Don't be silly. People do it all of the time, with little objection. Look at all of the different ideas about the nature of God, and what he believes, to be found in the variety of Christian faiths, for example. Is it not expected that a Christian, feeling doubt, will explore a number of different churches - it is hoped, praying in, and with, each, looking for a place where it feels right to be, religiously? Does anyone imagine that to do so is in any way "sinful"?

In essence, what we have in the case of Christiandom, is a variety of different gods, and the common monotheistic element of faith to be found throughout Orthodox (Pauline) Christendom, is that only one of these gods can be real. But that doesn't make them the same being, any more than the fact that they are all being referred to by the same name - when we speak in English.

Think about it. When a Mexican Catholic prays to "Dios", and a German Catholic to "Gott", we agree that they pray to the same being. Yet, when we are confronted with a monotheistic African animist, we maintain that he does not worship that same being, even though his god is thought of as a unique and supreme being, just like Dios/Gott/God. On what basis do we do so? These are immaterial beings. We can't have pointed one toward one direction in the sky, and said "I don't mean this one", and then another and said "I mean this one". Being without substance, and yet equally able to act everywhere, in the sense that they can be said to be anywhere, they would have to be said to be everywhere.

It can only be, because the character of "Dios" is so akin to that of "Gott", while it is so utterly unlike that of the god of the African monotheist we mention. But look how dissimilar in character the God of the Roman Catholic Church is, from that of the Presbyterians and certainly from that of Islam. So, what does it mean to say, that these faiths worship the same God?

"Deity shopping" as some might derisively term it, has always been with us, merely not often acknowledged.

Let's return to our discussion.