Some Perspective On The Notion That There Can Be Only One God
By Hal
March 21,2016
If you believe in a monotheistic god, as do billions of humans throughout the world, then you may also believe that all religions at their core are exalting the same God - they're just interpreting its expectations in sometimes radically different ways.
It's been said a million times: religion is mainly a product of geography and parenting. You're a Christian because your parents are Christians, and because many people you know and grew up with were Christians, as are most of the religious people in your city, state, and country. The exact same thing is occurring in other countries, just a different interpretation of god, 'the creator'.
However, with the advent of the Hubble telescope, and other massive telescopes here on Earth's surface, we are intensely aware of the vastness of space. The bigger and more precise our instruments get, the deeper the universe gets, with distant stars and galaxies being as common as leaves on a tree.
Now image that you have the ability to step backwards, billions of light years away, to view humanity's relationship to the rest of our universe as you currently understand it. Now back up about a thousand times farther than that, and imagine that eventually the matter in the universe starts to thin out, until it is only surrounded by empty space. Now back up a thousand times farther than that, until everything that is anything is part of a tiny dot, glowing in the distance. Will that serve as the domain of 'God' then?
Yet, space is seemingly infinite in all directions. It's impossible to conceive of a place where it ends, so that empty space must just keep radiating outward infinitely. Now back up ten million times farther than before, and on the distant horizon there lies another dot someplace else. Now imagine that the two dots in view are actually like grains of sand on a beach in relation to how many more of them there are in the infinity of space, each too distant from the other to ever know of each other's existence.
Why do those dots need to be attributed to the same god? Why couldn't each dot be a unique product of a unique god - the space between them so vast that even the gods themselves don't know of each other's existence? Space is infinite, so you could keep expanding this exercise all days long, week long, month long, year long, etc.
Are the monotheists of the world ready to concede that the infinite nature of space makes it wildly implausible that there can be only one God? Does it really matter? Religions will continue to insist that all creation is a function of a single comprehensive event horizon. Why? Space is infinite. Is it really that important to insist there can be only one God? Not that I've got any skin in the game - I'm thoroughly convinced that gods are creations of man, not the other way around.
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There's no link, as these are my thoughts - so be as critical as you like.
Monotheistic gods are generally believed to be infinite in scope. The size of the universe (insanely large but finite) is irrelevant.
Assume that infinite space holds infinite finite universes. We have no reason to think otherwise. It's either that, or infinite empty space beyond our universe. Why would that sound reasonable?
God | Define God at Dictionary.com
God definition, the one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe.
By definition, there can be only one God, if you believe in monotheism.
I agree with Cerenkov, the size of the domain is irrelevant.
If there were different entities or forces that ruled over various aspects of the vast span of existence, they would not be God, they would be creations of God.
There may be only one universe. That science is not settled.
Thats a lot of empty space.
The nonexistence of parallel universes means there is no extra space to be empty.
If God exists , it must exist also outside of "nature" as we know it. A God that existed only within nature could not really be described as the Creator of that nature. If multiple universes exist in "nature", then God must transcend multiple universes.
Is there more than one existence ? Would multiple existences prove or disprove "God" ?
I don't see an answer, only more questions.
Not one god, no god. Never was and is not now.
Maybe. That's my view though.
I am not sure that god has anything to do with religion. I'm not even sure if what created the universe even needs to be worshiped.
I think God has everything to do with religion, since they are both creations of man. You may as well worship your potato peeler.
You may as well worship your potato peeler.
Well in my defense I do have a pretty great fucking potato peeler!
Religious worship of God IS a human creation. But it may also be natural.
Does God care if human beings worship it? I would say no, but it is a pure guess.
Is it possible that the sacred has been historically understood by many as divinity?
Yes.