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Have you ever asked yourself what you believe about God, why you believe these things, and from where you draw your conclusions?
In part one of this article, I'd like to show you the eight (8) worldviews on the topic of God. Here they are:
Theism posits the existence of an infinite and personal God who is both within and beyond the universe. He created and sustains it, and can act within it by supernatural means – because He is transcendent (i.e., going beyond, surpassing or exceeding ordinary limits; superior) and immanent (i.e., remaining within; indwelling; inherent; intrinsic). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are three examples of theism.
Atheism asserts that there is no god and that there is nothing beyond our physical universe. Some of the more common forms of atheism are:
Atheism takes on numerous forms (e.g., implicit atheism, strong atheism, weak atheism, practical atheism, new atheism, antitheism, agnostic atheism, skeptical atheism, existential atheism, apatheism, philosophical atheism, etc).
Pantheism says there is no Creator beyond the universe. Instead, the Creator and the creation are just two different views of the same thing (i.e., god is the Universe and the Universe is god). Pythagoreanism, Hinduism, Spinozism, and Transcendentalism are four examples of pantheistic thought.
Panentheism posits that God is present in the universe, much like a mind is present in the body. In other words, the universe is God's body. However, there's a second element. God also has an external aspect of Himself that exists beyond the known universe. Additionally, God is in the process of changing/evolving. Process Theology, Christian Mysticism, and the Baha'i Faith are three examples of this line of thinking.
Deism says God is beyond the universe but is not in it. It is similar to theism, but without miracles! In short, God is transcendent (i.e., "superior") but not immanent (i.e., does not dwell within the universe). Most notable proponents of deism were Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet), Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Ethan Allen.
Finite godism is similar to theism. However, this god is finite and limited in his nature and power. Most notable proponents are William James, Moltmann's Theology of Hope, and Jürgen Moltmann.
Polytheism says there are numerous "finite" deities, but that none of them are infinite. Some of these deities are within the universe, while others are outside of the universe. Three examples are Ancient Greek Religions, Hinduism, and Norse Mythology.
Agnosticism says it does not know for certain whether God or any ultimate reality exists. And, it doesn't prescribe to any specific rituals, worship, or moral codes. There are several schools of agnostic thought (e.g., Strong [Hard] Agnosticism, Weak [Soft] Agnosticism, Agnostic Theism, Agnostic Atheism, etc.).
Now that we've explored the various worldviews, where do you see yourself?
Me? I see myself as a Theist for the following reasons:
There was a period of time in my life when I pursued the knowledge of God and sought after Him with every ounce and fiber of my being. Nothing was more important to me than finding out (A) if God existed, and (B) if He cared for me. And thankfully, because I received a personal response, because I witnessed and experienced several miracles - for example, groceries appearing on my doorstep while praying for food, a door I check three times unlocked after one prayer, an unknown man giving me the contents of his wallet without knowing what was going on in my life, etc.. - in the first two years of my journey, and because He answered several of my prayers - more on this in another section - , I came to believe in and fully trust Him.
This is important for a couple of reasons:
1. Not all religious beliefs are precisely the same. For example, Christianity is monotheistic - in other words, there is one God - . Hinduism is polytheistic - in other words, there are many gods - . Buddhism is non-theistic - in other words, there is no god.
2. Only in a theistic worldview can there be a God who cares, is present and personable, can be active and intervene in the world in which we live.
Now, when we consider the various worldviews listed above, we can run into problems when we bring up topics like Evil.” See, only in a theistic worldview can we have shoulds” and oughts” to give us real-world answers to the question of evil, as well as Someone to question or blame as to why such things exist.
In part two of this series, I will talk about Proving God's Existence.
If you have sincere questions or comments, email me here and let's chat. If you just want to argue or debate this topic, I'm not your guy.
Thank you for your time!
In His Service,
Roy