Seven Major Views on God
If you spend some time doing evangelism, you will inevitably come across people who either deny God's existence outright or hold a very different view of God than we do as Christians. Due to the popularity of New Age and Multiculturalism, many Americans no longer presume the God of the Bible is the one true God. Below is a list of various views that are held by the various world religions about the nature of god.
There are lots of grey lines among these views, so you may have noticed that some religions occupy more than one place. This is primarily due to different sects and denominations. Among those who claim a specific religious view, you have varieties as well. Even among Christians you will find that some limit God's power (Finite Godism) while many Christians believe He is no longer active in our lives and the universe (Deism). Because views on God vary so drastically, it is important when doing evangelism to ask lots of questions. Don't presume because someone says that they are Jewish or Hindu that they accept and believe all the teachings of the Hebrew Bible or the Vedas.
Cultural Definitions
- Atheism – There is no God, therefore all that exists is the product of physical laws. Proponents: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens
- Pantheism – God is everything and everything is god, thus reality is spiritual, not physical. Proponents: Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, Shirley Maclaine, the Dalai Lama
- Panentheism – God is evolving, changing, or in process. God is viewed as the eternal animating force behind the universe who is everywhere. Proponents: Buddhism, Gnostics, Sikhism, Native Americans
- Finite Godism – God is not “all-powerful/omnipotent” but is limited in some way. Proponent: Rabbi Kushner
- Deism – God created the universe, but does not act in the universe. The universe is guided by the laws of nature while knowledge of god can only happen via logic and observation. Proponents: Liberal branches of Christianity, many in the scientific and philosophical disciplines.
- Polytheism – The worship or belief in multiple gods usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses. Proponents: Mormons, Wiccans, Hindus, Native Americans
- Theism – One God who is an all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal, unchangeable, personal God that exists outside the universe, brought the universe into being, and sustains the universe. Proponents: Muslims, Jews, Christians
There are lots of grey lines among these views, so you may have noticed that some religions occupy more than one place. This is primarily due to different sects and denominations. Among those who claim a specific religious view, you have varieties as well. Even among Christians you will find that some limit God's power (Finite Godism) while many Christians believe He is no longer active in our lives and the universe (Deism). Because views on God vary so drastically, it is important when doing evangelism to ask lots of questions. Don't presume because someone says that they are Jewish or Hindu that they accept and believe all the teachings of the Hebrew Bible or the Vedas.
Cultural Definitions
- God (Theologically) – The sole Supreme Being, higher power, spiritual, and transcendent, who is the Creator and ruler of all and is infinite in all attributes; the object of worship in monotheistic religions.
- God (Practically) – Any person or thing to which excessive attention or affection is given. Examples: Money, fame, a person, an image, or symbolic representation of such a deity.