DOCSLIB.ORG

Monotheism in the Nature of Prayer in the Abrahamic Religions

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Monotheism in the Nature of Prayer in the Abrahamic Religions Special Issue INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND January 2016 CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926 Monotheism in the Nature of Prayer in the Abrahamic Religions Qasem Kakaei1 Mahdi Mo’meni2 Abstract Prayer is one of the most fundamental and most important characteristic of religions, especially the monotheistic religions that contain a large part of the literature of all faiths. The nature of prayer in prayer in monotheistic religions has two major directions: God-man. God is located in the main direction of this nature as the faith in Him forms the prayer. It is belief in His oneness (tawhid) and belief in the fact that He is the only listener to every prayer. The belief in God’s tawhid in pious prayer will mean when man knows that the the beginning of every prayer is the spirit of monotheism. In other words, it is the establishment of a unique God, His servitude, and denying servitude of other than God or numerous gods. As a common point in monotheistic religions, this principle has formed a very close literature in available liturgical texts. A study on available liturgical texts can lead us to uncover the position of tawhid in the nature of pious prayers. Keywords: tawhid, Abrahamic religions, nature of prayer, prayer management. 1 Phd. Professor at Shiraz University. [email protected] 2 Phd Student, Islamic Sufism and Mysticism, Qom University of Religions and Denominations. [email protected] http://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/index Page 2342 Special Issue INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND January 2016 CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926 1. Introduction Religion means believing in something sacred (Tofighi, 2010, p. 13). Some believe that relgion is faith in spiritual existence or creatures and one or more superhuman forces. John Hick believes that it is not possible to find a single essence and unit nature covering all religions in the defining religion. Therefore, Islam, Buddha, and so on are called religion due to their family resemblances. Nevertheless, many scholars disagree with this idea and argue that religion is in general a system of doctrines and beliefs that can be categorized in different perspectives. On classification in this regard is the division into non-monotheistic religions (Shinto, Hinduism and Buddhism) and monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) (Tofighi, p. 16 and 17). On this basis, the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are the main religions of the world today. This study emphasizes on the monotheistic aspect of these religions and examines the position of tawhid (monotheism) in the nature of prayer in these religions. Prayer is one of the most fundamental and most important characteristic of religions, especially the monotheistic religions. (Brümmer, 2013, p. 1; Editor’s Introduction). One can say that prayer is the soul of religion, and without it, religion would be a cool, dry and lifeless body. Thus, a large part of the literature of all faiths is prayer. Man is living in the land of the events and changes. No man could far himself away from painful events both in present and future. Then, loss or accidents have plagued human beings; or it is expected that an event bring some damages to him. Prayer meets this purpose and every body has the ability to pray; thus, he must pray (Ibn Fahad Heli, 1407 hijri, p. 15). On the other hand, the spirit of prayer, or the spirit of the spirit of prophets’ invitation is prayer and connection to God.3 For the beginning of each pious prayer, one must suppose that there is an external reality outside that is superior and premiere to all aspects. In this regard, Friedrich Heiler counts the presuppositions for formation of a prayer as he argue that the main presuppositions of a simple prayer are faith in anthropomorphic features of God, [faith in] His real presence, [faith in] His changeable will, and [faith in] close and personal relationship with Him (Heiler, 2013, P. 155, 207 & 208).There is an indication of an essence beyond man, called God, in all presuppositions mentioned by Heiler. Hence, one can claim that the belief in God and perception of His presence are essential presuppositions in every prayer; they construct the principal pillars of every prayer. In other words, in addition to two pillars of man and his needs, there is another factor called God as the third pillar, which is common among the followers of Abrahamic religions and it is more prominent that other pillars. The third pillar, or God, can be studied in two general aspects. Frist, belief in the oneness of God in Abrahamic religions, which is called tawhid (monotheism) in this research and common literature. Second, attributes and qualities defined for God as the basic pillar in the nature of prayer; the prayer to God is met by taking into account these attributes and features. That is to say, God must have some attributes and features to enable human beings to connect to Him and ask Him about his needs. The attributes are divided in two groups of anthropomorphic and non- anthropomorphic attributes. Characteristics such a being available, listener, knowledgable, and powerful, which requires an independent research. َ 3 ,meaning prayer is the core of servitude); Deilami) ”عَنِ ِالنَّب يِ ِصِأَّن هِِقَاَلِِالُّدعَا ءِِ مخُِِّاْلع بَاَدة“ 1412 Hijri, Vol. 1, p. 148. http://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/index Page 2343 Special Issue INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND January 2016 CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926 2. Monotheistic Religions Some persons, like Will Durant, have defined religion as the Latin word “Relegere” meaning attention, grace, categorization, and care; others like, Winston King, have defined it as a derivation of “Religar” meaning “to join together” (Rabbani Golpayegani, p. 12). The term ‘religion’ has also been defined as habit, sense, mood, politics, idea, sentence, obedience, and punishment (Jamil Saliba, 1987, p. 354). Non-Monotheistic On classification divides religions into non-monotheistic religions and monotheistic religions. Monotheistic religions believe in monotheism, prophethood, and the resurrection. On the contrary, non-monotheistic religions reject these three doctrines. In this way, they speak of sharing instead of monotheism, wisdom instead of prophethood, and reincarnation instead of the resurrection (Tofighi, 2004: pp. 67,112). Defining monotheistic religions, Ibn Meisam Bahrani argues that religion literally means obedience and in religious terms is a sharia issued by the prophets. Following the sharia is a specific obedience. Therefore, the mere obedience has been used by the Legislator as an instance of sharia; due to the frequency of use, it [sharia] has been realized as its instances. When the term religion is used, this concept is conveyed (Ibn Meisam Bahrani, 1417 Hijri, pp. 264-265). Consequently, the term ‘monotheistic religions’ refers to spiritual religions stipulating some principles and rules from God by His prophets. According to Holy Quran and Islamic traditions, five celestial sharias have been sent to human beings by prophets during the course of history; they are sharia of Noah, Abraham's sharia, the sharia of Moses, the sharia of Jesus, and the sharia of the Holy Prophet, which is the last celestial religion (Rabbani Golpayegani, p. 13). There is no trace of the first two sharias independently. Only Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have been remained as monotheistic religions. 3. Monotheism or Unity The basic principle of the Abrahamic religions is the belief in monotheism. Monotheism (tawhid) is the most fundamental article of faith in Abrahamic religions. .”و-ح-د“ In Arabic, the word tawhid is equivalent for monotheism. It is derived from the root Literally, tawhid means unifying and consider as one. When the word is used for Almighty God, it conveys the confession and faith in the existence and oneness of God. Jorjani defined tawhid as, “tawhid means literally the judgment and knowledge to consider something one. For the seekers, it is abstraction of God’s nature from what enters in the minds of all” (Jorjani, 1991, p. 31). Therefore, arguing about oneness of God refers to the fact that His nature is unique; it does not accept decomposition, diversity, and division. He is single and a second party cannot be imagined for Him. Hence, it signifies two meanings: First, the expression that “God is one” while change and plurality is not relevant to His nature. His existence is not composed of different parts; but God is single and comprehensive. Second, the expression that God has no partner” to help Him in the Creation of world and its rules. This definition recognizes God’s divinity, confession to his unity, and negating any partners to Him. Monotheism in this regard explains the attribute that god is perfect so that no other partner is contributed in His perfection. He is one in the Creation and administration of the world; there is no effective cause beyond Him in the world (Jamil Saliba, p. 264). This definition of monotheism regardless of its details is the basic principle in Abrahamic religions. As monotheism is the most basic doctrine in Abrahamic religions, it is true to argue http://www.ijhcs.com/index.php/ijhcs/index Page 2344 Special Issue INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND January 2016 CULTURAL STUDIES ISSN 2356-5926 that the final cause for the mission of the prophets is expressing tawhid and perfection of man on its basis. It decides to foster a monotheist man in nature, attributes, and practices; one who sees nothing, but God (Sabzevari, 2004, p. 192). This type of education is manifested in the formation of prayers. 4. Unity of God in Judaism Based on what we have available now from Judaism, it is possible to state that Judaism is a monotheist, spiritual relion with moral doctrines; its symbol is Torah.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Invention Of
    How Did God Get Started? COLIN WELLS the usual suspects One day in the Middle East about four thousand years ago, an elderly but still rather astonishingly spry gentleman took his son for a walk up a hill. The young man carried on his back some wood that his father had told him they would use at the top to make an altar, upon which they would then perform the ritual sacrifice of a burnt offering. Unbeknownst to the son, however, the father had another sort of sacrifice in mind altogether. Abraham, the father, had been commanded, by the God he worshipped as supreme above all others, to sacrifice the young man himself, his beloved and only legitimate son, Isaac. We all know how things turned out, of course. An angel appeared, together with a ram, letting Abraham know that God didn’t really want him to kill his son, that he should sacrifice the ram instead, and that the whole thing had merely been a test. And to modern observers, at least, it’s abundantly clear what exactly was being tested. Should we pose the question to most people familiar with one of the three “Abrahamic” religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), all of which trace their origins to this misty figure, and which together claim half the world’s population, the answer would come without hesitation. God was testing Abraham’s faith. If we could ask someone from a much earlier time, however, a time closer to that of Abraham himself, the answer might be different. The usual story we tell ourselves about faith and reason says that faith was invented by the ancient Jews, whose monotheistic tradition goes back to Abraham.
    [Show full text]
  • Original Monotheism: a Signal of Transcendence Challenging
    Liberty University Original Monotheism: A Signal of Transcendence Challenging Naturalism and New Ageism A Thesis Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Divinity in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Ministry Department of Christian Leadership and Church Ministries by Daniel R. Cote Lynchburg, Virginia April 5, 2020 Copyright © 2020 by Daniel R. Cote All Rights Reserved ii Liberty University School of Divinity Thesis Project Approval Sheet Dr. T. Michael Christ Adjunct Faculty School of Divinity Dr. Phil Gifford Adjunct Faculty School of Divinity iii THE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY THESIS PROJECT ABSTRACT Daniel R. Cote Liberty University School of Divinity, 2020 Mentor: Dr. T. Michael Christ Where once in America, belief in Christian theism was shared by a large majority of the population, over the last 70 years belief in Christian theism has significantly eroded. From 1948 to 2018, the percent of Americans identifying as Catholic or Christians dropped from 91 percent to 67 percent, with virtually all the drop coming from protestant denominations.1 Naturalism and new ageism increasingly provide alternative means for understanding existential reality without the moral imperatives and the belief in the divine associated with Christian theism. The ironic aspect of the shifting of worldviews underway in western culture is that it continues with little regard for strong evidence for the truth of Christian theism emerging from historical, cultural, and scientific research. One reality long overlooked in this regard is the research of Wilhelm Schmidt and others, which indicates that the earliest religion of humanity is monotheism. Original monotheism is a strong indicator of the existence of a transcendent God who revealed Himself as portrayed in Genesis 1-11, thus affirming the truth of essential elements of Christian theism and the falsity of naturalism and new ageism.
    [Show full text]
  • King Henry School Year 7 Knowledge Organiser
    King Henry School Polytheism Atheism The Cosmological argument Year 7 Knowledge Organiser Hinduism is often depicted as a polytheistic According to thinkers like Richard The cosmological argument is an attempt to religion, which means the belief in many Religion and beliefs about God Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, prove the existence of God by the fact that Sources: gods that operate in the natural world. and Sam Harris, belief in God is things exist. It assumes that things must have a https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zygbtv4/revision/1 The three main deities in Hinduism, known irrational. Atheism has attracted cause, and that the chain of causes can only end Key Terms as the Trimurti, are Brahma, the creator, millions of people due to by a supernatural event. Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the bestselling books such as The God Literalist – a person who adheres to destroyer. The word Trimurti means ‘three Delusion and God Is Not Great. The Ontological argument. the literal representation of the bible. forms’. Non Literalist – a person who does not The Ontological argument rests on the take the literal interpretation of the identification of God as “that than which no Bible. Monotheism and Theist greater can be conceived”. Once it is understood Prayers – a request for help or that God is that than which no greater can be expression of thanks to God. There are still a large majority of people conceived, Anselm suggests, it becomes evident Miracles – an event that cannot be in the world who would consider that God must exist. In other words if God explained by science.
    [Show full text]
  • Between Monotheism and Tawhid: a Comparative Analysis
    Revelation and Science Vol. 03, No. 02 (1435H/2013) 23-29 Between Monotheism and Tawhid: A Comparative Analysis Abdurezak A. Hashi Department of Biotechnology, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia Abstract In contemporary academic discourse, there are instances of “monotheism” and “tawhid” being used as synonymous terms, as if these words signified the same conceptual connotations about the belief in, and the unity of, God. Consequently, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are categorized together as monotheistic religions. However, is it true that monotheism and tawhid are synonymous or identical concepts? Using analytical and comparative methods, this paper compares and contrasts these two terms, and identifies the conceptual and theological properties of each. Keywords: belief, unity of God, monotheism, tawhid Abstrak Dalam domain akademik kontemporari, terdapat insiden di mana ‘monoteisme’ dan ‘tauhid’ digunakan sebagai istilah sinonim; seolah-olah konsep-konsep ini menandakan penotasian konsep yang sama tentang kepercayaan dan kesatuan Tuhan dan menghasilkan agama seperti agama Yahudi, Kristian dan Islam, yang dikategorikan sebagai monoteis. Walau bagaimanapun, adakah benar bahawa monoteisme dan tauhid adalah konsep yang sinonim atau sama? Melalui kaedah analisis dan perbandingan, kajian ini bertujuan untuk membandingkan dan membezakan antara kedua-dua konsep, dan mengenalpasti ciri-ciri sebenar konsep dan teologi bagi setiap istilah. Kata kunci: kepercayaan, kesatuan Tuhan, monoteisme, tauhid Introduction: between monotheism and other thus monotheism teaches the sense of worshiping belief systems only one god. Third, monotheism includes the Monotheism is a combination of two words, ‘mono’ doctrine that there exists one god who is the source of and ‘theism’. The former is from the Greek origins, life.iii Thus, monotheism represents the belief in one and it means ‘one’ or ‘single’, while theism is also personal God, who is the creator and the ruler of the derived from the Greek word theos or God, thus universe.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pantheism of Goethe in Its Relation to That of Spinoza
    University of Iowa Iowa Research Online Theses and Dissertations 1918 The pantheism of Goethe in its relation to that of Spinoza Hans Naether State University of Iowa Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd This work has been identified with a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0. Material in the public domain. No restrictions on use. This thesis is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4084 Recommended Citation Naether, Hans. "The pantheism of Goethe in its relation to that of Spinoza." MA (Master of Arts) thesis, State University of Iowa, 1918. https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.xi8mcgqv Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd THE PANTHEISM OF GOETHE IN ITS RELATION TO THAT OF SPINOZA. A THESIS submitted to The Faculty of the Graduate College of the State University of Iowa in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS by Hans Naether. State University of Iowa 1918. TABLE Of CONTENTS. Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION. 1-8. Chapter 2. MARKED INFLUENCES IN THE 'DEVELOPMENT OF GOETHE ’s THOUGHT. 4-13. Chapter 8. WHAT IS PANTHEISM? 14-16. ! Chapter 4. THE PANTHEISM OF GO^TBE.c"' 19-25. Chapter 5. DID SFIN07A TEACH AN IMMANENT GOD? 26-29. Chapter 6. THE RELATION OE GOETHE. TO SPIN02A . 80-47. Chapter 7. GOETHE’S C M CONCEPTION OE GOD. 46-55. Chapter 8. GCETHE.'S PHILO POPE'S IN FAUST. 46-72. Chapter S. GOETHE’S 'APPROACH TO THEISM. 73—j—96. 1. THE PANTHEISM OE GOETHE IN ITS RELATION TO THAT 0? SPINOZA.
    [Show full text]
  • Luther on Idolatry: a Lutheran Response to Contemporary False Belief
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Concordia Seminary Scholarship 5-1-2013 Luther on Idolatry: A Lutheran Response to Contemporary False Belief Michael Lockwood Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/phd Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Lockwood, Michael, "Luther on Idolatry: A Lutheran Response to Contemporary False Belief" (2013). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. 60. https://scholar.csl.edu/phd/60 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. It is the trust and faith of the heart alone that make both God and an idol.... Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God. Luther, Large Catechism I 2-3. The highest forms of religion and holiness, and the most fervent forms of devotion of those who worship God without the Word and command of God, are idolatry.... every such form of religion, which worships God without His Word and command, is idolatry. The more spiritual and holy it appears to be, the more dangerous and destructive it is; for it deflects men from faith in Christ and causes them to rely on their own powers, works, and righteousness. Luther, 1535 Galatians Commentary, LW 27:87- 88.
    [Show full text]
  • Abandonment of Faith Among Jewish Survivors of the Holocaust Jennifer Lassley University of Nebraska-Omaha
    International Social Science Review Volume 90 | Issue 2 Article 3 2015 A Defective Covenant: Abandonment of Faith among Jewish Survivors of the Holocaust Jennifer Lassley University of Nebraska-Omaha Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/issr Part of the Anthropology Commons, Communication Commons, Economics Commons, Geography Commons, International and Area Studies Commons, Political Science Commons, and the Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons Recommended Citation Lassley, Jennifer (2015) "A Defective Covenant: Abandonment of Faith among Jewish Survivors of the Holocaust," International Social Science Review: Vol. 90: Iss. 2, Article 3. Available at: http://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/issr/vol90/iss2/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Nighthawks Open Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Social Science Review by an authorized administrator of Nighthawks Open Institutional Repository. A Defective Covenant: Abandonment of Faith among Jewish Survivors of the Holocaust Cover Page Footnote Jennifer Lassley is a graduate student in the history department at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. This article is available in International Social Science Review: http://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/issr/vol90/iss2/3 Lassley: A Defective Covenant A Defective Covenant: Abandonment of Faith among Jewish Survivors of the Holocaust Wenn es einen Gott gibt muß er mich um Verzeihung bitten. – Unknown The phrase above was carved into the prison cell walls of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Although the authorship is unknown, this prisoner’s words hold considerable weight. In English, the phrase translates to “If there is a God, He will have to beg my forgiveness.”1 Religious victims of the Holocaust were confronted with the ultimate test of faith.
    [Show full text]
  • IJHR-History-A Brief Historical Survey of the Monotheistic
    International Journal of History and Research Vol.1, Issue 1 (2011) 33-44 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd., A BRIEF HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE MONOTHEISTIC CONCEPT IN RELIGIOUS BELIEF AND PRACTICE Md. Abu Sayem Assistant Professor Department of World Religions and Culture, University of Dhaka Cell Phone: 8801552633314 Email: [email protected], [email protected] ABSTRACT The term monotheism is a very popular and well known concept in the study of religious belief and practice to identify God as only one Supreme Being. According to the sacred texts of the monotheistic religions, first human being was not only introduced with this concept but also was commissioned to convey this message to other human beings. As contrast to this, most modern historians are, more or less, confused by their own findings about its origin and development. Nevertheless, some of them agree to earlier view with their logical reasoning. In this present paper monotheism is, therefore, discussed from a brief historical survey in order that more explicit knowledge to be reflected on its origin and development. Key-Points of the paper Before going to the details, let me shortly point out the key-points of the paper based on which this presentation will go on. The paper usually begins with a traditional introduction in which the gist of the whole discussion is supposed to be left. Then the paper defines monotheism from historical and philosophical point of view and it will be followed by a precise but valued historical survey of religions which will be, by turn, discussed under such seven sub-points as origin Md.
    [Show full text]
  • The Idea of God
    THE IDEA OF GOD In 1963 a small book was published by an Anglican bishop, a book that caused a religious storm both in Great Britain and America.’ In Honest to God Bishop John Robinson dared to suggest that the idea of God that has been dominant in western civilization for centuries is irrelevant to the needs of modem men and women. The survival of religion in the West, Robinson argued, requires that this traditional picture of God be discarded in favor of a profoundly different concep- tion of God, a conception Robinson professed to perceive emerging in the work of twentieth-century religious thinkers such as Paul Tillich and Rudolf Bultmann. Robinson correctly predicted the reaction to his thesis, pointing out that it was bound to be resisted as a betrayal of what the Bible says. Not only would the vast majority of Church people oppose his view, but those who rejected belief in God would resent the suggestion that the idea of God was already dead or at least dying. In letters to the editor of the London Times, in articles in scholarly jour- nals, and in pulpits on two continents, Robinson was attacked as an atheist in bishop’s garments, and only infrequently defended as a prophet of a new revolu- tion taking place within the Judeo-Christian religious tradition. A look at some of Robinson’s ideas will help us in our effort to sort out different ideas of God and to focus on that idea of God which will be the center of our attention throughout most of this book.
    [Show full text]
  • Feeling Is Believing: Inspiration Encourages Belief In
    PSSXXX10.1177/0956797617743017Critcher, LeeFeeling Belief in God 743017research-article2018 Research Article Psychological Science 2018, Vol. 29(5) 723 –737 Feeling Is Believing: Inspiration © The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Encourages Belief in God DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617743017 10.1177/0956797617743017 www.psychologicalscience.org/PS Clayton R. Critcher1 and Chan Jean Lee2 1Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, and 2College of Business, KAIST Abstract Even without direct evidence of God’s existence, about half of the world’s population believes in God. Although previous research has found that people arrive at such beliefs intuitively instead of analytically, relatively little research has aimed to understand what experiences encourage or legitimate theistic belief systems. Using cross-cultural correlational and experimental methods, we investigated whether the experience of inspiration encourages a belief in God. Participants who dispositionally experience more inspiration, were randomly assigned to relive or have an inspirational experience, or reported such experiences to be more inspirational all showed stronger belief in God. These effects were specific to inspiration (instead of adjacent affective experiences) and a belief in God (instead of other empirically unverifiable claims). Being inspired by someone or something (but not inspired to do something) offers a spiritually transcendent experience that elevates belief in God, in part because
    [Show full text]
  • Idolatry, Indifference, and the Scientific Study of Religion: Two New Humean Arguments
    Religious Studies, Page 1 of 21 © Cambridge University Press 2018 doi:10.1017/S0034412518000653 Idolatry, indifference, and the scientific study of religion: two new Humean arguments DANIEL LINFORD Department of Philosophy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA e-mail: [email protected] JASON MEGILL Department of Philosophy, Bentley University, Waltham, MA 02452, USA e-mail: [email protected] Abstract: We utilize contemporary cognitive and social science of religion to defend a controversial thesis: the human cognitive apparatus gratuitously inclines humans to religious activity oriented around entities other than the God of classical theism. Using this thesis, we update and defend two arguments drawn from David Hume: (i) the argument from idolatry, which argues that the God of classical theism does not exist, and (ii) the argument from indifference, which argues that if the God of classical theism exists, God is indifferent to our religious activity. Introduction Let’s say that idolatry is religious activity centred on a real or imagined entity other than the God of classical theism. While idolatry has often been dis- cussed as an accusation lodged by one religion against another, we introduce, develop, and defend two irreligious arguments, originating with David Hume, util- izing idolatry, which we call the ‘argument from idolatry’ and the ‘argument from indifference’. Both suppose that if God desired for humans not to be idolatrous, the human cognitive apparatus would not gratuitously incline humans to idolatry. The two arguments differ on whether classical theism entails that God desires for us not to be idolatrous. The argument from idolatry supposes the god of classical theism would desire for us to avoid idolatry; in that case, our gratuitous natural inclination to idolatry entails that no such god exists.
    [Show full text]
  • Bible Study #1: Name and Gender of God
    Part 1: One Body, Similar Members ONE BODY Bible Studies MANY MEMBERS Bible Study #1: Name and Gender of God Exodus 3:13-15; Images of God: A Reflection Isaiah 49:15, 63:16, and 66:13; Matthew 23:37(Luke 13:34); Use the following reflection as a reference on the themes John 14:8-11a of the suggested passages. Bible study or group lead- ers, read it in advance and summarize it for the group if you think that will help. Or you can hand it out to partici- Photocopy the suggested passages or write pants to take home for further study. them on a board for participants to look up in their Bibles. Divide the participating body Belief in God is central to Christianity. The God Christians into three groups to share with each other the believe is the one who has been disclosed to humans on caricatures of God that are enshrined in the God’s own will throughout human history as recorded in passages. the Bible. However, the Gospel of John 1:18 categori- cally states that no human has seen God except his son Group 1 can devote attention to the name/s of Jesus Christ. In spite of the general acknowledgement God (Exodus 3:13-15) that God is beyond any known or existing materials and living creatures on earth, Christians as well as people Group 2 can devote attention to male images of other faiths have portrayed God in a variety of ways. of God (Isaiah 63:16b, 66:13, John 14:8-11a) They have projected on God what was familiar to them.
    [Show full text]