World religions can be placed into two basic categories: 1.) ultimate reality is impersonal, 2.) ultimate reality is personal.
Eastern Religions
Eastern religions view ultimate reality as impersonal. In Hinduism, all is one. This universal oneness is called Brahman—impersonal, ultimate reality of everything.
The great insight of Buddhism, which enables people to gain freedom from selfish desires, is that “There is no self” and the goal is to reach nirvana, which literally means “blowing out.” In Buddhism, nothingness is the ultimate reality.
Confucius didn’t talk much about the afterlife, but he did refer to Heaven in an impersonal manner.
In Taoism, the ultimate reality is the Tao or the Way. The Tao is the universal force of harmony composed of the yin and the yang.
Western Religions
Western religions view ultimate reality as personal. In Judaism, God is the Creator of heaven and earth and the one who established a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Christianity views ultimate reality as God—the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who is fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
Islam sees ultimate reality as Allah—the God revealed to Muhammad.
The Big Difference
So the big difference is simple: Ultimate reality is either personal or impersonal. The gap between the two is enormous. For example, while Buddhism affirms nothingness, Jesus emphasizes the personal nature of God. According to Jesus, we should view God not only as a personal being, but as one of the most intimate types of personal beings—a loving Father. For example,
- Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36, emphasis added)
- When you pray, say: “Father.” (Luke 11:2)
- how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13)
- For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:30-32)
- In his parable of the prodigal son, Jesus taught us to see God as the father who runs toward his rebellious son and welcomes him back into the family (Luke 15:11-32).
So what is real, ultimately real? A God who is like a loving Father connecting with his little children or an impersonal oneness or nothingness or force?
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.
If God is personal. Then when you pray to him to heal your child. And the child dies. And you believe in God. And you watch unbelievers children live. It just doesn’t make sense. Jesus said if your parents are not perfect and they give you good things. How much better would God do. I guess when it comes to death God is not personal.
Mark, that is indeed the sad reality for many parents. I can’t relate to that pain. I can relate to be deeply frustrated with unanswered prayer. I don’t understand it. At the same time, Jesus’ teaching about God as a loving Father remains.
I believe that all things work for the best as long as you prayed for it. Even if it wasn’t as you have grieved for. God’s purposes are known only to God. If God allowed your son’s death, it means it was the best for him in order to live eternally, it is God’s timing. We all are going to die one day but that’s why Christ has risen.
Jesus said “God is A SPIRIT” (John 4). Romans 1v18-23 mentions how our ancestors changed the glory of the Infinite into human likeness and the created (v23). Figures of Speech (e.g., anthropomorphic talk) must be understood as non-literal so as not to embrace A DISTORTION of the Indescribable Transcendence (2Cor 9v15). In Judeo-Christian view, this supreme Spirit is also OUR HUSBAND, not only Father.
We see through a glass dimly. God is our undifferentiated other. To answer the question is God personal or impersonal to us is the same as asking if God has knowledge of self. We tend to anthropomorphize God to fit our image of God. We have this backwards. It is only through a dissolution of self that we begin to manifest the character of God. We as humans are finite but as co-creators we have an inexorable undifferentiated sameness as God. It is the yolk of humanity that calls for us to have faith in the things unseen.The cloud of unknowing if you will. Remember creation has at its beginning nothing. Listen with the still small voice and be what you want to see in the here and now.