KCU/03/Lions

Topic 5: View of God matters?

Question: What difference does our view of God make? (Be sure to do more research into the issue. If the group cannot come to a consensus, feel free to each express your own opinions.)

Candice Jarvis's contribution: What difference does our view of God make?

   There are 8 dominant views of God found in major world religions. Monotheism is the belief that there is only one supreme God. Other spiritual beings may exist, such as angels and demons, but they are not God. Polytheism claims that there are many gods who are equal. Henotheism is the view that one supreme god exists, but other lesser gods are present also. Pantheism teaches that God is synonymous with nature. The two are inseperable, and therefore there is no personal God. The universe is god and god is the universe. Deism is the belief that an intelligent and powerful being created the universe, but no longer has contact with it. He is distant and never interacts with what he created. Atheism is well known as belief that there is no God. Agnosticism claims that even if a God exists we have no way of knowing anything about him.

 The eighth view is unique to Christianity is a monotheistic religion, since it believes in the existence of one God- Yahweh. It shares this belief with two other major religions, Judaism and Islam. However, Christianity is different than other monotheistic religions.  Although Christianity teaches that God is one, it distinguishes itself by belief in three distinct entities that constiute one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This unique three part God is referred to as the Trinity. Although the Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible, it is taught indirectly. 

2. Arguments for and against the trinity

3. Critics of Trinity

4. Modern Denominational Statements about Trinity

• One doctrine that all denominations of Christianity agree on

5. Other aspects of God

II. Different views of God within Christianity

A. 4 views

1. Authoritarian God

2. Critical God

3. Distant God

4. Benevolent God

III. Explain Benevolent God and why we believe

• Use refrences from Waking the Dead, The Sacred Romance, etc.

B. Findings of Baylor University studies of social actions and religious ties