This entry discusses how the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam deal with God and gender. It includes both traditional religious views, and modern views of these faiths, especially as to how modern feminism has influenced the theology of these religions. Monotheists hold a belief in one God as a fundamental religious principle. In Judaism and Islam, God is believed to be sexless, but has been traditionally referred to using male grammatical gender. In Christianity, God is ...

Including:

• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - God in Islam Arabic Quran
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - God in the Hebrew Bible
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Jewish views of God and gender
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Christian views of God and gender
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Mormon views
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Translating the names of God into English
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Third person pronouns: He She or It?
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Mankind and Humankind
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - New translation solutions
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Criticism of feminine reconstructions of theology
• Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Bibliography

Read more here: » Abrahamic religions on God and gender: Encyclopedia - Abrahamic religions on God and gender

See also:

Abrahamic religions on God and gender, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - God in Islam Arabic Quran, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - God in the Hebrew Bible, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Jewish views of God and gender, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Christian views of God and gender, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Mormon views, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Translating the names of God into English, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Third person pronouns: He She or It?, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Mankind and Humankind, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - New translation solutions, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Criticism of feminine reconstructions of theology, Abrahamic religions on God and gender - Bibliography

Read more here: » Abrahamic religions on God and gender: Encyclopedia II - Abrahamic religions on God and gender - God in the Hebrew Bible

The question "What is God?" is sometimes also phrased as "What is the meaning of the word 'God'?" Most philosophers expect some sort of definition as an answer to this question, but they are not content simply to describe the way the word is used: they want to know the essence of what it means to be God. Western philosophers typically concern themselves with the God of monotheistic religions (see the nature of God in Western theology), but discussions also c ...

See also:

Philosophy of religion, Philosophy of religion - Philosophy of religion as a part of metaphysics, Philosophy of religion - Questions asked in philosophy of religion, Philosophy of religion - What is God?, Philosophy of religion - Monotheistic definitions, Philosophy of religion - Polytheistic definitions, Philosophy of religion - Pantheistic definitions, Philosophy of religion - Rationality of belief, Philosophy of religion - Positions, Philosophy of religion - Natural theology, Philosophy of religion - Major philosophers of religion

Read more here: » Philosophy of religion: Encyclopedia II - Philosophy of religion - What is God?

Earth, water, fire, wind, sky, the astral bodies, dawn, night, thunderstorms and lightning are all worshipped and deified in Hinduism. If God is 'all’, then where is his abode?

"The Hindu firmly believes that the countless viewpoints of God (the different religions) are all valid and will lead us to the same God. The ultimate experience is beyond the pale of the ego; but the highest spiritual experiences, too, may differ from person to person, as is revealed in the different religions... "Even they who seek material gains - or even spiritual perfection - resort to God only through the various divinities; and God responds to them through the same channel. We adore God in various ways. This knowledge frees us from fear, attachment, anger, intolerance and proselytism".

(See also: Gods in Hinduism, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

“All religions are ancient monuments to superstition, ignorance and ferocity,” said the French materialist phi-losopher Baron d’Holbach. Religion has been described as the root of human misery and conflict - that more people have been killed in the name of God than in any other cause.

Religion has never been the root of man’s miseries. The problem with man has been man. Religion is but an instrument; man its wielder. Like any instrument or organisation, religion can be misused. But, with religion there exists an agonising and eternal irony: it is the only path to transform the materialists who abuse it.

(See also: Religion, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Where is your brother, God asked, at the beginning of Biblical history. The original context was that of bloodshed: Brother killing brother, which is what every murder really is. Within the vision of vasudaiva kutumbakam , can anyone, even the most abhorred enemy, be less than a brother?

The Cain-Abel story provides deep insight into religion-related tensions: First, it is in the context of religion that brother kills brother. The very purpose of religion is being largely misunderstood. The purpose of religion is to enable us to be keepers rather than killers of each other, protectors rather than predators of life and nature. The ascendancy of vested interests in religion, however, degrades it into a licence for murder and mayhem, as has happened in the history of all religions.

(See also: Religion, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

God initiated the universe, He created it. But we change the world too. Therefore, we have a responsibility; we have to ensure that we change it for the better. Take cloning, for instance. We humans are co-creators. How we go about cloning depends on whether we're doing it for the common good. It raises many complex and difficult questions. We are changing all the time. So instead of imposing a total ban on creative research, it is better to regulate it carefully.

(See also: Science and Religion, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Knowledge is divided between phenomenology, science of the changeable and ontology, science of the unchangeable. Ontology is the realm of being and phenomenology that of becoming.

To explain it to the laity, Christianity uses the word 'Father' for ontology and 'Son' for phenomenology. The Holy Spirit is individualised consciousness that mediates the two.

(See also: Science and Religion, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

What Is God's Real Form?

Does God have a form or is He formless? Adi Sankara preferred a formless God while Ramanujacharya believed that He was both with and without form.

Ramana Maharshi realised the Inner Divine Self by enquiring, ''Who am I?'' Vivekananda was not for dualism, of seeing God in an image. But when Ramakrishna Paramhansa touched his chest to indicate the divinity within, Vivekananda began to 'see' God in every thing - living or non-living.

Read more here: » Formless God: What Is God's Real Form?

God is the term used to denote the Supreme Being ascribed by many religions to be the creator, ruler and/or the sum total of, existence. Conceptions of God vary widely, despite the common use of the same term for them all. God - Definition. God - Concept of God. In many Western religions, God is usually said to have a specific and clearly defined relationship to, and interest in, the happenings of this world and the lives of those in it. Metaphors for God's relationship t ...

Including:

• God - Definition
• God - Concept of God
• God - Attributes of God
• God - Etymology
• God - Capitalization
• God - Names of God
• God - History of monotheism
• God - Theology
• God - Conceptions of God
• God - Abrahamic conceptions
• God - Conceptions of God in Hinduism
• God - Christian Monism
• God - The Ultimate
• God - Aristotelian definition of God
• God - Modern views
• God - Notes and references
• God - Popular Culture

Read more here: » God: Encyclopedia - God

Religion (see etymology below) —sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine; and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such belief. In its broadest sense some have defined it as the sum total of answers given to explain humankind's relationship with the universe. In the course of the development of religion, it has taken ...

Including:

• Religion - Etymology
• Religion - Religion and science
• Religion - Philosophy and metaphysics
• Religion - Esotericism and mysticism
• Religion - Spirituality
• Religion - Myth
• Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions
• Religion - Methods of studying religion subjectively in relation to one's own beliefs
• Religion - Methods of studying religion objectively in a scientific and religiously neutral fashion
• Religion - Development of religion
• Religion - Religion today
• Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others
• Religion - Exclusivism
• Religion - Inclusivism
• Religion - Pluralism
• Religion - Syncretism
• Religion - Universalism
• Religion - Systemization
• Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe
• Religion - Related philosophical stances
• Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia - Religion

Many arguments about the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, and other thinkers. This article lists some of the more common arguments, especially those covered in the area of philosophy of religion. In philosophical terminology, this article introduces schools of thought on the epistemology of the ontology of God. Existence of God - What is God? Definition of God's existence. See main articles: Definition, God, Deity, Ontology What does it mean to ass ...

Including:

• Existence of God - What is God? Definition of God's existence
• Existence of God - The problem of the supernatural
• Existence of God - How do we know?
• Existence of God - Positions on the Existence of God
• Existence of God - Theism
• Existence of God - Atheism
• Existence of God - Agnosticism
• Existence of God - Arguments for the existence of God
• Existence of God - Inductive arguments for
• Existence of God - Subjective arguments for
• Existence of God - Arguments against the existence of God
• Existence of God - Notes

Read more here: » Existence of God: Encyclopedia - Existence of God

The Creator God is the divine being that created the omniverse, according to various traditions and faiths. Creator God - Abrahamic religions. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam teach that Creation is the origin of the totality of the omniverse by the action of God. Even more particularly, every type of existence is also owing to the act of creation by God. Among monotheists it has historically been most commonly believed that living things are the God's creations, and are not the result of a pr ...

Including:

• Creator God - Abrahamic religions
• Creator God - Christianity
• Creator God - Hinduism
• Creator God - Classical Greece

Read more here: » Creator God: Encyclopedia - Creator God

The City of God (Latin: De Civitate Dei, also known as De Civitate Dei contra Paganos: The City of God against the Pagans) is a book written in Latin by Augustine of Hippo in the early 5th century, dealing with issues concerning God, martyrdom, Jews, and other Christian philosophies. Augustine wrote the treatise to explain Christianity's relationship with competing religions and philosophies, and to the Roman government with which it was increasingly intertwined. It was written s ...

Read more here: » The City of God: Encyclopedia - The City of God

This entry discusses how the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam deal with God and gender. It includes both traditional religious views, and modern views of these faiths, especially as to how modern feminism has influenced the theology of these religions. For the discussion of the topic in Hinduism, see Hindu views on God and gender. Monotheists hold a belief in one God as a fundamental religious principle. In Judaism and Islam, God is believed to be sexless, but has been traditionally referr ...

Including:

• God and gender - God in the Hebrew Bible
• God and gender - Jewish views of God and gender
• God and gender - Christian views of God and gender
• God and gender - Mormon views
• God and gender - Translating the names of God into English
• God and gender - Third person pronouns: He She or It?
• God and gender - Mankind and Humankind
• God and gender - New translation solutions
• God and gender - Criticism of feminine reconstructions of theology
• God and gender - Bibliography

Read more here: » God and gender: Encyclopedia - God and gender

In the religion of the Bushongo people, Bumba is the creator god. Bumba dwelt in the primordial waters and vomited up the sun, moon, stars, animals, and men. He also showed man how to make fire. Other related archivesBushongo, animals, men, moon, stars, sun, vomited

Read more here: » Bumba god: Encyclopedia - Bumba god

Bel, signifying "lord" or "master", is a title rather than a genuine name, applied to various gods in Babylonian religion. The feminine form is Belit 'Lady, Mistress'. Bel is represented in Greek and Latin by Belos and Belus respectively. Linguistically Bel is an east Semitic form cognate with northwest Semitic Ba‘al which has the same meaning. Early translators of Akkadian believed that the ideogram for the god called in Sumerian Enlil was to be read as Bel in Akkadian. This i ...

Including:

• Bel god - External link

Read more here: » Bel god: Encyclopedia - Bel god

When God Was a Woman is the U.S. title of a book (©1976 ISBN 0-15-696158-X) published earlier in the U.K. as The Paradise Papers. Written by sculptor and art history professor Merlin Stone, When God Was a Woman attempts to uncover an earlier time in the history of Judaism and sister ancient religions, when it was the Goddess - not the God - who was the principal deity. Stone discusses the rise of mysogyny and hatred of goddess worship within Israelite society and makes connections there from to the later ...

Including:

• When God Was a Woman - Links

Read more here: » When God Was a Woman: Encyclopedia - When God Was a Woman