this.

I think it is also good to know that they say about the Law this:

"Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most assuredly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mat. 5:17-19

But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully,
1 Tim. 1:8

I think Jesus nor Paul revokes OT.

 

[dybmh]

But praying to Yahweh, praying to the crucified Jesus or the Triune God, and praying to Allah are three distinct conceptual frames, psychologically and culturally.

I'm not sure that there is a psychological difference. In all three, it's a devotional practice to a divine being external to themselves who has control over their welfare. The method of prayer is prescribed in scripture. The scripture is believed to be revelation of divine will. The worshipper is submitting to this divine will.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Any argument?

You seem to be trolling for one. Could you give us a hint?