Posted by:
Tevai
(
)
Date: June 14, 2018 03:55PM
I know of three religions that "do not believe in God"--most especially if "God" is defined as some kind of "Big Guy in the Sky":
1) Buddhism
2) Hinduism (as a significant part)
3) Judaism (as a significant part, particularly from the Middle Ages on)
Buddhism: I know very little about Buddhism (except that Buddha himself was born a Hindu--and then, as a young adult, developed the separate religion he is known for), so I am simply repeating here what is generally said about Buddhism "not believing in God."
Hinduism: Although Hinduism is popularly known as a religion which believes in "countless" gods, those "gods" (plural) are universally known (even the "animal" gods, like Hanuman, the monkey god) to be "humanized" aspects of Brahman (Brahman is "All That IS"--or, in other words, "Reality"--the actual reality beyond human comprehension...that which can never be disproven because it can never be completely comprehended by physical human brains, although significant parts of it can be comprehended by science and mathematics).
Judaism: Once a Jew enters into the realms of Jewish mysticism (where the serious thinking about "God" vis-à-vis reality/science/mathematics really begins), the concept of "Ein Sof" (the limitless, the infinite, the all-comprehensive--including all other possible, potential, universes, etc.) is, at THAT level, the Jewish concept of God.
In other words (and both Jewish and Hindu authorities agree on this): Brahman = Ein Sof. The two are identical concepts, described (in different languages), with different words/"names"...none of which involve a "Big Guy in the Sky."
That being said, most Hindus worldwide--while acknowledging that Brahman is "all" and contains "all"--do believe, in some personally meaningful way, that the individual gods/goddesses they are addressing in prayer or other worship are (simultaneously with those doing the addressing) "also" real (something roughly like: an individual person may be part of the "all" that is the total group of people (collectively) on this planet, but if that person is your spouse, or child, or parent, you recognize and relate to that person in special ways which do not apply to how you recognize "people" in the form of the entire spectrum of human beings alive at any particular moment).
In Judaism, although most Jews (both historically and now) probably have an inner "Big Guy in the Sky" private philosophy (a personal philosophy which is easily accessible to anyone, including children growing up), Jews (even unlearned ones) often intuit some kind of (at least beginner's concept) "Ein Sof" reality, even if the concept of God they address in communal or personal prayer, or in thought, is the "Big Guy in the Sky" one.
Once a Jew begins to seriously study the innards of Jewish philosophy, though, the concept of "Ein Sof" is introduced soon. (I have a Jewish Hebrew school (day school) and congregational school ("Sunday school," in Christian terms) instructional book geared to about sixth-grade academic level, and the concept of Ein Sof is introduced very early in the text, and then discussed, in its various aspects, throughout.)
The important thing to realize is that Hinduism's concept of "Brahman," and Judaism's concept of "Ein Sof," are identical to each other, and both "translate" to something which means: "Ultimate Reality [no matter what that IS, or may turn out to be]."
(It intuitively appears to me that this would be at the opposite end of the spectrum from the "Big Guy in the Sky" concept of reality, or most any concept of "God" as it is commonly understood around the planet.)
On a personal level: One of the areas I have been thinking about and researching is what OTHER "Brahman"/"Ein Sof" concepts might be "out there" in other global cultures--and I am particularly interested in tribal beliefs from peoples around the world.
Although I have not found any yet, I think it is more probable than not that they exist (at least here and there, both historically and, also, at this present time).
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2018 04:14PM by Tevai.