How can one say that one has a "different god" then they do?

[Rainbow Mage]

I mean think about it. Especially if one claims to believe in an all-transcendent reality they call God, which is above all and in all. How could they then make statements such as "their god is different then mine" or "we don't worship the same god".

These statements would make sense if there was no all-transcendent, all-pervading reality behind all things, but because there is one, this statement makes no sense, no?

 

[Madhuri]

I think a lot of monotheists are closet polytheists

I try to make sure that I say things like: your concept of God is different from mine.

 

[chinu]

I mean think about it. Especially if one claims to believe in an all-transcendent reality they call God, which is above all and in all. How could they then make statements such as "their god is different then mine" or "we don't worship the same god".

These statements would make sense if there was no all-transcendent, all-pervading reality behind all things, but because there is one, this statement makes no sense, no?

"I" don't say that we have different "God's", we have different demands to "God", "God" is not different, our demands are different.

As in "Hinduism" to solve this confusion of "Demands" they created different "Statues of Demands" not Gods".

But the poor peoples, lost this study.

For example: If somebody demands "Money", than the "Statue of demand" is "Godess Luxmi", and so are the other "Statues of demands" not "God".

But if somebody is demanding "Salvation" or "God" from "God", Than there is no statue, because this kind of "God" is formless.

And the more important thing is, this kind of "God" is Chinu's "God", and is equal to your "God"

_/\_
Chinu

 

[Skwim]

I mean think about it. Especially if one claims to believe in an all-transcendent reality they call God, which is above all and in all. How could they then make statements such as "their god is different then mine" or "we don't worship the same god".

These statements would make sense if there was no all-transcendent, all-pervading reality behind all things, but because there is one, this statement makes no sense, no?

The difference would come in where you and who ever else define him (enumerate his various characteristics). The Abrahamic god is unlike the Dharmic god(s), and therefore it is perfectly reasonable to say "their god is different [in his characteristics] then mine" or "we don't worship the same [defined] god". For instance, the Christian god is considered to embody three forms at the same time (father, son, holy ghost/spirit), while Hindus do not believe this is true of their god.

 

[Levite]

I mean think about it. Especially if one claims to believe in an all-transcendent reality they call God, which is above all and in all. How could they then make statements such as "their god is different then mine" or "we don't worship the same god".

These statements would make sense if there was no all-transcendent, all-pervading reality behind all things, but because there is one, this statement makes no sense, no?

I do think such phrases are over-used. For me, the distinction is not between "their god" and "my god," since I only believe there is One God. The distinctions are either between "God" and "not-God" or "proper worship of God" and "improper worship of God."

Some so-called polytheists are actually not polytheists at all, but what one might call "overcomplicated monotheists." Vaishnavic Hindus are a great example of this: they believe in dozens, if not hundreds, of devas, but believe that all are ultimately manifestations of the same One God. A few of the Native American religions share this quality.

I tend to think that many polytheists of the pantheistic or panenthiestic varieties are doing their best to worship God, but have simply made the error of assigning multiple identities to different facets of the same One. Non-Vaishnavic Hindus, certain Celtic pagans, and many if not most of the Native American religions fall into this category.

But sometimes people are simply worshipping something that isn't God, which isn't a question of "their god"/"my god," but just that they aren't worshipping God, but rather some idea of their own creation, or some object they have found or made, or some natural feature of the universe, or, unfortunately, sometimes people.

 

[Katzpur]

An awful lot of Protestants say Mormons worship "a different God" than they do. Basically, it's just a insult.

 

[fallingblood]

I would have to ask if it really matters? I can't prove that the god I believe in exists and thus I can't really argue anything about that being. I can tell you what I personally believe about this being, but none of it is based on evidence or fact. Thus, I can't reasonably say that you believe in the same god that I do. For all I know, there could be millions of gods, or the one I believe in simply could not exist, or none could exist.

So I think really dwelling on it one way or another leads no where.

 

[Penumbra]

I mean think about it. Especially if one claims to believe in an all-transcendent reality they call God, which is above all and in all. How could they then make statements such as "their god is different then mine" or "we don't worship the same god".

These statements would make sense if there was no all-transcendent, all-pervading reality behind all things, but because there is one, this statement makes no sense, no?

Because their ideas of the characteristics of their all-transcendent, all-pervading reality greatly differ.

 

[Skwim]

An awful lot of Protestants say Mormons worship "a different God" than they do. Basically, it's just a insult.

I suggest asking yourself why you're caring what they think, because insults only have the power you give them.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

They mean "we worship the real god, and you worship a fake god."

It's actually pretty funny, because most theists, are strong atheists when it comes to other gods. Maybe that's why some of them have a hard time understanding atheism that doesn't explicitly deny the existence of god(s).

 

[ellenjanuary]

Just goes to show that some forms of insanity are endemic. But then, all the people I know 'round these parts (Christians of different flavorings and degree) have a need to believe god is good...

 

[Tathagata]

I mean think about it. Especially if one claims to believe in an all-transcendent reality they call God, which is above all and in all. How could they then make statements such as "their god is different then mine" or "we don't worship the same god".

These statements would make sense if there was no all-transcendent, all-pervading reality behind all things, but because there is one, this statement makes no sense, no?

Yahweh =/= Vishnu =/= Thor =/= Zeus =/= Allah.

There are things that Yahweh has done that Vishnu hasn't. There are things Zeus has done that Allah hasn't.

If all Gods are the same, can one truthfully proclaim that Vishnu flooded the entire earth because of man's sins?

.

 

[Katzpur]

I suggest asking yourself why you're caring what they think, because insults only have the power you give them.

I don't care what they think, actually. As a matter of fact, I make it a point to separate myself from people who use the word "Christian" to set themselves up as superior to somebody else.

 

[Skwim]

I don't care what they think, actually. As a matter of fact, I make it a point to separate myself from people who use the word "Christian" to set themselves up as superior to somebody else.

I assume then that your claim of insult is on behalf of those Mormons who do care what protestants say. Are most Mormons this sensitive?

 

[ellenjanuary]

Yahweh =/= Vishnu =/= Thor =/= Zeus =/= Allah.

There are things that Yahweh has done that Vishnu hasn't. There are things Zeus has done that Allah hasn't.

If all Gods are the same, can one truthfully proclaim that Vishnu flooded the entire earth because of man's sins?

.

I would contend that it is a matter of the mortal resolution of the divine. That for those with a need to worship, a Name is a suitable container for the sum totality of their being. In my case, because of my culture, my experience and education; I have claimed to "worship YHWH." Formally, I have a sense of all possible Gods as being but aspects of god; but it is my compassion (usually ) not to insist upon the "rightness nor wrongness" of a belief.

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

Yahweh =/= Vishnu =/= Thor =/= Zeus =/= Allah.

There are things that Yahweh has done that Vishnu hasn't. There are things Zeus has done that Allah hasn't.

If all Gods are the same, can one truthfully proclaim that Vishnu flooded the entire earth because of man's sins?

.

Were I a theist, I'd disagree with you. Those could all be the same god interacting with different peoples in different ways or different peoples attempting to put something beyond their understanding into language they can comprehend.

 

[Katzpur]

I assume then that your claim of insult is on behalf of those Mormons who do care what protestants say. Are most Mormons this sensitive?

Maybe I didn't explain myself very well. I was saying that it's certainly not hard to recognize an insult when you hear one, and people who say that Mormons worship a different God than other Christians are simply being malicious in making the claim. It implies that Mormons aren't "real" Christians and that we are intentionally misleading people by saying that we are. Nobody wants to be characterized as dishonest or manipulative. Since Mormonism is known to be a proselytizing religion, people aren't going to even give us a chance to explain our beliefs if they have the preconceived notion that we don't even worship the same God as they do. So yes, it's annoying to have these lies spread about us and it's hurtful because it's intended to be hurtful.

The average Mormon doesn't hang out on religious discussion forums like RF, so unless someone is actually serving full-time missions for the Church, it's pretty much a non-issue for him. Forum discussion has been a kind of a hobby for me for close to ten years now. I'm just saying that while I don't appreciate the attitude of people who play these word games -- which is exactly what they are -- I have come to conclude that they are simply so insecure in their own beliefs that they have to attack mine in order to feel good about theirs. You'll notice the title by my avatar. It says "Latter-day Saint." It used to say "LDS Christian." I've decided to let my behavior be the determining factor as to whether people think I'm a Christian, instead of some self-proclaimed title.

 

[Skwim]

Maybe I didn't explain myself very well. I was saying that it's certainly not hard to recognize an insult when you hear one, and people who say that Mormons worship a different God than other Christians are simply being malicious in making the claim.

Perhaps, but they could also honestly believe it. Unlike Mormons who are told that god was once a man of mortal flesh, that humans will become like god himself, and that at one time god was less powerful than he is today, Protestants and Catholics disavow these claims and would likely see them as so antithetical to Christian belief that they would precluded such a believer from the ranks of Christianity. I'm not saying this should be so, only that some Christians may see them as deal breakers for inclusion under the label of Christian.

It implies that Mormons aren't "real" Christians and that we are intentionally misleading people by saying that we are. Nobody wants to be characterized as dishonest or manipulative.

As for the claim of intentionally misleading people, this would be a mistake, perhaps an intentional degradation or an unfortunate misunderstanding---there are a lot of badly misinformed believers out there, and on all sides.

Since Mormonism is known to be a proselytizing religion, people aren't going to even give us a chance to explain our beliefs if they have the preconceived notion that we don't even worship the same God as they do.

Yup, but that's just what comes with the territory when you deviate too far from the norm.

So yes, it's annoying to have these lies spread about us and it's hurtful because it's intended to be hurtful.

Then I suggest you put it in perspective and try to remember where such people are coming from. You can only be hurt by words if you allow them to.

The average Mormon doesn't hang out on religious discussion forums like RF, so unless someone is actually serving full-time missions for the Church, it's pretty much a non-issue for him. Forum discussion has been a kind of a hobby for me for close to ten years now. I'm just saying that while I don't appreciate the attitude of people who play these word games -- which is exactly what they are -- I have come to conclude that they are simply so insecure in their own beliefs that they have to attack mine in order to feel good about theirs.

Wouldn't doubt it for a minute; however, I've found that most people here are generally more tolerant and open to understanding than the public at large.

 

[Penumbra]

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all claim to believe in the god of Abraham, but they have substantial differences when it comes to what the characteristics of that god are. Even within these religions, there is substantial disagreement and therefore a variety of views and denominations.

And then compared to Dharmic conceptions of the ultimate god or reality, there are typically great differences as well.

-Some people believe god is transcendental and above spacetime, responsible for all creation, while others believe he has a physical body and/or only created a subset of things.
-Some people believe god is separate from creation while others believe that all creation is a part of god.
-Some people believe in benevolent and loving deities, while others believe in wrathful and torturous ones.
-Some people believe god answers prayers and knows everything about a person's life, while others believe god is distant or uninvolved.
-Some people believe god cares what religion a person is, while others do not.
-Some people believe god will judge people after one life, while others believe people reincarnate and receive experiences based on their actions.
-Some people believe the ultimate reality is a rational conscious force, while others believe it is a more vague life force of some kind.
-etc

These are all vastly different views of the ultimate reality, so it's of no surprise that one person's idea of god is labeled as a different god than another person's. A fundamentalist Christian simply has a different god than a deist or a liberal Hindu, whether they both use the same word or not.

 

[Katzpur]

Perhaps, but they could also honestly believe it. Unlike Mormons who are told that god was once a man of mortal flesh, that humans will become like god himself, and that at one time god was less powerful than he is today, Protestants and Catholics disavow these claims and would likely see them as so antithetical to Christian belief that they would precluded such a believer from the ranks of Christianity. I'm not saying this should be so, only that some Christians may see them as deal breakers for inclusion under the label of Christian.

Their first mistake is trying to explain something they don't really understand which, incidentally, is what you've done. That's why I personally don't ever make the mistake of trying to tell people what Catholics believe or what Baptists believe or what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. I leave that up to those who know -- i.e. Catholics, Baptists and Jehovah's Witnesses respectively. Your chances of getting accurate information increase markedly by asking someone who is actually an adherent of the religion you want to know about.

As for the claim of intentionally misleading people, this would be a mistake, perhaps an intentional degradation or an unfortunate misunderstanding---there are a lot of badly misinformed believers out there, and on all sides.

I always try to allow for misunderstandings and give people the benefit of the doubt. It's when I say, "Mormons believe... [such and such]" and the response is, "No, they don't. Mormons believe... [such and such]" that I start to question the person's sincerity.

Yup, but that's just what comes with the territory when you deviate too far from the norm.

Yeah, and especially when the perception is that you're "stealing their members."

Then I suggest you put it in perspective and try to remember where such people are coming from. You can only be hurt by words if you allow them to.

That's easier said than done, but I have already come to the same conclusion.

Wouldn't doubt it for a minute; however, I've found that most people here are generally more tolerant and open to understanding than the public at large.

Hmmm. Maybe. There are days I would agree with you and days when I wouldn't.