Do YOU believe we all worship the same God?

[Abira]

I’ve been thinking… and wondered what everyone felt about it.

There are some people that believe that all monotheistic eligions are worshipping the same God, even if they don’t realise it…because the creator is supeme in their faith… so Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc all worship the same God.

I was thinking how we can all be looking at the same thing, seeing different things, feeling different things…and being motivated to act in very different ways.

For example, I believe that Judaism and Christianity know the true God… but I know that some people believe that because Judaism lacks the forgiveness of the New Testament, they do not know Him completely… and so in some sense, we do not know the same God in entirety…
At what point do we say that our differences mean that for all intents and purposes, we must be worshipping different Gods.

as individuals do you focus on the similarities of religion universally… or do you focus on the differences that define us?

 

[Mannyfit75]

I’ve been thinking… and wondered what everyone felt about it.

There are some people that believe that all monotheistic eligions are worshipping the same God, even if they don’t realise it…because the creator is supeme in their faith… so Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc all worship the same God.

I was thinking how we can all be looking at the same thing, seeing different things, feeling different things…and being motivated to act in very different ways.

For example, I believe that Judaism and Christianity know the true God… but I know that some people believe that because Judaism lacks the forgiveness of the New Testament, they do not know Him completely… and so in some sense, we do not know the same God in entirety…
At what point do we say that our differences mean that for all intents and purposes, we must be worshipping different Gods.

as individuals do you focus on the similarities of religion universally… or do you focus on the differences that define us?

The Jews, Muslims, and Christian worship the same God. We don’t worship the same God that the Hindu worship…

 

[StCsDavid]

“We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God.”
Pope Benedict XVI

God willed each of us, and I believe in our creation He leaves his mark upon us. I think every human being seeks God. Some experience the gift of faith and encounter God via His beloved son and the only Church He gave to humanity, the Catholic Church…the fulfillment of Judiaism. Others continue to wait for the gift and seek God in the form of other religions created by man. This is why we are called to evangelization of the world so all can know God through His son Our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Abira]

“We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God.”
Pope Benedict XVI

God willed each of us, and I believe in our creation He leaves his mark upon us. I think every human being seeks God. Some experience the gift of faith and encounter God via His beloved son and the only Church He gave to humanity, the Catholic Church…the fulfillment of Judiaism. Others continue to wait for the gift and seek God in the form of other religions created by man. This is why we are called to evangelization of the world so all can know God through His son Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hi…So, do you feel like we might all seek God, but we might not all know Him?

 

[slowbutfaithful]

The Jews, Muslims, and Christian worship the same God. We don’t worship the same God that the Hindu worship…

For anyone interested in details – ***Nostra Aetate ***is the official declaration on the relation of the Church with other non-Christian religions – it’s very short and worth reading. Link here:

vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html

 

[marci]

Personally, I do not believe that the faiths that you mentioned worship the same God that exists as we (Catholics/Christians) know Him. Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the messiah, they do not believe in the Blessed Trinity, and I think that if you asked the average muslim they would tell you that they don’t worship the same Diety.

As far as the Jewish faith, I think won could argue that the “origin” of God is the same, but they do not share with us the full truth because they don’t believe Jesus was the messiah, but they do believe in a messiah, they just don’t believe he has come yet.

Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
I think that one must acknowledge Jesus, to know the Father.
Having said that, I do believe that salvation exits for those outside the true church, because I think that God in His infinate Mercy desires that all men know and love Him. If one, through no fault of his own lives a “good” life, lives according to his conscience, and would hope for baptism if he knew what it ment, he can be saved. I think, however, this is different then saying that we all worship the same God.

I have tried very hard to make heads or tails of this complex issue. I know what the CCC says on the matter, but I still have a hard time believing that we all worship the same God. I honestly feel like if I even said that I believed we do, I would be guilty of breaking the First Commandment.

I pray that I will someday understand the church’s teaching on this matter as it has been the source of much conflict for me.
I think people need to be careful on both sides of the argument. I understand the need for peace and dialogue with other religions, but I think that we need to be careful not to undermine or make relative the true faith in the process.

 

[hasikelee]

I’ve been thinking… and wondered what everyone felt about it.

There are some people that believe that all monotheistic eligions are worshipping the same God, even if they don’t realise it…because the creator is supeme in their faith… so Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc all worship the same God.

I was thinking how we can all be looking at the same thing, seeing different things, feeling different things…and being motivated to act in very different ways.

For example, I believe that Judaism and Christianity know the true God… but I know that some people believe that because Judaism lacks the forgiveness of the New Testament, they do not know Him completely… and so in some sense, we do not know the same God in entirety…
At what point do we say that our differences mean that for all intents and purposes, we must be worshipping different Gods.

as individuals do you focus on the similarities of religion universally… or do you focus on the differences that define us?

I remember C.S. Lewis wrote in the Chronicles of Narnia that (subphrasing here, it’s been awhile since I read the series):

Aslan is all-good, so any person who does something good is giving worship to Aslan. Whereas any bad thing cannot be attributed to Aslan as he is all-good, so even if a man were to do a bad deed in the name of Aslan, that man would only give glory to the opposite of Aslan.

I am not sure if we all worship the same God, but I am sure that we all share a common, deep desire to worship a God.

 

[I_A]

Jimmy Akin did a pretty good write up about this.

We worship the same God if certain conditions are met on their part.

jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2006/12/allah_god.html

Preview:

Now suppose that I believe that the Creator of the Universe isn’t the Christian God, but I’m willing to talk to him if he is. In this case my primary criterion is “Creator of the Universe” but “is not the Christian God” is a secondary criterion. As long as this is the case, I’m still going to be talking to God. Up in heaven, God will say, “Okay, you’re wrong about me not being the Christian God, but you’re still willing to talk to me even if I am, and so your prayers are addressed to a real Being.”
If we’re going to ask about the prayers of Muslims in particular and whether they are addressed to God, I would say that it depends on the Muslim in question. Some Muslims may be so anti-Christian that they would be unwilling to talk to God–to Allah–if it turned out that he was the God of the Christians. Those Muslims would not be talking to God because there is no being that corresponds to the description “the true God who is not the God of the Christians.” They would be talking to the void.

 

[Missa_Solemnis]

I’ve been thinking… and wondered what everyone felt about it.

There are some people that believe that all monotheistic eligions are worshipping the same God, even if they don’t realise it…because the creator is supeme in their faith… so Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc all worship the same God.

I was thinking how we can all be looking at the same thing, seeing different things, feeling different things…and being motivated to act in very different ways.

For example, I believe that Judaism and Christianity know the true God… but I know that some people believe that because Judaism lacks the forgiveness of the New Testament, they do not know Him completely… and so in some sense, we do not know the same God in entirety…
At what point do we say that our differences mean that for all intents and purposes, we must be worshipping different Gods.

as individuals do you focus on the similarities of religion universally… or do you focus on the differences that define us?

Well…just to state my personal beliefs.

I think Judaism (orthodox Judaism), Catholicism, and the Eastern Orthodox worship the same God. While Protestants worship the same God through a distorted and diluted way.

Other than that…no

 

[littleone]

I’ve been thinking… and wondered what everyone felt about it.

There are some people that believe that all monotheistic eligions are worshipping the same God, even if they don’t realise it…because the creator is supeme in their faith… so Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc all worship the same God.

I was thinking how we can all be looking at the same thing, seeing different things, feeling different things…and being motivated to act in very different ways.

For example, I believe that Judaism and Christianity know the true God… but I know that some people believe that because Judaism lacks the forgiveness of the New Testament, they do not know Him completely… and so in some sense, we do not know the same God in entirety…
At what point do we say that our differences mean that for all intents and purposes, we must be worshipping different Gods.

as individuals do you focus on the similarities of religion universally… or do you focus on the differences that define us?

I have been teaching about GOD and god’s to youth for many years and I have came upon many youth who believe there is no god. Some told me that they didn’t think that they believed in God even though their parents are Catholic.
The easiest way I could explain was to tell them that there are many god’s as the bible tells us. Every person has a god or God. I told them that if you think of god as a motivator then we all have a god, and could easily see how good our god really is.
Now if god is a motivator I asked them what motivated them in their life, one said that it was squash, booze and girls (he being a teenager). OK now I said take a look at your motivator and think about it. What would you have left if you took your motivator away? The young boy said I guess I would have nothing and nothing to motivate me in life.

The young girl (teenager) said the same thing.
OK I said lets have a look at what motivates me in life, My God is LOVE we call Him Jesus and He lives in me motivates me to love others help others do unto others what I would like others do to me. Now I said take my motivator, my God away from me!
Their answer to me, “I can’t”, I asked why, and they said “because He lives inside of you and you can’t take away love”.
Therefore there is only one God and One way to the Father Jesus Christ. That is the reason why Jesus said you will know they are Christians thorough their love, led by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ giving glory to the Father.

ALL else are demy god’s with a little “g”.
God bless
littleone

 

[rpp]

Well…just to state my personal beliefs.

I think Judaism (orthodox Judaism), Catholicism, and the Eastern Orthodox worship the same God. While Protestants worship the same God through a distorted and diluted way.

Other than that…no

Yes, I am with you here. Judaism does not recognize the Trinitarian aspects of God becuase that was revealed through Jesus Christ. However, we certainly share do worship the same God as the Jews. Salvation is from the Jews!

**My **sense is that non-Christian/non-Jewish religions do not worship the same God, or even God per se, but rather something else, possibly derived from Natural Law. St. Augustine suggested in his book City of God the Roman Pagan “gods” were, in many cases, actual demons. Personally, I feel that some “great” religions may share this diobolical orgin. That can be the only explanation for the heinous and murderous actions of many adherents; actions which are endorsed by their religions clergy.

Please note that in the above paragraph I am not naming any religion specifically!

 

[LSK]

I like how the Holy Mother Church teaches this Truth:

from the Catechism:
**843 **The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.”

 

[mrs_abbott]

as individuals do you focus on the similarities of religion universally… or do you focus on the differences that define us?

I try and focus on the positives, so the similarities. If we do that, we tend to have a more charitable view of others who aren’t of the same faith-based denomination.
Afterall, aren’t we all brothers and sisters in Christ?

 

[Karianne]

I’ve been thinking… and wondered what everyone felt about it.

There are some people that believe that all monotheistic eligions are worshipping the same God, even if they don’t realise it…because the creator is supeme in their faith… so Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc all worship the same God.

I was thinking how we can all be looking at the same thing, seeing different things, feeling different things…and being motivated to act in very different ways.

For example, I believe that Judaism and Christianity know the true God… but I know that some people believe that because Judaism lacks the forgiveness of the New Testament, they do not know Him completely… and so in some sense, we do not know the same God in entirety…
At what point do we say that our differences mean that for all intents and purposes, we must be worshipping different Gods.

as individuals do you focus on the similarities of religion universally… or do you focus on the differences that define us?

I think that we all worship the same God, and I think that the God I worship is smart enough to know that it’s really Him that people are worshipping, even when they pray to trees.

 

[carol_marie]

I think that we all worship the same God, and I think that the God I worship is smart enough to know that it’s really Him that people are worshipping, even when they pray to trees.

Tell that to the Israelites who made the golden calf.

 

[Abira]

I think we’re definately falling into two camps…

I think I’ve been struggling with this because I don’t understand how extremism, and other acts can happen in the name of our God… and my reaction has been to think that maybe it can’t be our God at all…

I kinda liked the Narnian quote…I’ve read essays of a simliar idea from CS Lewis. But then at some point I think a religion loses its truth and I’m more and more feeling this not just within worldwide religions but within Christianity itself…

I’ve been brought up Anglican so I’ve noticed a few comments on this line… do you feel that even some Christian denominations do not really know God??

 

[carol_marie]

. do you feel that even some Christian denominations do not really know God??

I believe that most Christian denominations agree on the basics of God - Jesus - Heaven - the Bible - but they are off on the details.

I also believe that there are individuals in all denominations that do not really know God despite what their particular church teaches.