Compare and Contrast Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare and Contrast Religion - Essay Example Christian Theism is the classical Christian philosophy of 17th century. The word â€Å"theism† is derived from the Greek word â€Å"theos† which means God. The word was first used in this context by Mr. Ralph Cudworth in the 17th Century. Literally speaking, Christian Theism is, in fact, propagation of Monotheism which means that there is only one God. Many argue that Christian Theism is based on Judaism, the Pagan Gods and the old Greek philosophy but this is disputed and, to a large extent, a matter of opinion. The first two attributes, when read together gives an apparently contradictory yet interwoven understanding of God. Theism defines God to be personal – which means God has characteristics of a human being. Hence God thinks and acts like a human being, takes interest and is involved in the activities of his creations – that is our universe and us, human beings. At the same time, God is also perceived as infinite and transcendent and therefore one can never truly understand or comprehend his nature. As Sire (2004) frames it â€Å"This means that he is beyond scope, beyond measure, as far as we are concerned........All else is secondary†(Sire,â€Å"The Universe Next Door†,2004).Theism also defines God to be omnipresent – and thereby always aware of what is happening in this world. God is, hence, present in everything but not the thing itself. And God is also perceived to be good and thereby all his actions are for the good of human beings. This philosophy throws up some interesting thinking and concepts. This inherently assumes that the world is logical and has a co-relation between cause and effect. God has created an underlying order into the universe and therefore the world and the universe is meaningful. Though not a defined Christian Theist, perhaps the best expression of this concept was uttered by Mr. Albert Einstein when he said â€Å"You believe in the god who plays dice, and I in complete law and order