GOD: The What and The Who

Trying to understand God or the Supreme Being is a tricky proposition. There are two ways to you can pursue your knowledge of God: You can ask "What is God?" or "Who is God?". The first is a philosophical question that requires no backing from any religion. According to this view God is an impersonal Being - a supernatural phenomenon that exists in the universe and beyond the universe. Philosophy doesn't offer any clear consensus on the nature or attributes of God, rather it offer explanations such as God exists objectively and independently of human thought. 

Since most of the philosophical explanations of God denies or limits persona to God. In some cases it even argues that though God exists, it doesn't intervene in the world beyond what was necessary to create it. This means that God has no particular interest in humanity - there is nothing special about the creation of human beings; they too are created just like anything else that exists. When we look at God as a concept, a 'something big out there' that never be understood fully, then God becomes abstract. And this is were theology can help.

Theology picks up on many philosophical arguments about God, but it also adds a personal touch to God. In theology, the question becomes "Who is God?" rather than "What is God?". By taking into account humanity's experience of God in a multitude of ways down through the ages, God becomes a personable Being. This means God exists realistically and interacts with the universe through means such as religious experiences and personal prayers. This also opens up numerous ways in which one can explain God. So Theism (both monotheism and polytheism) believe in a God who is the source of life by which all things exist - everything exists because God exists. Not only that God created everything that exists, but God also sustains everything by having a direct presence in the worldly affairs. 

Monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Judaism believe in a God who is omnipotent (having unlimited power), omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time). omniscient (has knowledge of everything), and benevolent (merciful). Catholicism goes one step further and holds that God is infinitely simple and is not subject to time. The doctrine of  infinitely simple says that God is without parts, meaning God is identical to His attributes. So God is not made up of love, but God is love; God is not made up of knowledge, but God is knowledge; and so on. God is the essence of everything we see and feel, but those things are not God. 

The opposite to the Judeo-Christian view of who God is can be found in pantheistic religions such as Hinduism (except Vaishnavism), Taoism, and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Pantheism holds that God is the universe and universe is God. This means not only that God is in dust and rust, but also that dust and rust is God itself. 

When looking at God through the impersonal eyes of Philosophy, there isn't much to talk about. As a philosopher who believes in God, you could say that God is this unexplainable "thing" that is out there somewhere and that's about it. But religions through Theology adds a personal dimension to God. As we can see, due to extreme variations in ideologies behind this personification of God, a Christian God could not be same as a Hindu God. They may have some attributes that are in agreement, but those will easily be outnumbered by the dissimilarities. Such differences gave rise to numerous religions with conflicting ideologies and its followers fighting with others to establish dominance for their particular system of faith. Then the question to ask is: Are religions a bad influence on humanity? Are humans better off not having any organized religion? That' next.