Jump to content

God: Difference between revisions

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
Edward hick is God he is, his is Jesues, Allah, Budah, Muhammad and all those Hindu gods, oh yeh pagins gods, Boby seddon is a loser with no god powers or life.
:''This article discusses the term '''God''' in the context of [[monotheism]]. See [[deity]], [[gods]] or [[goddess]]es for details on [[polytheistic]] usages. See [[Names of God]] for terms used in other languages or specific faiths. See [[God (disambiguation)]] for non-religious abbreviations.''

The term '''God''' is capitalized in the [[English language]] as a [[proper noun]] when used to refer to a specific [[monotheistic]] concept of a '''Supreme Being''' in accordance with [[Christianity|Christian]], [[Judaism|Jewish]] (sometimes as "G-d" - cf. [[Names of God in Judaism]]), and more recently (in the U.S.A) [[Islam|Muslim]] tradition.


== Definition ==

Common traits attributed to most conceptualizations of God are [[The Absolute|absoluteness]] and other superlative qualities. However, many other definitions of the [[God (disambiguation)|word]] exist. For example:

*God may be ''Supreme'' but is not necessarily a ''Being''.
**Some concepts of God may include [[anthropomorphic]] attributes, [[God and gender|gender]], particular [[Names of God|names]], and ethnic exclusivity (see [[Chosen people]]), while others are purely transcendent or philosophic concepts.
**The concept of God is often embedded in definitions of truth, where the sum of all truth is equated to God. In this sense [[science]] may be seen as a quest for God.
**There are variations on defining God either as a person, or not as a person but as an ambiguous impersonal force (see [[Absolute Infinite]]). Also at stake are questions concerning the possibilities of human/God relations. There are countless variations in traditions of worship and/or appeasement of God.
**Some concepts of God center on a view of God as ultimate, immanent, transcendent, eternal Reality beyond the shifting and constantly mutable multiplicities of the sensible world.

*In much religious and philosophic thought, God is considered to be the [[Creator God|creator]] of the [[omniverse]].
*Some traditions hold that the creator is also the sustainer (as in [[theism]]), while others argue that their God is no longer involved in the world after creation (as in [[deism]]).
*The common definition of God assumes [[omnipotence]], [[omniscience]], [[omnipresence]], and [[omnibenevolence]]. However, not all systems hold that God is necessarily [[morality|morally]] good (see [[summum bonum]]). Some hold that God is the very definition of moral goodness. Others maintain that God is beyond morality. Not all combinations of attributes 'work'; some can entail a falsum. For example, if God is The Creator, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and the Ultimate Judge, then he created all people, including atheists and pagans, knowing exactly what he was doing and then sends them to hell. This God cannot also be "good", from the point of view of all humans - just as all humans are not "good" from His point of view..
*[[Negative theology]] argues that no true statements about attributes of God can be made at all, while [[agnostic]] positions argue that limited [[human]] understanding does not allow for any conclusive opinions on God whatsoever. Some mystical traditions ascribe limits to God's powers, arguing that God's supreme nature leaves no room for spontaneity.
*The concept of a singular God is characteristic of [[monotheism]], but there is no universal definition of monotheism. The differences between monotheism and [[polytheism]] vary among traditions (see also [[trinity]], [[dualism]], and [[henotheism]]).
*Some espouse an exclusionist view, holding to one sole definition of God. Others hold an inclusionist view, accepting the possibility of more than one definition of God to be true at the same time.
*There are also [[atheism|atheistic]] explanations for the concept of God that can include psychological and/or sociological factors.

See also [[god#Theology|theology]] below.

== Etymology ==

[[Image:Gudis Argenteus.jpg|thumb|140px|Earliest attestation of the Germanic word in the [[6th century]] [[Codex Argenteus]] ([[Gospel of Matthew|Mt]] 5:9)]]
The word ''God'' continues [[Old English language|Old English]]/[[Germanic languages|Germanic]] ''god'' (''guþ, gudis'' in [[Gothic language|Gothic]], ''gud'' in modern [[Scandinavian]] and ''Gott'' in modern [[German language|German]]). The original meaning and [[etymology]] of the Germanic word ''god'' has been hotly disputed, though most agree to a reconstructed [[Proto-Indo-European]] form ''*khutóm'', which is a passive perfect participle from the root ''*khu-'', which likely meant "[[libation]]", "[[sacrifice]]". Compare:-
* [[Vedic Sanskrit]] ''hu-'' = "to sacrifice".
* [[Greek language|Greek]] ''khu-'', ''kheu-'' = "to pour".
* Common Germanic strong verb ''geutan'' ([[Anglo-Saxon]] ''gēotan'') = "to pour", English ''[[ingot|in-got]]''.

The connection between these meanings is likely via the meaning "pour a [[libation]]". Another possible meaning of ''*khutóm'' is "invocation", related to [[Sanskrit]] ''hūta''.

The same root appears in the names of three related [[Germanic tribes]], the [[Geat]]s, the [[Goths]] and the [[Gutar]]. These names may be derived from an eponymous [[Gaut]], who sometimes appears in Medieval sources as a name of [[Odin]], a former king of the Geats (''Gaut(i)''), an ancestor of the [[Gutar]] (''Guti''), of the Goths (''Gothus'') and of the royal line of [[Wessex]] (''Geats'') and as a previous hero of the [[Goths]] (''Gapt'').

The word ''God'' was used to represent [[Greek language|Greek]] ''theos'', [[Latin]] ''deus'' in [[Bible]] translations, first in the Gothic translation of the [[New Testament]] by [[Ulfilas]].

Philologically, Gk. ''theos'' is said to be akin to Zeus, the chief god in Greek mythology, who has ''Dios'' in a genitive form. L. ''Diespiter'' means Jupiter, chief god in L. mythology, dies + pater, day + father. In Skr. ''deva'' is a god, as derived from the root ''div'', heaven, and ''diu'' denoting day, shine and brightness (L. ''niter''). See [[Sky Father]], and [[Dyeus]].

===Capitalisation===
[[Image:KJV Psalm 23 1 2.jpg|thumb|200px|[[KJV]] of [[1611]] ([[Psalms]] 23:1,2): Occurrence of "<font style="font-variant:small-caps">Lord</font>" (and "God" in the heading)]]
The development of English orthography was dominated by [[Christianity|Christian]] texts. Capitalised "God" was first used to refer to the Judeo-Christian concept, and may now signify any monotheistic conception of God, including the translations of the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''[[Allah]]'' and the African [[Masai]] ''[[Engai]]''.
In early English bibles, the [[Tetragrammaton]] was rendered in capitals: "IEHOUAH" in [[William Tyndale]]'s version of [[1525]]. The [[KJV|King James Version]] of [[1611]] renders
*''[[YHWH]]'' as "The <font style="font-variant:small-caps">Lord</font>"
*''[[Elohim]]'' as "God"
*''Adonay YHWH'' and ''Adonay Elohim'' as "<font style="font-variant:small-caps">Lord</font> God"
*''kurios ho theos'' as "<font style="font-variant:small-caps">Lord</font> God" (in the [[New Testament]])

The use of capitalisation, as for a proper noun, has persisted to disambiguate the concept of a singular ''God'' from [[pagan]] deities for which lowercase ''god'' has continued to be applied, mirroring the use of Latin ''deus''. Pronouns referring to God are also often capitalised and are traditionally in the masculine [[gender (grammar)|gender]], i.e. "He", "His" etc.

==Names of God==
[[Image:Tetragrammaton scripts.png|frame|right|[[YHWH]], the name of God or Tetragrammaton, in [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] (1100 BC to AD 300), [[Aramaic]] (10th Century BC to 0) and modern Hebrew scripts.]]{{see details|Names of God}}

The noun ''God'' is the proper English name used for the deity of [[Monotheism|monotheistic]] faiths. Different names for God exist within different religious traditions.

*[[Allah]]&mdash;[[Islam]]/[[Arabic language|Arabic]]. See also the [[Ninety-nine names of Allah]]
*[[Cao Dai|Cao Đài]] is the name of God in [[Cao Dai|Caodaism]].
*[[Jehovah]] is a name often used in Christianity (it is often used as a transliteration of Yahwah.
*[[Yahweh]] Hebrew: 'YHVH' (יהוה) and [[Elohim]] are some of the names used for God in the Christian [[Bible]]
*See [[The name of God in Judaism]] for Jewish names of God. (Note: when written or typed as a proper noun, some observant Jews will use the form "G-d" to prevent the written name of God from becoming desecrated later on. Some Orthodox Jews consider this unnecessary because English is not the Holy Language.)
*The [[Trinity|Holy Trinity]] (meaning the Father, the Son ([[Jesus]] [[Christ]]), and the [[Holy Spirit]]/"[[Holy Ghost]]"). Denotes God almost all mainstream Christianity.
*Most [[Hindu]]s worship the personal form of God or [[Saguna Brahman]], or [[Hindu trinity]], as [[Vishnu]], [[Shiva]], or directly as [[Brahman]] through the [[Gayatri mantra]]. A common prayer for Hindus is the [[Vishnu sahasranama]], which is a hymn describing the one thousand names of God.
*[[Ayyavazhi]] asserts [[Ekam]],(The Ultimate Oneness) as supreme one and [[Ayya Vaikundar]] the Incarnation of Ekam. There are also several seperate lesser gods who were all later unified into [[Vaikundar]].
*[[Sikhs]] worship God with the name [[Waheguru]].
*Anu the supreme God in Sumerian mythology.
*[[Jah]] is the name of God in the [[Rastafari movement]].
*God is called ''Igzi'abihier'' (lit. "Lord of the Universe") in the [[Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox]] Church.
*Some churches ([[United Church of Canada]], [[Religious Science]]) are using "the One" alongside "God" as a more gender-neutral way of referring to God (See also [[Oneness]]).
*The [[Maasai]] name for "God" is [[Ngai]], which occurs in the [[volcano]] name [[Ol Doinyo Lengai]] ("the mountain of God").
* The [[Mi'kmaq]] name for "God" is ''Niskam''.
* In [[Surat Shabd Yoga|Surat Shabda Yoga]], names used for God include Anami Purush (nameless power) and Radha Soami (lord of the soul).
* [[SubGenius]] literature defines "(Gg)od" as a malevolent Space Frankfurter.

==History of monotheism==
''See also [[monotheism]], [[Abrahamic religion]].''

The religions that are monotheistic today are often thought of as having been of relatively recent historical origin -- although efforts at comparison are usually beset by claims of most religions to being very ancient or eternal. Eastern religions, especially in [[China]] and [[India]], that have concepts of [[panentheism]] are notably difficult to classify along [[Western world|Western]] notions of monotheism vs. ''polytheism''.

In the [[Ancient Orient]], many cities had their own local god, though this [[henotheistic]] worship of a single god did not imply denial of the existence of other gods. The [[Hebrews|Hebrew]] [[Ark of the Covenant]] is supposed (by self-described scholars and experts) to have adapted this practice to a [[nomad]]ic lifestyle, paving their way for a singular God.

The iconoclastic cult of the Egyptian solar god [[Aten]] was promoted by the [[pharoah]] [[Akhenaten]] (Amenophis IV), who ruled between 1358 and 1340 BCE. The Aten cult is often cited as the earliest known example of monotheism, and is sometimes claimed to have been a formative influence on early Judaism, due to the presence of Hebrew slaves in Egypt. But even though [[Akhenaten]]'s [[Great Hymn to the Aten|hymn to Aten]] offers strong evidence that Akhenaten considered Aten to be the sole, omnipotent creator, Akhenaten's program to enforce this monotheistic worldview ended with his death; the worship of other gods beside Aten never ceased outside his court, and the older polytheistic cults soon regained precedence.

Other early examples of monotheism include two late [[rigveda|rigvedic]] hymns (10.129,130) to a [[Panentheistic]] [[creator god]], [[Shri Rudram]], a [[Vedic religion|Vedic]] hymn to [[Rudra]], an earlier aspect of [[Shiva]], which expressed [[monistic theism]], and is still chanted today; the [[Zoroastrian]] [[Ahuramazda]] and [[China|Chinese]] [[Shang Ti]]. The worship of polytheistic gods, on the other hand, is seen by many to predate monotheism, reaching back as far as the [[paleolithic]]. Today, monotheistic religions are dominant, though other systems of belief still exist.

==Theology==
[[Theology]] is the study of religious beliefs. Theologians attempt to explicate (and in some cases systematize) beliefs; some express their own experience of the divine. Theologians ask questions such as: What is the nature of God? What does it mean for God to be singular? If people believe in God as a duality or trinity, what do these terms signify? Is God [[transcendent]], [[immanent]], or some mix of the two? What is the relationship between God and the universe, and God and mankind?

* [[Theism]] holds that God is both [[transcendent]] and [[immanent]]; thus, God is simultaneously infinite and in some way present in the affairs of the world. Catholic theology holds that God is [[divine simplicity|infinitely simple]] and is [[eternity|outside of time]]. Most theists hold that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or purposeful limiting of omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence. [[Open Theism]], by contrast, asserts that God has limits. "Theism" is sometimes used to refer in general to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.
* [[Deism]] holds that God is wholly transcendent: God exists, but does not intervene in the world beyond what was necessary for God to create it. In this view, God is not [[anthropomorphic]], and does not literally answer prayers or cause [[miracle]]s to occur.
* [[Monotheism]] holds that there is only one God, and/or that the one true God is worshipped in different religions under different names. It is important to note, however, that monotheists of one religion can, and often do, consider the monotheistic god of a different religion to be a false god. For instance, many Christian fundamentalists consider the God of Islam ([[Allah]]) to be a false god or [[demon]]. However, theologians and linguists argue that "Allah" is merely the Arabic word for "God," and not the literal name of a specifically Muslim god (to Muslims, the Bible is a holy scripture and Jesus is a prophet, so Islam might be seen as a subset of Christianity). Many Jews consider the [[messiah]] of Christianity ([[Jesus]]) to be a false god and some monotheists (notably fundamentalist Christians) hold that there is one [[triune]] God, and that all gods of other religions are actually demons in disguise (as in [http://wikisource.org/wiki/Bible%2C_English%2C_King_James%2C_2_Corinthians#Chapter_11 2nd Corinthians 11] verse 14). Eastern religious believers and [[Liberal Christian]]s are more likely to assume those of other faiths worship the same God as they. Muslims believe that Jesus is not the son of God, because relating God to any partners or spouses or offspring is considered blasphemy and apostasy. They believe that Jesus is just a very important prophet and messiah.
* [[Pantheism]] holds that God is the universe and the universe is God. [[Panentheism]] holds that God contains, but is not identical to, the Universe. The distinctions between the two are subtle, and some consider them unhelpful. [[Kabbalah]], Jewish mysticism, paints a [[pantheistic]]/[[panentheism|panentheistic]] view of God, which has wide acceptance in [[Hasidic Judaism]], particularly from their founder [[Israel ben Eliezer|The Baal Shem Tov]]. It is also the view of the [[Liberal Catholic Church]], [[Theosophy]], [[Hinduism]], [[Ayyavazhi]] some divisions of [[Buddhism]], and [[Taoism]], along with many varying denominations and individuals within denominations.
* [[Dystheism]] is a form of theism which holds that God is malevolent as a consequence of the [[problem of evil]]. Dystheistic speculation is common in theology, but there is no known church of practicing dystheists. See also [[Satanism]].

Most believers allow for the existence of other, less powerful spiritual beings, and give them names such as [[angel]]s, [[saint]]s, [[Djinn]], [[demon]]s, and [[devas]].

==Conceptions of God==
===Jewish, Christian and Muslim conceptions===
[[Image:Creation of the Sun and Moon face detail.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Michelangelo]]'s view of God in the painting ''Creation of the Sun and Moon'' in the [[Sistine Chapel]])]]

[[Judaism]], [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]] see God as a being who created the world and rules over the universe. God is usually held to have the properties of [[holiness]] (separate from sin and incorruptible), [[Justice|justness]] (fair, right, and true in all His judgements), [[sovereignty]] (unthwartable in His will), [[omnipotence]] (all-powerful), [[omniscience]] (all-knowing), [[omnibenevolence]] (all-loving), and [[omnipresence]] (everywhere-present).

Jews, Christians and Muslims often conceive of God as a [[personal God]], with a will and personality. However, many medieval [[rationalist]] philosophers of these religions felt that one should not view God as personal, and that such personal descriptions of God are only meant as [[metaphor]]s. Some within these three faiths still accept these views as valid, although many of the [[laity]] today do not have a wide awareness of them.

In [[Eastern Christianity]], it remains essential that God be personal; hence it speaks of the three ''persons'' of the [[Trinity]]. It also emphasizes that God has a will, and that God the Son has two wills, divine and human, though these are never in conflict. However, this point is disputed by [[Oriental Orthodox]] Christians, who hold that God the Son has only one will of unified divinity and humanity (see [[Miaphysitism]]). The personhood of God and of all human people is essential to the concept of [[theosis]] or deification.

==== Biblical definition of God====
[[Image:God2-Sistine Chapel.png|thumb|200px|[[16th century]] Christian view of [[Genesis]]: God creates [[Adam]] ([[Michelangelo]], [[Sistine Chapel]])]]

In distinct contrast to the Quran, God according to the Bible is characterized not just as Creator, but also as the "Heavenly Father".

The [[Hebrew Bible]] ([[Old Testament]]) characterizes God by these attributes: "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." (Exodus 34:6&ndash;7)

The [[Hebrew Bible]] contains no systematic theology: No attempt is made to give a [[Philosophy|philosophical]] or rigorous definition of God, nor of how God acts in the world. It does not explicitly describe God's nature, exemplified by God's assertion in [[Exodus]] that "you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live". Nowhere in the Hebrew Bible are the words [[omnipotence|omnipotent]], [[omniscience|omniscient]], or [[omnibenevolence|omnibenevolent]] used to define God in a systematic sense.

Although Scripture does not describe God systematically, it does provide a poetic depiction of God and His relationship with people. According to the Biblical historian [[Yehezkal Kaufmann]], the essential innovation of Biblical theology was to posit a God that cares about people, and that cares about whether people care about Him. Some people believe that the Bible should be viewed as humanity's view of God, but theologian [[Abraham Joshua Heschel]] described the Biblical God as "anthropopathic", which means that one should read the Bible as God's view of humanity, and not as humanity's view of God.

Similarly, the [[New Testament]] contains little systematic theology: no philosophical or rigorous definition of God is given, nor of how God acts in the world; however the first of John's letters states: "''God is [[light]]''" ([[1 John]] 1:5), before he states: "''God is [[love]]''" ([[1 John]] 4:8).

The New Testament does, however, provide an implicit theology as it teaches that God interacted directly with people, in the person of [[Jesus]], and that he subsequently sent the [[Holy Spirit]]. In this view, God becomes someone that can be seen and touched, and may speak and act in a manner easily perceived by humans, while also remaining transcendent and invisible. This appears to be a radical departure from the concepts of God found in Hebrew Bible. The New Testament's statements regarding the nature of God were eventually developed into the doctrine of the [[Trinity]].

==== Kabbalistic definition of God ====
Mainstream Orthodox [[Judaism]] teaches that God is neither [[matter]] nor [[spirit]]. Rather God is the creator of both, but is himself neither. But if God is so different from his creation, how can there be any interaction between the Creator and the created? This question prompted early [[Kabbalah|Kabbalists]] ([[Judaism|Jewish]] [[mysticism|mystics]]) to envision two aspects of God, (a) God himself, who in the end is unknowable, and (b) the revealed aspect of God who created the universe, preserves the universe, and interacts with mankind in a personal way. Kabbalists believe that these two aspects are not contradictory but complement one another.

This view has been developed further in [[Hasidism|Hasidic]] and anti-nomian circles, however. [[Kabbalah]] teaches that in order to create the universe, God "withdrew," and created the universe within the space from which "He" contracted. It is taught in the [[Zohar]] that God, at the beginning of creation, shattered ten ספירות ("sephiroth") or כלים ("kaylim" or "vessels") scattering their fragments throughout the universe. (Physicist-theologian [[Gerald Schroeder]] makes a correlation between this view and [[Big bang|Big Bang theory]] in <i>Genesis & The Big Bang</i>.) The [[Sephirah (Kabbalah)|sephiroth]] &#0151; represented by the so-called עץ חיים ("Etz Hayim" or "[[Tree of life (Kabbalah)|Tree of Life]]") &#0151; are comprised of different vessels embodying various eminations of God's being.

With this in mind, the Kabbalist [[Isaac Luria]], explained that all creation contained ניצוץ ("nitzutz" or "holy sparks") &#0151; the remnants and shards of the sephiroth/kaylim which God had shattered &#0151; and offered a theological purpose known as תיקון עולם ("[[Tikkun Olam]]" or "healing the world") which states that humanity's duty is to recognize the holy sparks inherent in all creation and to elevate them by performing מצות ("[[mitzvah|mitzvoth]]"), otherwise regarded as the fulfilment of Biblical obligations. This view gave rise to the concept of [[panentheism]] in Judaism: The notion that God is inherent in all things, and is corroborated by the Jewish principal בצלם אלוהים ("b'tzelem Elohim" or "in the image of God"), inferring that all humanity is created with God inherent. The concept derives from Genesis 9:6 (serving as a Biblical proof-text for the position), "For in the image of God He made man." Thus, suggested Luria, by doing mitzvoth directed towards our fellow human being, we recognize the nitzutz within them, and thus sanctify and elevate their inherent Godliness.

This notion is exemplified rather well by a Jewish nursery school song:<blockquote>[[Hashem]] is here, Hashem is there, Hashem is truly everywhere. Up, up, down, down, right, left, and all around. Here, there, and everywhere, Hashem is truly there.</blockquote>Over time, this view evolved into the belief that all of creation and all of existence was in fact God itself, and that we as humanity are unaware of our own inherent Godliness and are grappling to come to terms with it. The standing view in neo-Hasidism, currently, is that there is nothing in existence other than God. Ie., all being is God. As it is stated in the ancient Kabbalistic incantation, אין עוד מילבדו ("Ain od milvado") &#0151; "There is nothing but God." Thus, it has become understood that God used God's self to form the universe. Rather than a contraction and the creation of something "other" in the void which God created, it is as though God punched a doughnut-hole in God's self and used the remaining "[[Munchkin (disambiguation)|munchkin]]" to form all of creation.

This paradigm shift is well documented by [[Zalman Schachter-Shalomi]], a [[Lubavitch]] Hasidic rabbi and founder of [[Jewish Renewal]] and its neo-Hasidic progeny, in his book <i>Wrapped In A Holy Flame</i>:

<blockquote>I'd like to say we are in the shift to the place where everything is God, [[pantheism]]. The understanding that has come from mysticism and from people on the cusp of periods moving from past to present, people talking about primary experience, is that the body and the soul cannot be separated. It shouldn't be that they should be fighting one another, that you have too get rid of one in order to get the other. We want Wholeness, a holistic understanding, now. I believe that people are moving from theism to pantheism. There are some who don't like the word <i>pantheism</i>, the idea that God is everything. They prefer the word <i>panentheism</i>, which means that God is <i>in</i> everything. I, however, don't think that the distinction is real. What was the objection that people had to pantheism, God is everything? "Are you going to tell me that the excrement of a dog is also God?" And the answer to this would be&#0151;"Yes." What is wrong with that? It is only from the human perspective that we see a difference between that and <i>challah</i>. On the submolecular level, on the atomic level, they all look the same. And if you look from a galactic perspective, what difference is there between one and the other? So if "God is everything," why are you and I here? Because we are the appearance of God in this particular form. And God likes to appear in countless forms and experience countless lives.
<br><br>
If you would have mentioned this point of view when theism was dominant, you might have been killed. The theists would complain, "What you are saying is that there are no differences anymore? Does that mean that everything is right, everything is kosher? Where are the differences?" And those are good questions. We are not so far advanced yet that we can explain all these things, but deep down, the deepest level of the pattern is that God is everything. So it's not that God <i>created</i> the world but that God <i>became</i> the world.</blockquote>Pantheistic and panentheistic views are also echoed in the כלל גדול ("Klal Gadol", literally "big everything" meaning "highest value") of Judaism, as relayed by the sage [[Rabbi Akiva]] in <i>Sifra Kedoshim</i>: ואהבת לרעך כמוך ("V'ahavta l'rekha kamokha") &#0151; one should "Love their fellow as themself" &#0151; and also by [[Hillel the Elder]], who stated that "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary." Neo-Hasidic interpretation has taken this to mean that you should love your fellow as yourself because you and your fellow are the same entity: God manifest. This view is also echoed later by Episcopal priest cum Zen Buddhist, [[Alan Watts]], who stated that "We are all apparatures through which the universe is observing itself."

Another progenitor of neo-Hasidism, [[Rabbi Arthur Green]], further decribes the evolution of pantheistic thought in the Hasidic world, as well, in his book <i>Seek My Face: A Jewish Mystical Theology</i>.

====Quranic definitions of God, i.e. ''Allah''====

''Main article'': [[Allah]]

''Allah'' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''allāhu'' الله) is traditionally used by [[Muslim]]s as the Arabic word for "[[God]]" (not "God's personal [[name]]", but the equivalent of the Hebrew word [[El]] as opposed to [[YHWH]]). The word ''Allah'' is not specific to [[Islam]]; [[Arab Christians]] and [[Mizrahi Jew|Arab Jews]] also use it to refer to the [[monotheist]] [[deity]]. Arabic translations of the [[Bible]] also employ it, as do the [[Catholics]] of [[Malta]] who pronounce it as "Alla" in [[Maltese language|Maltese]], a language derived from and most closely related to Arabic, as well as [[Christians]] in [[Indonesia]], who pronounce it "Allah Bapa" (Allah the Father).

Many [[Linguistics|linguists]] believe that the term ''Allāh'' is derived from a contraction of the Arabic words ''al'' (the) + ''ilah'' (male deity). In addition, one of the main pagan goddesses of pre-Islamic Arabia, [[Allat|Allāt]] (''al'' + ''ilāh'' + ''at'', or 'the female deity'), is cited as being [[Etymology|etymologically]] (though not synchronically) the feminine linguistic counterpart to the grammatically masculine Allah. If so, the word ''Allāh'' is an abbreviated title, meaning 'the deity', rather than a name. For this reason, both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars often translate Allāh directly into English as 'God' especially the [[Quran Alone]] Muslims; however, some Muslim scholars feel that "Allāh" should not be translated, because it expresses the uniqueness of God more accurately than "God", which can take a plural "Gods", whereas "Allāh" has no plural. This is a significant issue in [[translation of the Qur'an]]. This also explains why Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians freely refer to God as Allāh.

Most of the [[99 names of God]] found in the Qur'an are not actually names, but attributes. One, however, Al Haq, meaning The Truth, seems to equate to absolute truth as that which cannot be negated. Al Haq is more than a reflection of faith in the existence of The God, and links the concept of God to all creation forever. Thus Allah transcends the prophetic origins of Islam and is thus universal in all time and applies to all existence -- past, present, and future.

====Negative theology====
''Main article: [[Negative theology]].''

Some Jewish, Christian and Muslim [[medieval]] philosophers developed what is termed as [[negative theology]], the idea of approaching a knowledge of God through negative attributes. For example, we should not say that God exists in the usual sense of the term; all we can safely say is that God is not nonexistent. We should not say that God is wise, but we can say that God is not ignorant. We should not say that God is One, but we can state that there is [[divine simplicity|no multiplicity in God's being]].

==== God as Unity or Trinity ====
[[Judaism|Jews]], [[Islam|Muslims]], and a small fraction of [[Christianity|Christians]] are ''unitarian monotheists''. The vast majority of Christians have been and still are ''Trinitarian monotheists''.
* [[Unitarian]] monotheists hold that there is only one "person" (so to speak), or one basic substance, in God. Some adherents of this position consider Trinitarianism to be a form of polytheism.
* Trinitarian monotheists believe in one God that exists as three distinct persons who share the same substance/essence; the Christian version of this is called the [[Trinity]], the [[Hindu]] version [[Trimurti]], differs from Christianity in holding that God has three aspects rather than being three distinct persons. Trinitarians hold that the three persons have the same purpose, holiness, and sovereignty, and therefore each can be worshipped as God, without violating the idea that there is only one God to which worship belongs. The [[Smarta]] denomination of [[Hinduism]] also hold that belief and believe that worship of any aspect of God is equivalent. Although not a perfect analogy, the other denominations of Hinduism, [[Shaivism]] and [[Vaishnavism]] would be considered be unitarian monotheistic faiths.
*[[Ayyavazhi]] says [[Ayya Vaikundar]] as the unity of [[Ekam]], [[Narayana]] and [[human]] ''(See:[[Ayyavazhi Trinity]])''
* [[Mormon]]s believe that there are three separate divine personages. One of these personages is a spirit without a body referred to as the [[Holy Ghost]]. The other two personages are resurrected beings with ''perfected'' or ''glorified'' (often called ''celestial'') bodies referred to as [[Heavenly Father]] (or less commonly "[[Elohim]]") and his son, Jesus Christ. Mormons hold that God is a ''Holy Man'' who advanced to his divine status through a repeatable process of progression. They believe that by following their religion's teachings, humans can literally become gods (sometimes phrased as "become like Heavenly Father") at some point after death and [[resurrection]]; this is also called [[Exaltation]].
* [[Rastafari movement|Rastafarians]] believe that [[Haile Selassie]] is both God the Father and God the Son, made manifest in human flesh as the reincarnation of Jesus, while the Holy Spirit is seen to dwell within all believers (of Rastafari), and within all people (believed by some).
* [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic Jews]] hold that there are ten [[Sephirah|Sefirot]] (emanations) of God. Each of these are more distinct than a characteristic, but less distinct than a separate personage.
* [[Monism]] is the [[metaphysics|metaphysical]] position that all is of one essential [[essence]], [[matter|substance]] or [[energy]], that being a [[pantheist]], or [[panentheist]], [[immanent]] God. Monism can be inclusive of other interpretations of God.
* [[Dualism]] is the idea of two, nearly equal divine entities, one being the good God, and the other being an evil god, or [[Satan]]. All beings are under the influence of one side, or the other, if they know it or not. [[Zoroastrianism]] is an example of dualism.

===Conceptions of God in Hinduism===
[[Image:Aum.png|right|160px|thumb|'''[[Aum]]'''. Found first in the Vedic scriptures of [[Hinduism]], Aum has been seen as the first manifestation of the unmanifest [[Brahman]] (the single Divine Ground of Hinduism) that resulted in the phenomenal universe]]* In the two largest branches of Hinduism, [[Shaivism]] and [[Vaishnavism]], it is believed that God, whether in the form of [[Shiva]] or [[Vishnu]] has six attributes. However, the actual number of auspicious qualities of God, are '''countless''', with the following six qualities being the ''most important''.
* The number six is invariably given, but the individual attributes listed vary.
* One set of attributes (and their common interpretations) are
**''Jnana'' ([[Omniscience]]), defined as the power to know about all beings simultaneously;
**''Aishvarya'' ([[Sovereign]]ty), which consists in unchallenged rule over all;
**''Shakti'' ([[Energy]]), or power, which is the capacity to make the impossible possible;
**''Bala'' ([[Strength]]), which is the capacity to support everything by will and without any fatigue;
**''Virya'' ([[Vigour]]), or valour which indicates the power to retain immateriality as the supreme being in spite of being the material cause of mutable creations; and
**''Tejas'' ([[Splendour]]), which expresses his self-sufficiency and the capacity to overpower everything by his spiritual effulgence.; cited from ''Bhakti Schools of Vedanta'', by Swami Tapasyananda.
* A second set of six characteristics are
**''Jnana'' ([[Omniscience]]),
**''Vairagya'' ([[Detachment]]),
**''Yasas'' ([[Fame]]),
**''Aisvarya'' ([[Sovereign]]ty),
**''Sri'' ([[Glory]]) and
**''Dharma'' ([[Righteousness]]).

*Other important qualities attributed to God are ''Gambhirya'' (grandeur), ''Audarya'' (generosity), and ''Karunya'' (compassion).
* Chanted prayers, or [[mantra]]s, are central to Hindu worship. Among the most chanted mantras in Hinduism are the [[Vishnu sahasranama]] (a prayer to [[Vishnu]] that dates from the time of the [[Mahabharata]] and describes him as the ''Universal [[Brahman]]''), [[Shri Rudram]] (a Vedic hymn to Rudra, an earlier aspect of Shiva that also describes Him as Brahman) and the [[Gayatri]] mantra, (another Vedic hymn that initially was meant as a prayer to the Sun, an aspect of Brahman but has other interpretations. It is now interpreted as a prayer to the impersonal absolute Brahman). Another famous hymn, [[Lalitha Sahasranama]], describes the 1000 names of [[Devi]], worshipped as God the Divine Mother, or God's [[Shakti]] or Power personified by Hindus.

* It is important to add that in Hinduism (''Sanatana Dharama'') God is considered the Supreme Being, and many views of God range from panentheism to dualism to [[monism]]. His appearance, in its entirety, cannot be comprehended by the common man. His appearance with form is only a manifestation of certain characteristics.

* A major branch of Hinduism, [[Advaita Vedanta]], served as the fertile grounds from which one of the first [[Monism|monistic]] philosophies of God was developed. Within this philosophy, God is viewed as the ''sum total of all that is'', yet what is normally perceived via the five senses is viewed as illusory, seemingly divided and separated, and therefore not in reality a part of God. The Advaita Vedanta philisophy continues with the view that once one becomes aware of the ''unity of being'' of God, he will then be able to see beyond the illusions of division and separation from God, and recognize his or her own inherent unity with God.And [[Ayyavazhi]] propogates almost a similar theory. However, [[Kashmir Shaivism]], one notable [[Saivite]] branch disagrees and focuses on [[panentheism]]. Furthermore, it rejects the [[maya]] illusion theory by stating that if God is real, then His creation must be real and not illusory.

In Hinduism there are two methods of worship:
#To worship God through meditation on an icon ([[murti]]).
#To worship God without icon worship.(eg. non-anthromorphic symbols such as [[linga]], [[saligrama]], [[Ayyavazhi]])

In the early [[Upanishads]] the conception of the Divine Teacher on earth first manifested from its early [[Brahmin]] associations. Indeed, there is an understanding in some Hindu sects that if the devotee were presented with the guru and God, first he would pay respects to the guru since the guru had been instrumental in leading him to God.
* '''[[Hari Bhakti Vilasa]]''' ( 4.344)
::Prathamam tu gurum pujya tatas caiva mamarcanam
::Kuran siddhim avapnoti hy anyatha nisphalam bhavet
::''One does not directly worship one's God. One must begin by the worship of the Guru. Only by pleasing the Guru and gaining his mercy, can one offer anything to God. Thus, before worshiping God, one must always worship the Guru.''

See also [[Guru]].

=== Christian Monism ===

Within the body of Christian belief, the only known well developed system of [[monism]] is found within the recently developed (1975) teachings of the book known as [[A Course In Miracles]] (or ACIM). The philosophical system of ACIM presents what appears to be a unique synthesis of Hindu [[Monism|monistic]] [[Advaita Vedanta]] teachings, blended with the early Christian teaching of the universal-fatherhood-of-God belief. In this philosophy God retains the traditional Christian role of the ''All loving, all forgiving Father'', as portrayed in the Christian allegory of the [[Prodigal Son]], yet God is also attributed with the qualities of complete ''oneness'' with all of mankind. The apparent contrast between the existence of this ''oneness'' with God, and the common belief in human separation from God, is explained by the belief that man's apparent separation from God is a mere illusion, an illusion that can be overcome by gaining a full understanding of, and by adopting an unfailing practice of, the dynamics of Christian forgiveness.

=== The Ultimate ===
Arguably, Eastern conceptions of [[The Ultimate]] (this, too, has many different names), except for [[Shaivism]] and [[Vaishnavism]], which do focus on a personal God, are not conceptions of a ''personal'' divinity, though certain Western conceptions of what is at least ''called'' "God" (e.g., [[Baruch Spinoza|Spinoza's]] pantheistic conception and various kinds of [[mysticism]]) resemble Eastern conceptions of The Ultimate.

=== Aristotelian definition of God ===
''Main article: [[Aristotelian view of God]].''

In his [[Metaphysics]], [[Aristotle]] discusses meaning of "being as being". Aristotle holds that "being" primarily refers to the [[Unmoved Mover]]s, and assigned one of these to each movement in the heavens. Each Unmoved Mover continuously contemplates its own contemplation, and everything that fits the second meaning of "being" by having its source of motion in itself, moves because the knowledge of its Mover causes it to emulate this Mover (or should).

=== Modern views ===
==== Process philosophy and Open Theism definition of God ====
* [[Process theology]] is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical [[process philosophy]] of [[Alfred North Whitehead]] ([[1861]]&ndash;[[1947]]).
* [[Open theism]], a theological movement that began in the 1990s, is similar, but not identical, to Process theology.

In both views, God is not omnipotent in the classical sense of a coercive being. Reality is not made up of material substances that endure through time, but serially-ordered events, which are experiential in nature. The universe is characterized by process and change carried out by the agents of free will. Self-determination characterizes everything in the universe, not just human beings. God and creatures co-create. God cannot force anything to happen, but rather only influence the exercise of this universal free will by offering possibilities. See the entries on [[Process theology]], [[Panentheism]], and [[Open theism]].

====Posthuman God====
Similar to this theory is the belief or aspiration that humans will create a God entity, emerging from an [[artificial intelligence]].
[[Arthur C. Clarke]], a [[science fiction]] writer, said in an interview,
"It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him." Clarke's friend and colleague, the late [[Isaac Asimov]], postulated in his story "[[The Last Question]]" a merger between humanity and machine intelligence that ultimately produces a deity capable of reversing [[entropy]] and subsequently initiates a new [[Creation]] trillions of years from the present era when the Universe is in the last stage of [[heat death]].

Another variant on this hypothesis is that humanity or a segment of humanity will create or [[evolution|evolve]] into a [[posthuman]] God by itself; for some examples, see [[cosmotheism]], [[transhumanism]], [[technological singularity]].

====Extraterrestrials====
Some comparatively new belief systems and books portray God as [[Extraterrestrial life]]. Many of these theories hold that intelligent beings from another world have been visiting Earth for many thousands of years, and have influenced the development of our religions. Some of these books posit that prophets or [[messiah]]s were sent to the human race in order to teach [[morality]] and encourage the development of [[civilization]]. (See e.g. [[Rael]]). One famous espouser of such views was the late [[Francis Crick]], one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA. Confronted with the statistical improbability of the origin of self replicating and purposeful life in the relatively miniscule timeframe physicists allot for the creation of planet earth, Crick suggested life on earth originated far away. (See Mark Steyn's obituary for the scientist: http://www.steynonline.com/index2.cfm?edit_id=29 )

====Phenomenological definition====

The philosopher [[Michel Henry]] defines God in a phenomenological point of view. He says : "God is Life, he is the essence of [[Philosophy of the life|Life]], or, if we prefer, the essence of Life is God. Saying this we already know what is God, we know it not by the effect of a learning or of some knowledge, we don’t know it by the thought, on the background of the truth of the world ; we know it and we can know it only in and by the Life itself. We can know it only in God." (''I Am the [[Truth of Life|Truth]]. Toward a Philosophy of Christianity'').

This Life is not biological life defined by objective and exterior properties, but the absolute [[phenomenological life]], a radically immanent life which possesses in it the power of showing itself in itself without distance, a life which reveals permanently itself. A manifestation of oneself and a self-revelation which doesn’t consist in the fact of seeing outside of oneself or of perceiving the exterior world, but in the fact of feeling and of feeling oneself, of experiencing in oneself its own inner and affective reality.

However, a layman might point out that this penetrates no closer to the heart of ''what God is'', since throughout it merely substitutes 'know' for 'experience' (that is 'knowing by acquaintance or participation' as opposed to propositional knowing). Thus experience of Life is experience - and knowledge - of the divine. The nature of Life itself being difficult at best (given that Life, as a notional category, is that space within which all things we apprehend are apprehended, all things we do are done and all things we know are known; it is thus a ''container for everything''), this passage tells us that we may only know one thing by reference to another thing whose essential nature we may never grasp. This is, perhaps, ultimately the point.

As Michel Henry says also in this same book, "God is that pure Revelation that reveals nothing other than itself. God reveals Himself. The Revelation of God is his self-revelation". God is in himself revelation, he is the primordial Revelation that extracts every thing to nothingness, a revelation which is the pathetic self-revelation and the absolute self-enjoyment of Life. As John says, God is love, because Life loves itself in an infinite and eternal love.

Michel Henry opposes to the notion of ''creation'', which is the creation of the world, the notion of ''generation'' of Life, saying that the creation of the world consists in the opening of this exteriority horizon where every thing becomes visible whereas Life never stops to generate itself and to generate all the livings in its radical immanence, in its absolute phenomenological interiority that is without gap nor distance.

As we are living and by consequence generated continually by the infinite Life of God, as he never stops to give us life, and as we never cease of being born into the eternal present of life by the action in us of this absolute Life, God is for Christianity our Father and we are its beloved Sons, the Sons of the living God. This doesn’t mean that he has created us at the time of our conception or at the beginning of the world, but that he never stops to generate us permanently into Life, that he is always at work in us in the least of our subjective impressions.

==== The Rosicrucian conception of God and the scheme of evolution ====

According to [[Max Heindel]]'s [[Rosicrucian]] writings about the scheme of evolution, and in [[Esoteric Christianity]], in the beginning of a ''Day of Manifestation'' a certain collective Great Being, God, limits Himself to a certain portion of space, in which He elects to create a [[Solar System]] for the evolution of added [[self]]-[[consciousness]].
[[Image:THE ANCIENT OF DAYS.JPG|right|thumb|210px|'''THE ANCIENT OF DAYS''', illustrated by [[William Blake]] (1794)]]
<!---"Both poet and artist, Blake ilustrated his own poetic work. He also labored to create his own cosmology and mythology, based upon his readings of the Bible, the teachings of Swedenborg, and his own besetting visions. This ilustration suggests a gnostic approch to the Creator as a lesser, fallible God."--->
In God there are contained hosts of glorious Hierarchies and lesser beings of every grade of intelligence and stage of [[consciousness]], from [[omniscience]] to an [[unconsciousness]] deeper than that of the deepest [[trance]] condition.
During the current period of manifestation these various grades of beings are working to acquire more experience than they possessed at the beginning of this period of existence. Those who, in previous manifestations, have attained to the highest degree of development work on those who have not yet evolved any consciousness.

The period of time devoted to the attainment of self-consciousness and to the building of the [[Subtle body|vehicles]] through which the spirit in man manifests, is called "[[Involution (philosophy)|Involution]]". The succeeding period of existence, during which the individual human being develops ''[[self]]-[[consciousness]]'' into ''[[divine]] [[omniscience]]'', is called "[[Spiritual evolution|Evolution]]". Every evolving being has within him a "force" which makes evolution not to be a mere unfoldment of latent germinal possibilities but a process where each individual differ from that of every other. This force, called "[[epigenesis (creative intelligences)|Epigenesis]]", provides the element of [[originality]] and gives scope to the creative ability which the evolving being is to cultivate that he may become a God.

Heindel states that in the [[Solar system]], God's Habitation, there are [[Rosicrucian_Fellowship#The_Seven_Worlds_.26_the_Seven_Cosmic_Planes|seven Worlds]] differentiated by God, within Himself, one after another {{ref|diagram_2}}. These Worlds have each a different "[[measure]]" and rate of [[vibration]] and are not separated by [[space]] or [[distance]], as is the earth from the other planets. They are states of [[matter]], of varying [[density]] and [[vibration]] (as are the [[solids]], [[liquids]] and [[gases]] of the physical [[Earth]]). These Worlds are not instantaneously created at the beginning of a day of Manifestation, nor do they last until the end. The evolutionary scheme is carried through five of these Worlds in seven great Periods of manifestation, during which the evolving virgin [[spirit]] becomes first [[human]] and, then, a God.
The highest Worlds are created first, and as [[Involution (philosophy)|involution]] is to slowly carry the life into denser and denser matter for the building of forms, the finer Worlds gradually [[condense]] and new Worlds are differentiated within God to furnish the necessary links between Himself and the Worlds which have consolidated. In due time the point of greatest density, the [[nadir]] of materiality, is reached. From that point the life begins to ascend into higher Worlds, as [[Spiritual evolution|evolution]] proceeds. That leaves the denser Worlds depopulated, one by one. When the purpose has been served for which a particular World was created, God ends its existence, which has become superfluous, by ceasing within Himself the particular activity which brought into being and sustained that World {{ref|diagram_8}}.

Rosicrucians teach that the, above refered, seven Worlds belong to the lowest of the seven "Cosmic Planes". The Worlds and Cosmic Planes are not one above another in space, but the seven Cosmic Planes inter-penetrate each other and all the seven Worlds. They are states of [[spirit]]-[[matter]], permeating one another, so that God and the other great Beings pervade every part of their own realms and realms of greater density than their own, including our world: "''in Him we live and move and have our being''". Proceeding from the [[physical plane|physical world]] to the [[Plane (cosmology)|inner worlds]] and up through the Cosmic Planes, [[God]] - the "Architect of the Solar System", the Source and goal of human existence - is found in the highest division of the seventh Cosmic Plane: this is His World. In order to trace the origin of the Architect of the Solar System, one must pass to the highest of the seven Cosmic Planes: the "Realm of the '''Supreme Being'''", Who emanated from the "Absolute". The '''Absolute''' is beyond comprehension and, as [[manifestation]] implies [[limitation]], He may be best described as "Boundless Being": the "Root of Existence".

From the Absolute proceeds the Supreme Being, at the dawn of manifestation: this is ''The One'', the "Great Architect of the Universe". The first aspect of the Supreme Being may be characterized as ''Power'', from this proceeds the second aspect, ''the Word'', and from both of these proceeds the third, aspect, ''Motion''. From this threefold Supreme Being proceed the "seven Great [[Logos|Logoi]]". They contain within Themselves all the great Hierarchies which differentiate more and more as they diffuse through the various Cosmic Planes {{ref|diagram_6}}. In the Highest World of the seventh Cosmic Plane dwells the God of the [[Planetary system|Solar Systems]] in the [[Universe]]. These great Beings are also threefold in manifestation, like The Supreme Being. Their three aspects are ''Will'', ''Wisdom'' and ''Activity''.


==God in motion pictures==

The recent Billy Connolly film "The Man who sued God" can be attributed in name to the Latin for God; Deus, which, when written backwards is "sued" - from this the idea for a film about a man suing God arose.

== References ==

* [[Cliff Pickover|Pickover, Cliff]], <cite>The Paradox of God and the Science of Omniscience</cite>, Palgrave/St Martin's Press, 2001.
* [[Jack Miles|Miles, Jack]], <cite>God : A Biography</cite>, Knopf, 1995; [http://www.jackmiles.com/default.asp?ID=15 Book description].
* [[Karen Armstrong|Armstrong, Karen]], <cite>A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam</cite>, Ballantine Books, 1994.
* [[Max Heindel|Heindel, Max]], <cite>[[The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception]]</cite>, ISBN 0-911274-34-0, 1st ed 1909; Part II: Chapters [http://www.rosicrucian.com/rcc/rcceng05.htm V], [http://www.rosicrucian.com/rcc/rcceng06.htm VI].

== Notes and references ==

# {{note|diagram_2}} [[Max Heindel|Heindel, Max]], <cite>[[The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception]]</cite>, ISBN 0-911274-34-0, 1st ed 1909; Diagram 2: [http://www.rosicrucian.com/images/rccen002.gif The Seven Worlds]
# {{note|diagram_8}} Heindel, Max, ''Idem''; Diagram 8: [http://www.rosicrucian.com/images/rccen008.gif The 777 Incarnations]
# {{note|diagram_6}} Heindel, Max, ''Idem''; Diagram 6: [http://www.rosicrucian.com/images/rccen006.gif The Supreme Being, the Cosmic Planes and God]

==See also==
* [[Atheism]]
* [[Agnosticism]]
* [[Arguments for the existence of God]]
* [[Arguments against the existence of God]]
* [[Existence of God]]
* [[God and gender]]
* [[God complex]]
* [[God in Buddhism]]
* [[God realm]]
* [[List of appearances of God in fiction]]
* [[Natural theology]]
* [[Higgs boson|The Higgs boson, ''the God particle'']]
* [[Transtheism]]
* [[Plane (cosmology)|Planes of existence]]

== External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*Draye, Hani (2004). [http://sultan.org/articles/god.html Concept of God in Islam]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*Aish HaTorah (2003). [http://www.aish.com/literacy/concepts/Understanding_God.asp Jewish Literacy]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*Preston, Gregory (2005). [http://www.lulu.com/GregoryPreston Seeking Divine Guidance & Concepts of God].
*Nicholls, David (2004). [http://web.archive.org/web/20041013082021/http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/doesgodexist.htm DOES GOD EXIST?]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*shaivam.org (2004). [http://www.shaivam.org/hipgodco.htm Hindu Concept of God]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*Schlecht, Joel (2004). [http://www.freewebs.com/thegodparticle/ The God Particle]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2004). [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-arguments-god/ Moral Arguments for the Existence of God]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2005). [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/god-necessary-being/ God and Other Necessary Beings]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*Students of Shari'ah (2005). [http://www.studentsofshariah.com/proof_of_creator.php Proof Of Creator]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*The Freethought Zone (2000). [http://freethought.freeservers.com/reason/rationalview.html Arguments for Atheism]. Retrieved [[June 26]] [[2005]].
*All About God (2000). [http://www.allaboutgod.com Scientific & Philosophical Arguments for God]. Retrieved [[September 9]] [[2005]].

[[Category:Bahá'í]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Deities]]
[[Category:Islam]]
[[Category:Judaism]]
[[Category:Singular God]]
[[Category:Gods]]

[[af:God]]
[[ca:Déu]]
[[cs:Bůh]]
[[da:Gud]]
[[de:Gott]]
[[eo:Dio]]
[[es:Dios]]
[[et:Jumal]]
[[fr:Dieu]]
[[he:אלוהים]]
[[hu:Isten]]
[[ia:Deo]]
[[ig:Chineke]]
[[is:Guð]]
[[it:Dio]]
[[ja:神]]
[[ko:하느님]]
[[ms:Tuhan]]
[[nl:God]]
[[no:Gud]]
[[pl:Bóg]]
[[pt:Deus]]
[[ru:Бог]]
[[simple:God]]
[[sl:bog]]
[[sr:Бог]]
[[sv:Gud]]
[[tl:Diyos]]
[[zh:神]]

Revision as of 09:56, 26 September 2005

Edward hick is God he is, his is Jesues, Allah, Budah, Muhammad and all those Hindu gods, oh yeh pagins gods, Boby seddon is a loser with no god powers or life.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=God&oldid=24066677"