Specific attributes

Different religious traditions assign differing (though often similar) attributes and characteristics to
God, including expansive powers and abilities, psychological characteristics, gender characteristics,
and preferred nomenclature. The assignment of these attributes often differs according to
the conceptions of God in the culture from which they arise. For example, attributes of God in
Christianity, attributes of God in Islam, and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Judaism share certain
similarities arising from their common roots.

Names
Main article: Names of God

The 99 Names of God in Islam, engraved into the ceiling of the Grand Mosque of Kuwait

The word God is "one of the most complex and difficult in the English language." In the JudeoChristian tradition, "the Bible has been the principal source of the conceptions of God". That the
Bible "includes many different images, concepts, and ways of thinking about" God has resulted in
perpetual "disagreements about how God is to be conceived and understood". [77]
Throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bibles there are many names for God. One of them is Elohim.
Another one is El Shaddai, meaning "God Almighty".[78] A third notable name is El Elyon, which
means "The Most High God".[79]
God is described and referred in the Quran and hadith by certain names or attributes, the most
common being Al-Rahman, meaning "Most Compassionate" and Al-Rahim, meaning "Most Merciful"
(See Names of God in Islam).[80]
Vaishnavism, a tradition in Hinduism, has list of titles and names of Krishna.

Gender
Main article: Gender of God
The gender of God may be viewed as either a literal or an allegorical aspect of a deity who, in
classical western philosophy, transcends bodily form. [81][82] Polytheistic religions commonly attribute to
each of the gods a gender, allowing each to interact with any of the others, and perhaps with
humans, sexually. In most monotheistic religions, God has no counterpart with which to relate

sexually. Thus, in classical western philosophy the gender of this one-and-only deity is most likely to
be an analogical statement of how humans and God address, and relate to, each other. Namely,
God is seen as begetter of the world and revelation which corresponds to the active (as opposed to
the receptive) role in sexual intercourse.[83]
Biblical sources usually characterise God as male, except Genesis 1:26-27,[84][85] Psalm 123:2-3,
and Luke 15:8-10 (female); Hosea 11:3-4, Deuteronomy 32:18, Isaiah 66:13, Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah
42:14, Psalm 131:2 (a mother); Deuteronomy 32:11-12 (a mother eagle); and Matthew
23:37 and Luke 13:34 (a mother hen).

Relationship with creation

God the Father by Cima da Conegliano, c. 1515

Prayer plays a significant role among many believers. Muslims believe that the purpose of
existence is to worship God.[86][87] He is viewed as a personal God and there are no intermediaries,
such as clergy, to contact God. Prayer often also includes supplication and asking forgiveness. God
is often believed to be forgiving. For example, a hadith states God would replace a sinless people
with one who sinned but still asked repentance.[88] Christian theologian Alister McGrath writes that
there are good reasons to suggest that a "personal god" is integral to the Christian outlook, but that
one has to understand it is an analogy. "To say that God is like a person is to affirm the divine ability
and willingness to relate to others. This does not imply that God is human, or located at a specific
point in the universe."[89]
Adherents of different religions generally disagree as to how to best worship God and what is God's
plan for mankind, if there is one. There are different approaches to reconciling the contradictory
claims of monotheistic religions. One view is taken by exclusivists, who believe they are the chosen
people or have exclusive access to absolute truth, generally through revelation or encounter with the
Divine, which adherents of other religions do not. Another view is religious pluralism. A pluralist
typically believes that his religion is the right one, but does not deny the partial truth of other
religions. An example of a pluralist view in Christianity is supersessionism, i.e., the belief that one's
religion is the fulfillment of previous religions. A third approach is relativistic inclusivism, where
everybody is seen as equally right; an example being universalism: the doctrine that salvation is

eventually available for everyone. A fourth approach is syncretism, mixing different elements from
different religions. An example of syncretism is theNew Age movement.

Theological approaches
Theologians and philosophers have attributed to God such characteristics
as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfect goodness, divine simplicity,
and eternal andnecessary existence. God has been described as incorporeal, a personal being, the
source of all moral obligation, and the greatest conceivable being existent.[1] These attributes were all
claimed to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars,
including Maimonides,[46] St Augustine,[46] and Al-Ghazali.[90]
Many medieval philosophers developed arguments for the existence of God,[2] while attempting to
comprehend the precise implications of God's attributes. Reconciling some of those attributes
generated important philosophical problems and debates. For example, God's omniscience may
seem to imply that God knows how free agents will choose to act. If God does know this, their
ostensible free will might be illusory, or foreknowledge does not imply predestination, and if God
does not know it, God may not be omniscient.[91]
However, if by its essential nature, free will is not predetermined, then the effect of its will can never
be perfectly predicted by anyone, regardless of intelligence and knowledge. Although knowledge of
the options presented to that will, combined with perfectly infinite intelligence, could be said to
provide God with omniscience if omniscience is defined as knowledge or understanding of all that is.
The last centuries of philosophy have seen vigorous questions regarding the arguments for God's
existence raised by such philosophers as Immanuel Kant, David Hume andAntony Flew, although
Kant held that the argument from morality was valid. The theist response has been either to contend,
as does Alvin Plantinga, that faith is "properly basic", or to take, as does Richard Swinburne,
the evidentialist position.[92] Some theists agree that none of the arguments for God's existence are
compelling, but argue that faith is not a product of reason, but requires risk. There would be no risk,
they say, if the arguments for God's existence were as solid as the laws of logic, a position summed
up by Pascalas "the heart has reasons of which reason does not know."[93] A recent theory using
concepts from physics and neurophysiology proposes that God can be conceptualized within the
theory of integrative level.[94]
Many religious believers allow for the existence of other, less powerful spiritual beings such
as angels, saints, jinn, demons, and devas.[95][96][97][98][99]

Distribution of belief in God

The percentage of population in European countries who responded in a 2005 survey that they "believe there is
a God".

Main articles: List of religious populations and Irreligion by country

See also

God (male deity)

God the Father

God the Father in Western art

List of deities

Pantheon (gods)

Science and God

In specific religions

God in Buddhism

God in Christianity

God in Gnosticism

God in Hinduism

God in Islam

God in Jainism

God in Judaism

God in Sikhism

God in the Baha'i Faith

God in Caodaism

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21.

Jump up^ [Link]; "God /gd/ noun: 1. the one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler
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(lowercase) one of several deities, esp. a male deity, presiding over some portion of worldly affairs. 4.
(often lowercase) a supreme being according to some particular conception: the God of mercy. 5.
Christian Science. the Supreme Being, understood as Life, Truth, Love, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Principle. 6.
(lowercase) an image of a deity; an idol. 7. (lowercase) any deified person or object. 8. (often
lowercase) Gods, Theater. 8a. the upper balcony in a theater. 8b. the spectators in this part of the
balcony."

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