Why am I a Christian, and not a Buddhist, Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic or other religionist?

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Have you ever asked yourself what you believe about God, why do you believe these things, and from where do 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:

1. Theism.
2. Atheism.
3. Pantheism.
4. Panentheism.
5. Deism.
6. Finite godism.
7. Polytheism.
8. Agnosticism.

THEISM
Theism says there is an infinite and personal God who is 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
Atheism, in all its forms, says there is no god, and that there is nothing beyond our physical universe. Some of the more common forms of atheism are:

• Explicit Atheism (Clear, conscious rejection of belief in gods). Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris are some of the more notable proponents.

• Humanistic Atheism (Atheism with a focus on human well-being and ethics, often aligned with secular humanism). Paul Kurtz, Harvey Milk, and Corliss Lamont are the most notable proponents.

• Naturalistic Atheism (Atheism grounded in a naturalistic view of the world, emphasizing science and reason). Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Steven Pinker are the more notable proponents.

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
Pantheism says there is no Creator beyond the universe. Rather, 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
Panentheism says that God is in the universe as a mind is in the body. In other words, the universe is God’s body. However, there’s a second element. God also has an external part of Himself that exists outside of 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
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, above all) 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
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
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
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 you’ve seen the all of 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 where I pursued after the knowledge of God 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 in the first two years of my journey, and because He answered several of my prayers, I came to believe and trust in Him.

In part two of this series, I will talk about how different people reach their conclusions.

If you have sincere questions or comments, email me here and let’s chat,

Thank you for your time!

In His Service,

Roy