Well this is a very important question given that there are many diverse religions and cults in our world which are trying to provide an identity to this God crisis. One thing should be clear from the onset of this challenge is that all viewpoints about God are not equally valid and if you study comparative religions it is obvious that the notion of God is in some instances antithetical and irreconcilable between sects and therefore can not be adequately resolved. In these cases one could be right and the other wrong or they could both be wrong but they can’t both be right which would be a logical contradiction.
Eastern thought loves to embrace syncretism and pluralistic values in stating that all paths lead to the same reality like individuated streams making there way to the same reservoir of truth. Yet this oversimplification is not a honest and critical evaluation of these divergences. A better analogy is a reservoir whose outflow concerning the knowledge of God has become diluted and contaminated through its streams that have cut new channels in the bedrock of culture. If we were to somehow condense the central or essential elements between like religions there may be some similarities but the commonalities such as being classified as a religion doesn’t make Christianity identifiably Buddhist nor does it work in a floral arrangement either as a chrysanthemum is not a rose and therefore the saying goes that a rose is a rose is a rose. There are real differences here of which we can’t ignore and to say that it is all the same god with different expressions is to undermine these peculiarities leaving these religious world views without a real or unique expression. For instance if you were to just to take one defining point or basic component to religion by identifying the nature of God you would have a vast array of ontological differences relating to animism, pantheism, panentheism, polytheism, monotheism, etc.,etc. Obviously atheism such as found in traditional Buddhism and theism such as what represents classical Christian thought are mutually exclusive as they are not cooperative views about God. Satanism is a cult which is opposed to Christianity and desecrates anything considered sacred or holy by the Christian faith to such a point they hold blasphemous black masses and define human value by making such statements as evil is good and good is evil.
Again it may be tempting when we notice similarities to think that they are all worshipping the same God with different religious titles in being a manifestation of the same reality but to think or speak this way is a misstatement and an oversight to the reality of this problematic equation of defining God. For instance if you wanted to isolate the idea of “likeness” we also share allot in common with the genetic makeup of watermelons in that our bodies are largely made up of water and even though we are both living things that proceed from a common origin there are differences which sets us apart as separate substances. This idea of watermelon is just a ridiculous example of my point but the harmonizing of all religions is no less surreal.
Anyway I do recognize and concur that some of the similarities to religions is that we are all human beings which have common traits or more specifically perhaps there is a God who made all of mankind in His image with similar attributes as related to the generalities of human value which is a favorable argument for a monotheistic view towards God. Yet ironically this shared genetics and knowledge does not necessitate the worship of a common god or a god concept which according to biblical definition is due to the corruption of human nature which is a whole new subject which is beyond the scope of this post.
So from a biblical perspective the bible states that we intuitively know God through the universality of general revelation by means of our intelligence as we possess a moral aptitude of conscious and a seeable cognition regarding the created order which speaks and conveys a comprehensible message about God. This knowledge however can be and has been ignored by suppressing the truth in unrighteousness by giving way to false philosophies and religions which according to the author of Romans leaves us without excuse, Romans 1:18-2:16. Favorably speaking this idea is realized as some scientists, psychologists, and sociologists hold to Judeo-Christian thought but what is unimaginable is that there is a community which refuses to reason about God even though they are perhaps the best equipped in understanding this phenomenal extravaganza of such things as teleology in regards to the fine tuning of the universe or the complexities of the human psyche. This resistance of bias has an agenda which does not allow them to pass over the threshold of discovery due to their own personal presuppositions which adheres strongly to a naturalistic explanation to all things. They may delegate the concept of God to the metaphysical world of superstition which talks about such matters as faith and yet with forked tongue they can speak passionately and comfortably about conceptual ideas of unexplained hypothetical theories as if they are real but at the same time scoff about the idea of God. For instance I just watched a program on near death experiences and it became obvious at the end of the show what they wanted to accomplish through this program which was to reassure people not to fear death. Still they could not explain why some people had hellish experiences and just dismissed it as a minority view or an anomaly and in turn focused much of their time on the heavenly experiences of individuals. They also tried to attribute these situations to the release of brain chemicals but they could not offer solutions for those who had a familiarity with things outside of their ability to know whether it was someone who had lost brain activity but were still aware of their surroundings or a blind person who for the first time had visual images of real physical objects or the incidents of young children who have not yet had any kind of social conditioning but were able to communicate things beyond their capabilities.
So if they are able to succumb to these kinds of prejudices according to the strictest forms of discipline such as with the sciences then how much more can a person be deceived through some of the abstract ideas as related to philosophy or religion.
Anyway even with our human limitations if we begin our God quest by examining our motives through introspection this may be a good starting point towards finding a greater degree of illumination as we prayerfully and humbly research God in allowing the pieces of the puzzle to come together in forming a picture of a specific reality. This is how Lee Strobel and Josh McDowell who were both devout atheist/agnostics came to know God.
Furthermore if you would be open to begin this search with integrity in an openness/ readiness to embrace the answers wherever they may lead you then I believe that God will make a way to reveal Himself to you in a very real sense by which you can trust and submit your life to Him. After all I think He is more interested in revealing Himself to you then you are to discover Him. This isn’t about a game of hide and go seek as God desires to have an intimate relationship with His creation which finds fulfillment through a reciprocation of love. We can imagine this just as we have been given the gift of human love through the care and nurture of a mother which is a microcosm to the personal attributes of a loving God who created our mommies.
Anyway I have tried real hard not to include a lot of Christianese in this blog and yet I realize that it is nearly impossible for me to speak meaningfully about this subject without imposing my beliefs. However, since a person must begin somewhere in their investigation I would encourage you to consider the monotheistic view as embraced by the largest religious body in the world which supports a Christian worldview. If anything this will give you a point of reference as you begin to compare other religious views. I believe there are many favorable points to Christendom but one thing that sets it apart is the pragmatism of empirical evidence which goes beyond the abstractions of religious thoughts as testified by the many millions of radically changed lives including my own. I am including my families testimonies along with some others.
jesusandjews.com/wordpress/my-personal-testimony-with-jesus/
www.cbn.com/700club/features/Amazing/
Another thing to consider about Christianity is that it largely supports a value system of honesty and who deals with dishonesty with the most strictest of consequences so that even if there is a bias it is tempered with truth. Anyway here are some good Christian websites to begin your study and they contain a wealth of information on comparative religions and competing philosophies as well.
Additionally there are outside and secondary sources which can also be utilized as a means of verifiability in the study of literature, history, archaeology, and even scientific inquiry. You can view some of these issues on my blogsite at
In conclusion to this challenge it is obvious that each religious ideology has its own unique expression in which they can’t all be right and therefore this makes the process of choice essential and necessary. Also this process doesn’t give us permission to randomly pick by finding something that fits our own criteria as truth is independent of our conditional terms. Nor can we escape through default or by an impasse by taking the route of the skeptical agnostic as we are committed and accountable as reasoning beings who are cognitively connected to ultimate reality . To take a position that God can’t be known or that nothing can be spoken meaningfully about Him is to make an absolute statement which would imply that we are omniscient beings in which we are not.
This in turn does not suggest that we can know everything which is also wrong for all the same reasons but to say that we can know something about God is at least plausible whether now or futuristically.
If somehow you are really committed to taking this cynical approach are you willing to commit to this kind of skepticism in regards to other aspects of your life and if not are you just being selective due to ulterior motives?
So anyway I am sorry to close on such a harsh note its just that if God “is” then this must be something that has to be settled as it is the most significant aspect to living especially if He has given us the breath of life. Finally I hope you pray to God in asking to reveal Himself to you in a more specific and tangible way so as to believe upon Him.
Jeremiah 29:13
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.