 |
|
|
|
September 1st, 2013
03:26 AM ET
Do Christians, Muslims and Jews worship the same God?Opinion by Jeffrey Weiss, Special to CNN (CNN) - Pope Francis surprised Israeli and Palestinian leaders last month when he invited them to a special prayer ceremony at the Vatican this Sunday - not least because religion has often been the source, not the salve, of the region's conflicts. Still, Pope Francis offered his "home" - the Vatican - as the perfect place to plea for some divine assistance, and Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dutifully agreed to attend. "The Pope has placed it in this perspective: Prayer is like a force for peace,” Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin told Vatican Radio. "We hope that there, where human efforts have so far failed, the Lord offers to all the wisdom and fortitude to carry out a real peace plan." But Sunday's special ceremony at the Vatican raises an interesting question: When Francis, Peres and Abbas bow their heads in prayer, will they be talking to the same God? After all, Jews, Christians and Muslims all trace their faiths back to a fellow named Abraham, whom they all claim was chosen for special treatment by the Almighty. Not academic The “same God” question is one theologians have hammered at for as long as there have been enough religions for the query to make sense. The question is hardly academic, though. In fact, a number of politicians, religious leaders and scholars have expressed hope in recent years that a convincing answer on the God question might dampen the violence committed in His name. Yale Divinity School theologian Miroslav Volf recently edited a book titled “Do We Worship the Same God? Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Dialogue.” In the introduction, Volf explained why the title question matters:
On the other hand, there’s CNN Belief Blog contributor and Boston University religion professor Stephen Prothero. His book on this subject is titled “God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run The World.” Prothero writes:
In the world of politics, President George W. Bush asserted the unity side of the argument more than once in the years after the 9/11 attacks - often as a way to deflect accusations that America was at war with Islam. Bush told Al Arabiya television, “I believe there is a universal God. I believe the God that the Muslim prays to is the same God that I pray to. After all, we all came from Abraham. I believe in that universality.” Pope Francis invites Israeli, Palestinian leaders to Vatican peace talks Pope John Paul II drew from the same rhetorical well several times. “We believe in the same God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection,” he first said in a speech to Muslims in Morocco in 1985. Looking for a more recent example? Consider the plight of Vatican envoy to Malaysia. Shortly after he arrived there last year, Archbishop Joseph Marino said that is was fine by him that Christian translations of the Bible into Malay use the word “Allah” for “God.” “Allah” is, of course, the Arabic word for God and is found in the Quran. The Christian translators explained that since most Malaysians are Muslim, it’s the word they’re most comfortable with and therefore the best choice for the translation. But many Muslim authorities in Malaysia were furious. They say Christians are slipping in the familiar word as a way to convert Muslims. And conversion of Muslims is all but illegal in Malaysia. There’s a lawsuit ongoing about the translations. Marino had to apologize for pushing into Malaysian politics. Points of disagreement So what do the “Abrahamic” religions disagree about? Among other things: the purpose of humanity, the relationship of God and humanity, sin, forgiveness, salvation, the afterlife, Jesus, Muhammad, the calendar, and the religious importance of Abraham himself. Plus the nature of God. Any summary will leave out enormous nuance. Internal divisions within religions have fueled some of the worst examples of human violence. Consider the long and frequently bloody history of troubles between Catholics and Protestants or the growing death toll of Muslim-on-Muslim attacks. But there are common elements about God widely accepted in each tradition. Judaism Start with Judaism, since it came first and established roots that carried into the other two. Jewish tradition teaches that there is one and only one God, creator of everything, and He established physical and moral laws. As Judaism’s preeminent prayer says: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” This God walks and talks directly with His creations – for a while. Eventually, He chooses one particular nomad (Abraham) to father a mighty nation that God sets up as an example to other nations. This God likes the smell of burning meat and demands other extremely specific physical offerings as evidence of obedience and repentance. And He gives His chosen people a particular set of laws – but doesn’t mind discussion and even argument about those laws. A famous rabbinic saying implies that every word in Judaism’s sacred texts can be understood in 70 correct (but related) ways. And human reasoning can even trump divine intention. (No kidding. It’s in the Talmud) This God judges His people every year. Tradition says he’s willing to accept imperfection, as long as it comes with repentance. He’s big on obedience, not so much on faith. He’s not nearly as attentive to the behaviors of non-Jews. (There’s a famous Jewish joke with the punch line “Would you mind choosing somebody else once in a while?”) Tradition holds that there’s a World To Come after death where moral accounts will somehow be settled. But this God is vague on details. Christianity The most obvious differences in the Christian God are the traditional teachings about the Trinity and Jesus. God is three separate persons who are also one. How? Christianity says the Trinity is a “mystery” of faith. According to Christian tradition, God begets a son who is somehow also Him but not Him to atone for Original Sin. He sacrifices that son though a brutal death and thus achieves humanity's salvation. But the son, who also is God, rises from the dead. And that sacrifice redeems eternally all who accept and believe in it. Faith, not behavior, is the essential measure of salvation. This God is willing to vastly expand what it means to be among His “chosen people.” He’s also willing to cancel many of the laws that had applied to that chosen group for this expanded membership. Orthodox Jews say that God prohibits them from eating a cheeseburger; Christians say God has no problem with them wolfing down Big Macs. Unlike the Jewish God, whose instructions are almost all about this world, the Christian God is focused more on eternal salvation: heaven and hell. Finally, for this God, much of the Jewish scriptures (which are all God’s word) are actually about foreshadowing Jesus. Including Abraham. Islam The Muslim God is a bit more like the Jewish God. There is no Trinity in Muslim tradition. Jesus was a prophet, but no more divine than other prophets. God has never has had anything like physical attributes and has no gender. (Some Muslim commentators say that the noun “Allah” is masculine, but only in the way that all nouns in some languages include gender.) Muslim tradition holds that God wants one thing from humans: Submission. The word “Islam” is defined as “submission to the will of God.” For Muslims, all true prophets in Jewish and Christian traditions were actually Muslim because they knew to submit correctly to God. Differences between Muslim, Jewish and Christian interpretations of God are due to errors that crept into the other two faiths, Islam teaches. The Muslim God, like the other two, initially demanded that Abraham sacrifice a son. But the Muslim God wanted Abraham’s son Ishmael, not Isaac, who Jewish tradition holds was offered as a the sacrifice. The Muslim God also designated, from before the world began, a perfect man to be his final prophet: Muhammad. God’s perfect truths are found only in the Quran and in the sayings of Muhammad, the hadiths. And the Muslim God, like the Christian God but unlike the Jewish God, will welcome believers to paradise and condemn many non-Muslims - exactly which ones is a matter of much discussion - to eternal torment. Final answer So do Christians Muslims, and Jews, really all worship the same God? In two major volumes on the subject recently published by scholars from various faiths and traditions, including Volf’s, the most inclusive response from these scholars is basically: Yes, and it’s our God. This is not a new way of answering the question. In 1076, Pope Gregory VII wrote this to a Muslim leader: “We believe in and confess one God, admittedly, in a different way…” But like many other religious leaders on all sides of the argument, Gregory insisted that his version of the Almighty is the one whom the others are unknowingly and incompletely worshiping. A less exclusivist set of religions might shrug off the differences. But all three claim to have the only “True Faith.” So do all three faiths actually worship the same deity, whether they call him God or Allah or Adonai? God only knows. Jeffrey Weiss is an award-winning religion reporter in Dallas.The views expressed in this column belong to Weiss. A version of this story first ran in September 2013. CNN's Daniel Burke contributed to this article. soundoff (7,438 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 Next »
Next entry »Pope condemns use of chemical weapons in Syria
« Previous entryIs this the first papal selfie?
|
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
|
|
|
I wish we humans can be invaded by some aliens to units us in one front. Whether it was Jesus or Moses or Muhammad, they all came with a purpose i.e. to have faith in God and believe that He is the creator of life and death. Today, with slightest of efforts, one can easily practice worshiping God in harmony and respect. Wish I can see the day infront of my eyes soon...
It works better if we see ourselves as brothers and sisters of humanity in unity without the crutch of a higher power....deities are not human by definition
From man's perspective within any Abrahamic religion, all 3 religions having the same god can make sense. You simply rationalize that the other 2 religions got the god right, they just drifted away from the right interpretations and rules.
From outside those religions, it makes no sense. Why would an omnipotent god let his people get the god right but stray on the rules and interpretations? The only rational conclusion is there is no such god in reality and they share a common mythological god.
My question is did Jebus screw his own mother to be conceived or did the Casper the Holy Ghost do the honors?
Lou, you are foul. Typical athesist rectum licker.
I have a god...he got cooler gear then your deity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrrky5Jg9D0
Typical christian frozen flag pole licker.
Calm down, I don't care what you all are talking at least respect each other
Respect is earned, but I agree courtesy can sometimes be lacking in these forums.
I mean courtesy I suppose when I say that, so I agree with you, that was all I was saying
Lou asks a fair question I think.
Religiousness is bigger than any other religion......organized religion is a JOKE and the state of this planet is a reflection of organized religion....
Steakedness is bigger than any other Steak......over cooked steak is a JOKE and the state of this planet is a reflection of bad cooks....
Yeah True...shove up the steak just like the priests were doing it to little boys in the name of the Jesus ...
Dan Quale, is that you? Oh wait, he's the tomatoe with an e guy.
Never mind.
I know that I can never be "good enough" in my own human fallibility to please God. Thank God that he still loves me and gave His Son Jesus to be my salvation.
Just like a deity needing a blood sacrifice to sedate his thrust
Ok, well, I got one for you. Did it occur to you that God, who required the sacrifice, sent Himself to be that sacrifice, to show is love for the world. See, God isn't a judge or a banker in Heaven counting people's debts against them; He's a father that just wants to reconcile the world He mad back to Him
My question is did Jebus screw his own mother to be conceived or did the Casper the Holy Ghost do the honors?
Well, the Bible actually says a lot about this. The short story is that the Holy Spirit came into Mary and she became pregnant
I find the whole idea of blood sacrifices, human sacrifices, and burnt offerings repugnant. The idea of murdering your child to satisfy your blood lust is evil.
I won't bow to a deity that requires bloodshed and human sacrifice to be appeased.
Well for one sacrifices don't appease God, as Hebrews 10 explains. But again the point of Jesus dying isn't that God requires a sacrifice but rather the point is that God loves us so much that he was willing to send His son to die for us
I meant made, my bad
I believe in many God's, so I say they all worship the same one.
Gods, not God's.
Dippy, please!
gods, not Gods or God's
"Breathing Underwater" by Metric
There is only one God! God manifested himself to different cultures in different ways so that the early societies could grasp and understand him. There is only one God!
Proof?
Why did he have to come to the Americas on a boat then?
Nice question 🙂
James, there is only zero gods! Get real, man! You can do it.
Time is running out!
http://www.wikipoops.com
No, we don't worship the same God.
There's only one God, Jesus, in Heaven.
The rest are just a joke, or an insult, depending on your point of view.
Muslims kill people who try to draw Mohammad... not the same God.
And Christians turn their god into an idol (and until the 1700s routinely killed people for not worshipping the idol or worshipping it incorrectly).
I assume that you are referring to the Crusades and other wars of religion
Amongst other things, although I don't blame religion for any war. Men will kill other men regardless. It's the nature of mankind.
My point of view is that your god is a long decayed corpse at best...
Where's the body? It's been 2000 years. Surely someone has found it by now.
Thanks for visiting http://www.wikipoops.com
"My Fall" by Cowboy Junkies
that atheists have nothing to offer other than their futile attempts to discredit christ and his followers, doesn't seem to trouble them. striving night and day to convince anyone willing to listen to them that all their paranoid ideations matter, without demonstrating they are enjoying a better quality life, is an uphill battle.
besides their overt misery and bitterness, they fail utterly at living contented lives. they are here and everywhere moaning and groaning, crying and complaining, hysterically portraying how christians ruined them.
Your stereotype is amusing. Sometimes I'm happy, Sometimes I'm sad. I don't have to prove I'm living a better to anyone. It's none of my business what kind of life you lead, nor is it any of yours what kind I lead. I really don't care. I do care, however, when religious people try to interfere with secular laws and education. Spending my time trying to get religious people to leave the rest of us alone is a worthwhile expenditure of effort. You go do your religious thing if it makes you happy.
Get it?
".........................secular laws and education. .............................." Antichrists with their socie mobs on the one hand and the rich on the other. The puppet master knows how to rule the world.
hharri, wow. What does quality of life and belief in lies have to do with one another?
you'd be more successful making converts to your religion if you demonstrated some happiness as you proselytize.
atheists never grasp the truth. their misery clouds everything. pity. especially the impact they leave on their kids.
i will do everything humanly possible to fortify the laws that i believe in. i do everything i can to express in word and deed the reality of jesus christ, whether or not others oppose me.
quit proselytizing. no one is buying the garbage you regurgitate.
hharri seeing that you are totally unable to enjoy life being monitored by your jealous alien i can see why you imagine others live life as fearful as you. Relax, enjoy l life and see the true beauty of the world as it has evolved, and our place in the universe.. that is the true path to peace and it has always been.
De profundis clamo ad te
Domine
Domine
Audi vocem meam
Fiant aures tuae intentae
Ad vocem abse creationis meae
Si delictarum memorium
Serva neris
Domine
Domine...
too bad children of atheists never experience the mystery and beauty and confidence that greets and soothes the child with a jealous parent. like a mother bear with a threatened cub. a real mother determined to do what is right for her kids no matter the personal price.
Amazing how hairry seems to know what's in the hearts of all atheists. It must be nice to be so certain about everything!
Roma est in Italia.
Italia paene insula est.
"Bulldozers and Dirt" by Drive-By Truckers
http://www.radioio.com
"Did every culture invent the same god?" - similar cultures invented similar gods, yes. Trying to make them the same god after the fact is just a silly exercise.
Idk, it would be nice to go back and read the minds of the people that invented religions, the problem being, most of the, aw dead. My guess is that there is a God shaped void in the hearts of all people and people everywhere are simply trying to fill it
My guess is that there is a God shaped void in the hearts of all people and people everywhere are simply trying to fill it
Good grief, Will! Even Hallmark stopped using that silly platitude about twenty years ago.
Yeah, but it is true none the less. When you are thirsty, you get a drink. People all over the world do this, and much like religion, they do it in very different ways, some walk to rivers, others ponds or creeks, and other simply turn the tap or use the water dispenser on their fridge.
No, it is not true. You believe it is true. That does not make it so.
Millions of people all over the world live happy, healthy, productive lives without the need for your particular deity. To tell them that somehow they are incomplete because your book says so is a slap in the face.
No, it's not, I'm saying this from personal experience, I have at times turned from God and every time I do, I always try to satisfy myself on something, and every time I try to satisfy myself with something other than God, I remain unsatisfied. Because God is the only thing that can satisfy a person. I just want people to know the God that I do and see how much He loves them, that's all
If you ask me, that "god shaped hole" is a need for certainty in our lives. As pattern-recognition machines, we don't like it when something is "probable" or "likely". We want to KNOW something (anything) is true so we can hang the rest of our beliefs on that certainty.
Personally, I believe that this need for certainty has been the cause of much strife in the world. When you are certain of your position (i.e. KNOW) it is very difficult for new information to change that belief.
Do you believe that certainty is the problem or the solution?
Cancer – The Forbidden Cures v
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWLrfNJICeM&feature=player_detailpage
Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of hemp fields..?- Henry Ford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWLrfNJICeM&feature=player_detailpage
It is common for Christians to call their God the God of Israel – the same God as that worshipped by religious Jews. I am curious, are there followers of Judaism who acknowledge that their God has a triune nature, that their God is incarnate, and that it needed and was satisfied by a human sacrifice?
SHort answer is yes
Longer answer is that they're called messianic jews and there's a sect that believes that Jesus was the messiah, that there is a triune god and that Jesus died for our sins.
There are also sects of judaism that are messianic in nature but don't believe in the triune god or the sacrifical aspect like christianity. For instance there are solid amount of jews who believe in the Kochba (sp?), a Jew not long after jesus who was believed to be the messiah and then disappeared into the mountains and presumed to one day come out of hiding and return.
Reblogged this on newageoftruth and commented:
Could this be possible what do you think about this one?
You read the article? What is the gist of it?
easy answer to this is No we do not worship the same God.
So the God of the Old Testament is not the same as the God of the New Testament?
They are the same God, at least from a Christ prospective. They seem to act very differently but ultimately, they are the same
Agreed, there's a lot more to it. But that's the truth
Of course they worship the same god. It is all based off of the same myth.
Dr. Coldwell: Every Cancer Can Be Cured In Two To Sixteen Weeks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpvrPBd7v-U&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udb5cVN2BOE&feature=player_detailpage
Only the following gods will be allowed to be discussed or worshipped going forward:
– A –
Agdistis or Angdistis
Ah Puch
Ahura Mazda
Alberich
Allah
Amaterasu SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
An
Anahita WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Anansi
Anat
Andvari
Anshar
Anu
Ads
California Health PlansCA.GoHealthInsurance.comBlue Cross, United, Aetna, & More. Affordable California Health Plans!
optionMONSTER® Expertswww.optionMONSTER.comJon & Pete Najarian & Guy Adami Share Their Tips, Tricks & Research
Zeus Family Treewww.myheritage.comFind your ancestry and create a family tree for free!
Aphrodite LOVE GODDESSES
Apollo SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Apsu
Ares WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Artemis MOON GODS AND GODDESSES
Asclepius
Athena WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Athirat
Athtart
LOVE GODDESSES | WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Atlas
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– B –
Baal
Ba Xian
Bacchus
Balder
Bast
Bellona WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Bergelmir
Bes
Bixia Yuanjin
Bragi
Brahma
Brigit
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– C –
Camaxtli WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Ceres
Ceridwen
Cernunnos
Chac
Chalchiuhtlicue
Chang Hsi See Heng-O.
Charun
Chemosh WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Cheng-huang
Cybele
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– D –
Dagon
Damkina (Dumkina)
Davlin
Dawn
Demeter
Diana MOON GODS AND GODDESSES
Di Cang
Dionysus
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– E –
Ea
El
Enki
Enlil
Eos
Epona
Ereskigal
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– F –
Farbauti
Fenrir
Forseti
Fortuna
Freya LOVE GODDESSES
Freyr SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Frigg
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– G –
Gaia
Ganesha
Ganga
Garuda SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Gauri
Geb
Geong Si
Guanyin
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– H –
Hades
Hanuman
Hathor LOVE GODDESSES
Hecate (Hekate)
Helios SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Heng-o (Chang-o or Chang Hsi) MOON GODS AND GODDESSES
Hephaestus
Hera
Hermes
Hestia
Hod
Hoderi
Hoori
Horus
Hotei
Huitzilopochtli
WAR GODS AND GODDESSES | SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Hsi-Wang-Mu
Hygeia
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– I –
Inanna
LOVE GODDESSES | WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Inti SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Iris
Ishtar LOVE GODDESSES
Isis LOVE GODDESSES
Ixtab
Izanaki
Izanami
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– J –
Janus WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Jesus
Juno
Jupiter
Juturna
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– K –
Kagutsuchi
Kartikeya WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Khepri
Ki
Kingu
Kinich Ahau
Kishar
Krishna
Kuan-yin
Kukulcan
Kvasir
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– L –
Lakshmi
Leto
Liza SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Loki
Lugh SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Luna MOON GODS AND GODDESSES
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– M –
Magna Mater
Maia
Marduk
Mars WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Mazu
Medb
Mercury
Mimir
Min
Minerva WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Mithras SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Morrigan WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Mot
Mummu
Muses
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– N –
Nammu
Nanna MOON GODS AND GODDESSES
Nanna (Norse)
Nanse
Neith WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Nemesis
Nephthys
Neptune
Nergal
Ninazu
Ninhurzag
Nintu
Ninurta WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Njord
Nugua LOVE GODDESSES
Nut
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– O –
Odin
Ohkuninushi
Ohyamatsumi
Orgelmir
Osiris
Ostara
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– P –
Pan
Parvati
Phaethon
Phoebe
Phoebus Apollo
Pilumnus
Poseidon
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– Q –
Quetzalcoatl
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– R –
Rama
Re SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Rhea
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– S –
Sabazius
Sarapis
Sarasvati
Selene MOON GODS AND GODDESSES
Shiva
Seshat
Seti (Set) WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Shamash
Shapsu
Shen Yi
Shiva
Shu
Si-Wang-Mu
Sin MOON GODS AND GODDESSES
Sirona
Sol SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Surya
Susanoh
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– T –
Tawaret
Tefnut
Tezcatlipoca
Thanatos
Thor
Thoth
Tiamat
Tianhou
Tlaloc
Tonatiuh SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Toyo-Uke-Bime
Tyche
Tyr WAR GODS AND GODDESSES
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– U –
Utu SUN GODS AND GODDESSES
Ullr
Uzume
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– V –
Vediovis
Venus LOVE GODDESSES
Vesta
Vishnu
Volturnus
Vulcan
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– X –
Xipe
Xi Wang-mu
Xochipilli
Xochiquetzal
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– Y –
Yam
Yarikh MOON GODS AND GODDESSES
Yhwh
Ymir
Yu-huang
Yum Kimil
Top of Page
--------------------------–
– Z –
Zeus
Jesus, often imitated, never duplicated.