Do the world's religions believe in the same God? And if they do, why are they all so different?

When it come to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, there are obviously numerous differences between them and one of the major questions that often surfaces is whether they worship the same God or not? 

My perspective on this is a unique one because I think that the God being worshiped is both the same and different, simultaneously, and I will use an analogy to explain why that statement makes sense.

I am Irene—I am a mother to my children, a sister to my siblings, a child to my parents, a cousin, a friend and so on. A mother is certainly a different person to you than a cousin or a child is, so I am in fact different things to different people, but that difference is not because I have changed who I am (I am still Irene) but it’s because the nature of the relationship that I have with each group has changed. And the name given to me reflects the differences in the nature of those relationships. Thus, although I am who I am (I am the same Irene) I am still different things to different people. 

Similarly, God is undoubtedly the same one God yet He is still different to the different groups and those differences are accentuated in how each religion worships Him, addresses Him and enriches their relationship with Him. In the realm of God, we are all children of God yet there is a uniqueness to those relationships, which is evident through the existence of the different religions. It is important to highlight that these different relationships do not necessarily mean that one group is loved more than or less than another group. To continue with my analogy, a person can love their spouse in a different way than they love their children or parents yet the love remains very deep, special and strong among all. When it comes to love, there isn’t a competition but a uniqueness that should be celebrated instead of debated. The different relationships also don’t mean that one group is more right or wrong than another either because the beliefs, attitudes and actions vary based on the context of the different relationships.

It is for all of these reasons that when it comes to the formal world religions, instead of fighting about our differences and trying to prove who is right or who is wrong, we should focus on trying to understand one another and learn from one another and I will present another example that emphasizes the immense value of doing that. 

In the Jewish community, when someone passes, a service is held in honor of that person.  At the service, different people from the person’s life, ranging from a child and sibling to a business associate and friend, all stand up and share stories about their personal interactions and experiences with the person. The end result is that you get a beautiful and comprehensive understanding of all of the different layers of that person and the immense impact that he or she has had on so many lives and in so many ways. The tribute is so special that I actually think it should be held at monumental birthdays as well and not just reserved for funerals so people can begin to understand the special impact that they have on other people. We can accomplish this same type of thing with the different religions and God. As each different religion reveals what they know about our Divine Creator, how they interact with Him and how they nurture that relationship, we can all learn so much more about God and get a much deeper understanding of God’s many layers as well and the numerous lives He has impacted (And Jesus, too). It will help us to see God from other perspectives and expand how we worship Him and interact with Him. 

If we want world peace and love to reign among us, which is undoubtedly the ultimate goal of our Divine Creator, the mindset of division between us and judgement has to shift. This doesn’t mean that we should blend religions, but it simply means that we should respect each other, learn from each other and help each other while continuing to maintain and respect the differences that make each one unique, special and valuable. Instead of walking side-by-side with indifference, world religions should walk hand-in-hand, which is what real peace and love look like. To get a better understanding of how this can happen, refer to my blog post on how Buddhism has a lot in common with the the theistic religions and how it can help them (and vice versa).