The Nature of God

Paper Summary:

This essay considers the Western perception of a Divine Creator, from both a religious and philosophical outlook. The paper first examines God from a Christian viewpoint, stating the requirements of a believer and the characteristics of God. Next, the essay analyzes several Western philosophers' concepts of God, including those of Friedrich Nietzsche, David Hume, Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, and many other post-relativity scientific philosophers like Stephen Hawking. The author then discusses the difficulties Western individuals may have with the cultural definition of God. The paper concludes, however, citing the benefits of belief in a creator.

From the Paper:

"Very generally, Christian religions require unquestioned loyalty to an eternal, loving, and just God, who is fundamentally of Good "character." The Christian God rewards good behavior and also punishes for sinful human conduct. God rewards (and punishes) both in life as well as in the afterlife. Many believe that God appreciates (indeed, demands) our personal allegiance even more than our good conduct toward our human contemporaries, and that, unlike the former, our shortcomings with respect to the latter are unforgivable. According to Christian religious beliefs, God forgives all earthly sins of those who believe in him and rewards them with eternal life in Heaven after death. Conversely, no good deed on earth is sufficient to avoid eternal damnation in Hell for those who do not accept God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bowker, John. The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. New York: Oxford, 1997
• Einstein, Albert. Ideas and Opinions. New York: Crown, 1954
• Magill, Frank N. Materpieces of World Philosophy. New York: Harper & Row, 1961
• Mann, Douglass, and Dahn, Elijah G. Philosophy: A New Introduction. Belmont: Wadworth, 2004.
• Russell, Bertrand. The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell. New York: Routledge, 196

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