Ancient Religion The Supreme reality

God is a religious term for the "supreme reality." In many religions, God is the creator of the universe and the ultimate source of knowledge, power, and love.

God is sometimes portrayed as a humanlike male with supernatural powers. However, most religions teach that God has many different forms. Christians believe that God appears in three ways: as Father and Creator, as His Son Jesus Christ, and as the Holy Spirit. Hindus refer to the ultimate reality as Brahman, but they think that God is also revealed in more than 1,000 other gods and goddesses. Although Buddhists do not accept the idea of God as Creator, the role Buddha plays in their religion is similar to that of God in other religions. In the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, God is called by a variety of names, such as Yahweh (Jehovah), Elohim, and Adonai. Muslims call God Allah, as well as 99 other names that describe perfect qualities.

religion1 � religion2 � religion3 � religion4

Personal Gods. In many religions, people believe that a supreme God has been revealed as a friendly human being. For example, most Christians believe that God is seen through the person of Jesus Christ. In Hindu tradition, the god Krishna is portrayed as a lovable and intimate human being, especially in stories about his childhood. In some traditions, intermediary spirits, such as the Buddhists' Bodhisattva, bridge the gap between humanity and a remote and distant God. In other traditions, even the distant, cosmic God is sometimes believed to interact in a personal and loving way with His followers. For example, in the Hebrew Bible, God forms a covenant with the Jewish people and promises to bless them if they stay faithful to the divine laws. Muslim mystics, known as sufis, also claim to have a special and intimate relationship with God.

Ideas about God. There are many ways of thinking about God. Agnostics question the existence of God. Atheists deny the existence of God. Theists believe that a Supreme Being exists. Theology is the study of ideas about God. Experts in this study are called theologians.

Many theologians have used rational arguments to defend the existence of God. Some have developed cosmological arguments, which state that a first cause must have begun the process of creation, a cause that must be God. Others have set forth teleological arguments based on belief in a grand design or purpose for the world that only a supreme God could have created.

(Information from The Holy Bible Gensis 1 chapter)