Why is God a Christian/Hebrew God?

[Magnanimity]

Is there a faith other than the Judaeo-Christian tradition which claims one, eternal, all powerful, all good, all loving, all merciful, all just, omnipresent, prime being creating and sustaining the world, having within his one divine nature three persons?

I’m not sure how ‘Judaeo’ that last trinitarian clause is, but yes, esp among some of the medieval Sufi Muslim scholars, God would have been just as you described…

To the OP, I would say don’t try to prove too much. Yes as Catholics we believe that special revelation has been entrusted to the Church. However, as another poster said above, God is, period. The argument leading towards Catholicism is not made for the purpose of showing that God X exists as opposed to God Y. It is more to show another the safest ship on which to sail to heaven (pardon the tired metaphor.)

 

[Crumpy]

I’ve been reading some Jewish commentaries and they suggest a possible answer to this question. They, too, wonder how and why things turned out the way they did.

There’s a bit of humor in the answer and I’ll say that, so that you don’t miss it – well, and I’m not that good a story teller, either.

but, the upshot is this, they reason that God tried to offer all the nations a chance to be His chosen people, but only the Jews agreed to it. Considering all the trouble they experienced in their history, they wonder why they even agreed to it, as well. You know what I mean? IF God treats His chosen people this way, sheesh.

Have you read Genesis? When God makes a covenant with Abraham, He tells him that this nation would have to go into slavery. I forget the exact chapter and verse there, but that is the real story there.

Further, it is not just the Egyptians – in general – who put Israel into slavery. It is particularly Joseph, one of the sons of Israel, who was the ruler of Egypt under Pharoah, who was giving people grain during a famine in exchange for their liberty who put the Israelites into slavery. that is an ironic twist of history to fulfill God’s will.

But, in an even larger sense, God put the Israelites into slavery for the very reason of rescuing them and liberating them from it. And, that is a big deal in the OT, that God reminds “Israel” of that fact.

Yes, it’s hard for some people to accept how God has worked in history. Obviously God did not choose to work through some conquering nations and leaders like Rome, Alexander and the Greeks, the Turks, etc. He chose a nation that was weak and would have motive to put their reliance not in themselves but in God.

The OP is a very non-trivial question with a non-trivial answer.

 

[James_S_Saint]

I heard a different version of that story;

God went to the varied nations and asked each if they would like his commandments. They each asked of the nature of these commandments and each had their reasons for not accepting them. When God asked the Jews, they asked, “Well, how much do they cost?” God replied, “They are free.” So the Jews, said, “Oh great, in that case, We’ll take 10.”

 

[Biggie]

I’m not sure how ‘Judaeo’ that last trinitarian clause is, but yes, esp among some of the medieval Sufi Muslim scholars, God would have been just as you described…

To the OP, I would say don’t try to prove too much. Yes as Catholics we believe that special revelation has been entrusted to the Church. However, as another poster said above, God is, period. The argument leading towards Catholicism is not made for the purpose of showing that God X exists as opposed to God Y. It is more to show another the safest ship on which to sail to heaven (pardon the tired metaphor.)

I would like to read more about the medieval Sufi Muslim scholars as my education seems to have run short. References appreciated. Seems to me Muslims consider Christianity idolatry because of the belief in the Trinity. I am guessing the medieval Sufi Muslim scholars didn’t win out?

But I would further postulate that the Judaeo Christian conception of God preceded the medieval Sufi Muslim scholars and is revolutionary in concept.

 

[Magnanimity]

I would like to read more about the medieval Sufi Muslim scholars as my education seems to have run short. References appreciated. Seems to me Muslims consider Christianity idolatry because of the belief in the Trinity. I am guessing the medieval Sufi Muslim scholars didn’t win out?

But I would further postulate that the Judaeo Christian conception of God preceded the medieval Sufi Muslim scholars and is revolutionary in concept.

Hi there. Generally, many of the most well-known Muslim scholars of the Middle Ages were Sufi, but I’m not sure if all the following, though important Muslim scholars, were in fact Sufi as well: Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Averroes, Al-Farabi, Al-Ghazali. You’ll note, if you read some of the Catholic scholastics (eg, Aquinas), that they engage with these Muslim scholars often in their writings.

In fact, that’s one of my favorite things about the Middle Ages-Muslim scholars who could rationally argue without feeling the need to kill the infidel if he doesn’t agree. As you guessed, that academic version of Islam didn’t seem to win out

 

[AlbertBall]

To make a long story short, I basically convinced him that he was not an atheist but agnostic.

Then i hate to tell you that neither of you know what an atheist or an agnostic is. Anyone that lacks a theistic belief is an atheist, including agnostic-atheist’s.