Philosophy of Religion

¶ … Attributes of God

Philosophy of Religion

Many have attempted to study the philosophy of religion throughout the ages. For as much as most individuals try, a clear understanding can be extremely difficult to grasp and obtain. The attributes of God are often discussed, and depending on who you ask, there are many versions of this very specific topic. Some people choose to discuss only a few attributes of God, while others list several. For many faith-driven believers, understanding the attributes of God is extremely important to their overall existence and everyday life. Others argue that having an understanding of God's attributes may inhibit one's overall understanding of God.

Throughout this essay, we'll discuss and answer the following questions:

Can following the basic attributes of God enhance or inhibit one's collective understanding of God?

If society holds a general consensuses regarding the attributes of God, does that mean people are more likely to have disagreements about beliefs or that they will be more likely to agree?

Discussion

Having a basic understanding of the attributes of God would be described as life-enhancing for most individuals. Most people would like to believe that God is on their side, rather than against them. It stands to reason that this belief would be difficult for someone who did not follow the basic attributes in everyday life. On the other hand, some attributes are difficult to grasp and hold onto, and some even seem slightly unrealistic. It's easy to believe that God is holy (Dr. Reinhold Showers says that "Holiness is what makes God, God") and good, and even easier to consider that God is eternal (someone once said, "God is the great I am, not the great I was"), but as time passes by and the world becomes more realistic and has a clearer understanding of what's going on around them, it becomes difficult to believe all of the attributes for some people. For example, the attribute of being impartial is somewhat of a contradiction to other attributes. The idea that God is impartial to both men and women may be true, but when we bring in beliefs that if an individual acts a certain way or commits a particular act, he or she will not be accepted by God, the impartial attribute seems to weaken.

Regarding the attributes of God, there are those who will follow each and every attribute and then there are others who will uphold only what they view as important. This may cause a rift between individuals, even if they are on the same side, so to speak. While one individual may follow a belief system wholeheartedly, another may only partially follow through with it, which raises the question as to whether or not someone must commit themselves one hundred percent or if they can take what they believe and implement the most important parts into their lives and beliefs.

One can see how wise each argument is. If an individual is going to claim that they believe in specific belief systems, it stands to reason that that individual would follow through with these beliefs in everything they do, even if they question some of those beliefs. Many would argue that if you fully believe, you should not question anything. Others take a more realistic point-of-view and understand that there will be many questions surrounding their belief system. Following most of the attributes of God and being a basically decent and good human being is important and for many, it's enough.

Swindoll writes that God has a self-sufficient life and is not dependent on anyone or anything outside of Himself or the sustenance of His being. Existing immutably, God can impart and sustain life in others without diminishing Himself. Spurgeon comments on Swindoll's reasoning and says, "Strange conception, a hungry God!" Spurgeon also points out that Swindoll's point-of-view may be completely absurd, but in its absurdity, it may be the truest belief.