Aren’t we all really worshipping the same God?

[lewisnotmiller]

Huh?
I mean, Jesus is Jesus in Christianity AND Islam. Historians believed that he existed.
It is believed that he is/was the Jewish Messiah, born of the virgin Mary etc. etc.

The belief in the divinity of Jesus as the Christ is completely different in trinitarian Christianity than it is in non-trinitarian Christianity, or Islam.
Move past the concept of a virgin Mary, and ask whether she was conceived without sin, or whether she is perpetually a virgin. These are NOT universally held beliefs, not even close to it, even amongst monotheists.
Ultimately, saying that the people of the Book all have some common elements to their beliefs borders on being a truism. Indeed, all monotheists do. How could they not?
I'm unsure why you think that means you are all worshipping the same God. I get that you believe there is only one God, and anyone worshipping a single creator being is effectively paying homage to that, whether intentionally or not. But they are certainly not worshipping the same set of ideals, the same history, or the same divine commands.

 

[muhammad_isa]

You are a Muslim, will you say that not being allowed to eat carrion is just a creed? Or are you sinning by eating it?

I believe that it's a sin.
Sin is categorised into at least 2 categories .. major and minor.
It's a sin to backbite another person, for example.

One can see that in the OT, which is INCLUDED IN THE BIBLE, that the eating of pig-meat is disallowed.
..so we see that it is more about INTERPRETATION than anything else.
After all, Jesus is/was a Jew, and it is not believed by Christians that he renounced his faith..

These are two different laws from two different lawmakers.

..so who is the lawmaker that made pig-meat lawful to eat?

 

[Rival]

..so who is the lawmaker that made pig-meat lawful to eat?

Christ.

 

[muhammad_isa]

The belief in the divinity of Jesus as the Christ is completely different in trinitarian Christianity than it is in non-trinitarian Christianity, or Islam..

Oh, thanks for telling me .. I would never have spotted that.

But they are certainly not worshipping the same set of ideals, the same history, or the same divine commands.

Right .. some people are content to follow their culture when it comes to religion, and others
are more inquisitive, and perhaps seeking answers..

Some people don't really KNOW what they are worshipping .. they just go to church/temple/mosque

..but I think most Christians and Muslims recognise the Holiness of God, and bow their heads in prayer in the same manner.
We are all unique .. actions are but by intention.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Christ.

Ha! That is debatable..
I suppose you are going to quote the 'old chestnut' "it's not what you put into your mouths, but what comes out of it"

..and that's it? It all hinges on an idiom that Jesus is reported to have said?
Anyway, we digress from the topic .. One God .. that incidentally Jesus also worshipped (the Father).

 

[Rival]

Ha! That is debatable..
I suppose you are going to quote the 'old chestnut' "it's not what you put into your mouths, but what comes out of it"

..and that's it? It all hinges on an idiom that Jesus is reported to have said?
Anyway, we digress from the topic .. One God .. that incidentally Jesus also worshipped (the Father).

I do not believe it is the same God. If your God has not incarnated, it's not the same.

 

[muhammad_isa]

I do not believe it is the same God. If your God has not incarnated, it's not the same.

What .. you mean "my god is better than yours, because he/she incarnated?"

I think you'll find that God is All-powerful and able to do all (logically possible) things.

 

[shunyadragon]

IF there is a 'Source' some call Gods the individual cultures and religions have a fallible human conception of the 'Source,; I believe IF the 'Source' exists it is a Universal 'Source.' and yes all the different cultures and religions worship the same 'Source.' IF the 'Source' does not exist then all divities are the product of human imagination and invention to justify the unknown causes in their world and being the same God is not relevant.

I believe in a Universal 'Source' some call Gods, but I do not believe the ancient Gods as described in ancient scriptures exist as described, They represent a fallible human perspective based on the beliefs, culture and times of the ancient world. I believe the spiritual nature of humanity evolves, but too many people choose to live in the ancient past,

 

[muhammad_isa]

I do not believe it is the same God. If your God has not incarnated, it's not the same.

I think you'll find that God is All-powerful and able to do all (logically possible) things.

In other words, God can pretend to be a man, if He wants .. but I wonder why He waited so long before finally doing it, and carried on worshipping Himself, in the form of "the Father" ?

 

[CG Didymus]

I believe in a Universal 'Source' some call Gods, but I do not believe the ancient Gods as described in ancient scriptures exist as described, They represent a fallible human perspective based on the beliefs, culture and times of the ancient world.

But the Baha'i Faith kind of believes that a true manifestation of God revealed those ancient religions. And the Baha'i Faith kind of believes in the Scriptures of those ancient religions. But the Baha'i Faith also kind of doesn't believe that those ancient scriptures are exactly what the manifestation taught... is that correct?

I agree very much with how you worded it. People, it seems to me, invented their religions and their Gods... And probably invented the stories of their prophets and founders. Or, if the stories were based on real people, they embellished the stories of their lives a great deal. But that's just what I think is more likely.

 

[shunyadragon]

But the Baha'i Faith kind of believes that a true manifestation of God revealed those ancient religions. And the Baha'i Faith kind of believes in the Scriptures of those ancient religions. But the Baha'i Faith also kind of doesn't believe that those ancient scriptures are exactly what the manifestation taught... is that correct?

The Baha'i Faith teaches the ancient scriptures do represent Revelation in the contact of the culture and times, and compiled by fallible humans at the time. I do not think that translates into believing in the scriptures, Baha'is generally study and seek the wisdom found in all the scriptures of the world for there value today with an open mind. The spiritual evolution in the context of Progressive Revelation in the past, now and the future is the relationship between God and humanity. From my Universalist perspective I believe in the spiritual evolution of humanity and our physical existence whether God exists or not.

I agree very much with how you worded it. People, it seems to me, invented their religions and their Gods... And probably invented the stories of their prophets and founders. Or, if the stories were based on real people, they embellished the stories of their lives a great deal. But that's just what I think is more likely.

Not necessarily invented, of course, that is one view if one believes God does not exist.

 

[Jainarayan]

I don't understand how one can see worship of Lakshmi as being the same as worship of Allah.

It's not as far as I'm concerned. Even I conceded that. Worship is not the same nor is the understanding, interpretation and/or view of God, which is different among different worshipers. The (in)correctness of those interpretations and views, and worship are subjective.

it doesn't hold up to much scrutiny at a more detailed level.

Actually I think it does or could, if one considers that everything we do, think, see, is clouded by maya and avidyā, illusion and ignorance, respectively.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

For example .. God, Jehovah, Allah (Arabic), Yahweh (Hebrew), Brahman (Hindu), Uyyaṉ (Tamil),
Ik Onkar (Sikh), Ahura Mazda (Zoroastrian), Gitche Manitou (Native American) ...

Makes sense to me.

Ahura Mazda has a wife. Your god has a wife?

The most popular version of the Christian God is triune. Your god is triune?

 

[muhammad_isa]

Your god is triune?

I haven't got 'a god' .. I'm not a polytheist.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I haven't got 'a god' .. I'm not a polytheist.

If you're a monotheist, you have a god; exactly one.

Are you a monotheist?

Edit: feel like answering my questions now?

 

[CG Didymus]

Ahura Mazda has a wife. Your god has a wife?

The most popular version of the Christian God is triune. Your god is triune?

Some people have a concept of what God is like and who he is. Are those concepts all the same? No. Then why would a person believe that those other people with a different concept of God are believing in theirs? Would a Jew, Baha'i or Muslim believe in a triune God? No. Would they believe God has a wife? I don't think so.

Since LH is a Baha'i, then why can't he just say something like those other religions believed in one God, but they thought many incorrect things about God. The correct things to believe about God are what the Baha'is teach about God.

 

[muhammad_isa]

If you're a monotheist, you have a god; exactly one.

That's how an atheist would see it..
What is "a god"?

To you, it is an imaginary being that people worship..
..and so it is to me, too.

 

[danieldemol]

Yes, so why rush to believe it now and not wait the day when it is accurate?

One could say the same about the Bible, with the only exception being that the Bible will most probably never be accurate in my view.

 

[1213]

One could say the same about the Bible, with the only exception being that the Bible will most probably never be accurate in my view.

Maybe so, but it's message remains the same. It is not going to be changed.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Some people have a concept of what God is like and who he is. Are those concepts all the same? No. Then why would a person believe that those other people with a different concept of God are believing in theirs? Would a Jew, Baha'i or Muslim believe in a triune God? No. Would they believe God has a wife? I don't think so.

Since LH is a Baha'i, then why can't he just say something like those other religions believed in one God, but they thought many incorrect things about God. The correct things to believe about God are what the Baha'is teach about God.

My reply was to @muhammad_isa and not @loverofhumanity , but you're kinda getting at my point: when people say that "everyone" believes in the same god, any differences between the version they believe and the one some other guy believes are a matter of the other guy's god-concept being deficient or incorrect in some way and never a matter of adjusting their own beliefs.

In practice, "we all believe in the same God" is about personal aggrandizement.