One True God
by Catryce

I was raised Protestant and literally grew up in the church. I attended a Christian school for four years and was a member of the church choir. I read and studied the Bible, spoke to teachers and ministers, yet still felt that there was something missing in my life.

When I was seventeen, I began to study other religious and spiritual paths in search of that missing element in my life. I have, over the years, studied Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Catholicism, Wicca and other pagan religions, gnosticism, and many others. I've found wonderful insights and inspiration in all the paths I've studied. However, there is not a single religion that I am dedicated to. Instead, I have chosen an eclectic path based on the wisdom and concepts of many different paths. Thus, I call myself spiritual and not religious.

One of the interesting facts I discovered during my studies is that nearly all religions and spiritual paths believe in a singular source, or God. Even those paths who honor many gods and goddesses believe that each of those gods and goddesses represent a specific aspect of one source. It is much like an individual being celebrated for their valor, intelligence, logic, creativity, and strength. Each are distinct human characteristics which combine with other characteristics to make up the whole person.

As The Story Goes....

Since most spiritual paths believe in a singular source from which all things flow, then each of these paths honor one God, supreme being, supernatural power, Great Spirit, etc. Having acknowledged this -- you will find that it is the rules, laws, and practices which various paths argue about and not the source. In other words, it's the spiritual politics that causes conflict between the groups and not the argument about God. Only the atheist would argue against God as being the source of all things.

Some call their God the God Of Abraham. The name of the Islamic God, as revealed to Muhammad, is Allah. Others say that Jesus Christ is God. In Hinduism, God has many aspects and names including: Brahma (the Creator), Shiva (the Destroyer), and Vishnu (the Protector). Buddhists believe that we are each on this earth to learn until we become a Buddha, or an enlightened one.

The core differences are rooted in how we view God and which path to God is the "right" path. Is our God judgmental and vengeful, requiring our suffering and total submission? Does our God rule over darkness and excess encouraging us to satisfy ourselves no matter what the harm is to others? Is our God on equal footing with our Goddess combining both feminine and masculine characteristics? Does God nurture and care for us, a wonderful and understanding parent who wants us to grown and learn? Is our God a God of love who wishes for us to love others as we are each a part of God? Has God placed us here on this earth so that our souls could grow and learn? Are we each a part of God?

My God Is Your God

Now, let's try viewing others as having the same God as we believe in. If you are a Muslim, Christian, or Jew then imagine for a moment that Buddhists believe in the same God as you. Since there is only one God, they must believe in the same God -- yet their perception of God is different from yours. Does this make their religion wrong?

Imagine that you and I walk into an art museum together to view a few pieces of abstract art. Imagine also that the artwork is untitled and the artist is unknown. I look at a piece of art and say, "Wow, this is a very expressive piece of work representing the downfall of Western civilization!" You look at the same painting and say, "No it's not! It's clearly a piece representing the creation of the universe with all of its stars and planets!" Which one of us is right? Because we each have our own, unique perception, we are both right!

Since we each believe in the same God, then we should treat one another as equals. This isn't always easy as our "need to be right" often prevents us from treating the varied ideas and beliefs of others as valid. We must overcome our egos and open our hearts to one another. We have much to learn from each other!