The Rival Conceptions of God

Introduction

Human population can be divided in accordance with their belief in God; chiefly they can be divided into two groups. One, who believe that God is beyond the classification of good or evil, as the humans' perception of these notions of good and evil differs from God's meaning; these are mere human, limited point of views(Hooper, pp. 616). According, to the people who hold this viewpoint, as an individual grows and experiences life his perspective of looking at everything changes; he judges everything in accordance with his experience looking at both sides of the argument. He would accept both the shortcomings and benefits of that thing. As a result, these people believe that even before reaching the nearing point of Devine viewpoint, the distinctions or diversities vanishes completely (Cunningham, pp. 41). Cancer considered as a very serious and acute disease as it kills the patient; however, doctor treating that patient cures him off cancer then he would not be a dishonest person, everything depends on the way a person perceives it. The further and contradictory idea is that God is unquestionably good or righteous, a God who takes sides, who loves love and hates hatred, who wants us to behave in one way and not in another.

Discussion

The, views of this stance of God's being beyond goodness or evil are held by Pantheism. The pantheism considered in a common way, as a philosophical ideology, specifically as a world-view through which to integrate certain philosophical trends. Thus, it can be called "pantheism" the doctrine that, faced with the words "God" and "world", decides to identify them. Pantheism is, in this line, as shown, a clear variant of monism. Pantheism tends to deny the existence of a transcendent reality, and that everything that exists is imminent. It commonly held that the world was not a person but involves some impersonal nature.

Stoics believe that humans should calmly accept all occurrences as the unavoidable result of a divine will. Platonists believe that all phenomena of the world are an imperfect reflection. Hindus principal tenets are the belief in reincarnation and a supreme being of many forms and nature. Finally, Mohammedans believe in one chief God.

Lewis's use of the word "damned" in paragraph 4 is directly from biblical terms, and appropriate in a Christian context. "Damned", the word used in the Christian bible, is a word meaning that something is "under God's curse", making it appropriate for Lewis's argument on religion and 'God' (Lewis, pp. 321).

Lewis develops his argument using the metaphor of religions as arithmetic, dividing and simplifying complex religions and beliefs, and using counter argument to, fully explain his argument. Lewis's line of reasoning begins with making distinctions between Atheism and Christianity, beginning to classify conflicting beliefs, and introducing the arithmetic metaphor. He then divides humanity into, "believes in God" and "doesn't believe in God", and further more into "God is beyond good and evil", and "God is good"(Lindskoog, pp. 187). Next, he discusses God as either part of the universe, ...