The Concept of God in Islam and Christianity - Essay Example

The Truth about God There are many teachings of scripture that try to define God and His character. However, the provision ofthe correct description of God relies on one’s understanding of the doctrine of God from which other doctrines emerge. Christians have their own understanding of God. This is well expounded in the Bible and many works of renowned Christians. Non-Christians also have their own understanding of God. This also is well provided in religious books of non-Christians. The Qur’an by Muslims has diverse definition of God. The Hindus also have also their religious books with different definition of God. Scientists have also their own understanding of God. In tandem with this assertion, the paper aims at providing diverse understanding of God by the Christians, as well as non-Christians. In addressing this, the paper will expound on what the Bible says about God, the views of renowned Ellen White, and the views of non-Christians. According to Christians, as portrayed in the Bible, there is one God. For instance, in the book of Mark 12:29, 32-34 as expounded by Clayton (3) Jesus explained on the existence of only God with one kingdom. In relation to this, Clayton (3) claims that 1 Corinthians 8:4 warns people against offering sacrifices to idols since there is only one God. According to Clayton, God is the Father of all things. This is also evidenced in 2 Corinthians 1:3 that defines God as not only the Father of Jesus Christ, but also the Father of mercies, as well as comfort (Clayton 5). Christians believe that God of Jesus Christ is the Father of glory. According to them, the same God is their God and gives unto them the spirit of wisdom. Apart from considering God as the source of the spirit of wisdom, Christians also understand that God dwells in heaven. Christians believe God has a throne that is heaven. It is from this throne that God looks at all His creation as well as supervises the activities in heaven. The position of God in heaven correlates His role in human life. He has power to control all the happenings in the whole world since there is none above Him. In relation to this, Christians believe that God is authoritative. He is the one that gave Angle Michael the authority of directing the Israelites in the wilderness (Clayton 8). Christians also believe that God uses His son and the spirit to guide them in life. In tandem with this, it is apparent that Christians know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who intercedes for them in heaven. According to Christians, God is very caring. This is evidenced by His sending of the Holy Spirit to guide the disciples and other people after the ascending of Jesus Christ. Christians also believe that the Holy Spirit is their Helper in life. From this, one can deduce that Christians believe that God is a Trinity; He is more than one. It is as a result of this that Christians pray “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit” (Clayton 18). Ellen White is one of the renowned Christians who have tried to define God in her writings. According to her, God is the Father of Jesus, and Jesus is His son (Clayton 24). Ellen also believes that God is the source of all being. In tandem with this assertion, Ellen claims that the Father’s life flows to all people through His beloved Son who is Jesus. Ellen like other Christians believes that God is omnipresent. According to her, this is evidenced by the presence of thousands and thousands of holy beings doing the will of God. Ellen further asserts that the thousands and thousands of messengers contribute to God’s activeness in communication with all His dominion (Clayton 24). Additionally, she claims that “by His Spirit He is everywhere present” (Clayton 24). In her books, Ellen defines God as omnipotent. His omnipotence is defined by His ability; He has infinite power in everything. According to Brame (10), the book of Luke 1:37 portray the ability of God for it says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” In relation to this, Brame claims that God can control all realms of human need. The omniscience of God is defined by His ability to know everything. In relation to this claim, Brame (10) asserts that the book of 1John 3:20 evidence that God “Knoweth all things.” From this claim, one can deduce that God is all knowing and caring. It is as a result of His omniscience that He promised Moses the He knows the sorrow of the Israelites (Brame 10). “God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His person” (Brame 10). In saying that God is infinite, Christians mean that God is free from all types of limitations. God is referred to as eternal because He was always and always He will be. In other words, God is infinite in respect to time. Additionally, Christians believe that God is unchangeable; He will always be the Lord and will not change. This assertion is also evidenced in the Christian Bible; Malachi 3:6 says that God says “I am the Lord, I change not” (Brame 10). Non-Christian views about God Non-Christian is a term that refers to any person who does not regard himself or herself as a Christian. Non-Christian can also be used to refer to people who believe in a god or many gods without acknowledging Jesus Christ as their savior. Apart from Muslims, non-Christians also include Hindus and scientists. Muslims believe in one God referred to as Allah. The God of Muslims is not only monotheistic, but also Unitarian. According to Muslims, Allah is absolute, totally independent and totally self-sufficient (Abdul-Hakim 2). The existence of anything is as a result of the will of God, thus, God is all powerful and uncaused. This assertion is evidenced by the Qur’an that says “Say: He is Allah. One, the utterly Self-sufficient: He begets not neither is He begotten nor there is nothing that is like unto Him” (Abdul-Hakim 2). All forces in heaven as well as on earth rely on God. In other words, Muslims believe God is all powerful and effective in managing everything that He brought into existence. Just like Christians, Muslims also believe that apart from being eternal God is an absolute being. They believe that God is not comprehendible. According to them, no creature has the potential to understand the Creator. This assertion is evidenced by the Qur’an message that hum vision cannot encompasseth God, but God can encompasseth all human vision. Muslims also believe in the omniscience of God. They believe that God knows what is before them as well as what is behind them. In tandem with this assertion, Muslims refer to God as al-Alim. He knows everything not only on earth, but also in heaven. God is also the witness; nothing can be hidden from Him. Additionally, God hears everything including the voiceless because He is all knowing. Unlike Christians, Muslims believe that God is al-Ahad, which means “the One” (Abdul-Hakim 3). There reference of God as al-Ahad evidence that they do not regard the Trinity in their belief. They believe that their God cannot be divided as Christians divide Him into three. Additionally, Muslims believe that God cannot be humanized. In other words, Muslim considers God as a unique being that cannot be equated to any creature on earth. Like Christians’ Bible, the Qur’an refers to God as the Highest (Abdul-Hakim 3). From this description, one can deduce that God is beyond everything that we know. God is not only al-Aziz (Almighty), but also al-Jabbar. In tandem with this assertion, it is apparent that the Muslims believe that God is all powerful, and there is nothing that has the potential of resisting His power. Additionally, Muslims believe that all powers on earth originate from God. In other words, Muslims believe that everything happens at His will. God is the truth and, as a result, He values truth (Abdul-Hakim 4). In relation to this, Muslims also refer to God as al-Nur meaning “Light”. In support of this, the Qur’an asserts “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth” (Abdul-Hakim 4). According to Muslims there would be no light anywhere if there were no God. Thus, one can deduce that God is not only the source of light but also the light itself. To sum up, the God of Muslims is transcendent, all-powerful, all knowing Creator as well as a Lawgiver. He is also infinitely merciful in addition to being generous and forgiving. He has no intermediary or intercessor; anyone meets with Him face-to-face through prayer and afterlife. In Islam, God does not present Himself in human being’s body or through other idols and images. He is not only what He is, but also absolute and eternal. Just like Muslims and Christians, the Hindus also regard God as the “Lord of Mercy and Love” (Sivananda 1). The Hindus believe that God manifests Himself in three aspects: omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. In addition to this, the Hindus believe in God being the source of understanding. Thus, one can affirm that God understands, and from this, it is right to define God as “all knowing”. According to (Sivananda 2), God is invisible. Thus, He cannot be compared to anything on earth. According to Hindus, Lord Brahma is the Creator (Sivananda 15). Unlike Christians and Muslims, Hindus offer sacrifices to their God. In tandem with this believe, it is apparent that the God of Hindus is the God of providing material prosperity as well as happiness. Hindus also believe in Dharma, their God for the law, as the holder of the world. They believe that all people are upheld by Dharma. In addition to this, Hindus also regard Dharma as the Truth. Dharma also controls both external and internal deeds; He is all powerful and knowing. Dharma is the leader; He directs one to Divine (Sivananda 23). Dharma leads one to the path of not only perfection, but also glory. However, Dharma is not greater than God. Hindus believe that it is through Dharma that they get in contact with God. In other words, Hindus believes in the existence of an intermediary between them and God. Just like Christians and Muslims, Hindus believe in the dwelling of God in heaven (Sivananda 23). Scientists also believe in one God. This is evidenced by the work of Albert Einstein, the contributor of Quantum Theory used in science today (Dimitrov 3). In his work, Einstein aimed at knowing how God created the world. From this, one can deduce that Einstein accepted God as the Creator of the world. In support of this, Einstein described God as all powerful and organized. According to Einstein, the marvelous arrangement of things in the universe and the ways laws obey depict the superiority of God (Dimitrov 3). Einstein also believes that all living things are living under God’s approval. In other words, scientists accept the fact that everything is under the control of God. In addition to this, Einstein also believed in the existence of a Spirit beyond the power of man. From his claim, one can also deduce that scientists accept that there exists a Spirit through which God gets in contact with His creatures. In relation to Einstein arguments about God, Max Planck, the father of modern physics also believed in God. According to Plank, “God stands for the former in the beginning and for the latter at the end of the whole thinking” (Dimitrov 8). From Planck’s assertion, one can confirm that scientists believe that God is all knowing. Planck also regards God as the protector. This is evidenced by his assertion that man feels only safe when he associates himself with God. Erwin Schroedinger, “the founder of new productive forms of atomic theory”, is also one of the scientists that believe in one God. Schroedinger claimed that God is eternal. In tandem with this assertion, Schroedinger argued that God cannot be encountered like other world pictures. According to him, God is un-comprehendible. In relation to key scientists’ believes, one can affirm that scientists also believe in God. In conclusion, God is all powerful and “One”. He is the only one who controls all the happenings in heaven as well as one earth. God is the creator of everything that exists on earth as well as heaven. God dwells in heaven where His throne is. He is the only one with the power of knowing the present and the future for He is the creator of everything. God is all merciful; He allows His Fatherly life flow to all people through His beloved Son who is Jesus. According to Christians, God is in three forms; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is provided by God to people as a helper. The Muslims on the other hand believe that God is only “One”. They also believe everything including leadership belongs to Him. Despite the Hindus having many Gods, they have one specific God that leaves in heaven. The Hindus believe that the God that dwells in heaven is the one that directs as well supervises other gods. Scientists also believe in one God. They believe that God is all knowing. They also believe that God is the Creator of everything that exists. Scientists also believe that all laws of force obey God because He was the Founder. Additionally, scientists associate the organization of the universe with organizational characteristic of God. To some up all about the truth about of God, one can deduce that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He uses thousands and thousands of messengers to communicate with all His dominion. God has infinite power in everything. God is all knowing and caring. Additionally, all people, Christians as well as non-Christians have one specific God that dwells in heaven. In other words, the creator of everything, God is one to all people. Works Cited Abdu’l-Hakim, Hasan. The Concept of God in Islam. Web. 11 April 2015. http://www.muslimsofcalgary.ca/userfiles/file/Useful_Links/The_Concept_of_God_in_Is lam.pdf Brame, David. What God Is: The Attributes of God. Web. 11 April 2015. http://www.ltbs.org/magazine/vol002_p10-11.pdf Clayton, David. Who is Telling the Truth About God? Web. 11 April 2015. http://www.smyrna.org/Books/Who_Is_Telling/Who%20is%20Telling%20the%20Truth %20About%20God.pdf Dimitrov, Tihomir. 50 Nobel Laureates and Other Great Scientists Who Believe in God. 1999. Web. 14 April 2015. http://nobelists.weebly.com/uploads/4/0/2/0/4020654/50-nobelists- english.pdf Sivananda, Sri. All About Hinduism. Web. 11 April 2015. http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf Read More