BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY

God

And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except Me (Isaiah 45:22).

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy (James 4:12).

For even if there are so called gods whether in heaven or on earth as indeed there are many gods and lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. However not all men have this knowledge (I Corinthians 8:5-7).

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).

God is love (I John 4:8-9).

Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow (James 1:17).

A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land (Psalm 68:5-6).

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth (Psalm 145:18).

The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin--yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:6-7).

Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, and Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor (Habakkuk 1:13).

God...works all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:3, 11).

You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? (Romans 9:19-20).

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowiedge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! (Romans 11:33)

He< NOBR>...is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see (I Tirnothy 6:15-16).

No man has seen God at any time--the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father He has explained Him (John 1:18).

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Every word of God is tested--He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words lest He reprove you and you be proved a liar (Proverbs 30:5-6).

I, the Lord, do not change (Malachi 3:6).

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever (I Timothy 1:17).

BUDDHISM

God

The Buddha did not claim divinity or even a divine source for his teachings. He saw himself as only an example to fellow monks and compared his teachings to a raft that should be left behind once the other side of the river has been reached.

Many Buddhists believe the existence of suffering and evil in the world is evidence against belief in God.

Although belief in an ultimate God is opposed by nearly all Buddhists, the Mahayana school developed notions of the Buddha as still existing for the sake of men and propounded the existence of many semi-divine beings, who came to be represented in art and have been revered in ways very similar to worship of Hindu gods.

HINDUISM

God

Brahman is seen by many Hindus as a personal, loving God who desires the salvation of all men. More usually, however, he is described as a supreme, impersonal being completely above all creation and uninvolved with life on earth.

ISLAM

God

The majesty and might of Allah is often portrayed in the Koran, and it is emphasized that his purposes are always serious. Justice is Allah's most important feature for Muslims.

Allah is also merciful and compassionate, but that mercy is shown mainly in his sending messengers who proclaim the truth of man's responsibility to live according to Allah's dictates.

JUDAISM

God

God is not merely some supreme force but is a person, one with emotions of anger, sadness, and joy. He is above all a person with whom one can have a relationship; He desires to share the full gamut of emotions with men.

At the same time God has a certain remoteness. He is above the world, and His ways are often inscrutable to man. The tension between God's nearness and farness is a recurring theme of Judaism, leading to passionate appeals by Jews for communication with Him.

God is seen as continually active in a creative way, constantly working in the world to offer men the opportunity to fulfill their obligations toward Him and toward fellow men.

PRIMITIVE RELIGION

God

Most primitives do believe in one supreme, "high" God, who is the first source of all existence. But that God is usually considered too distant to be concerned with the affairs of men.

Primitive men are thus left to deal with local gods who are generally lacking in mercy and love. Their ways are not always predictable, and primitive men are usually concerned either to appease their anger or to gain material favors from them.

The gods are generally connected in some way with dead ancestors. That is, they relate to the tribe or clan and support the customs that have in the past kept the group functioning.