Do the differences in various religions’ conceptions of God prove his non-existence?
Hare Krishna Question Does the differences among various religions prove the non-existence of God Answer This is like asking that does the difference about the nature of matter as is postulated by say quantum physics and relativity prove the non-existence of matter now if we consider the quantum physics ultimately states that there is nothing but waves there is no solid physical matter as we normally experience it with our normal perception and what we perceive is just a result of the collapse of the wave function at the moment of perception so this was quite a complex idea and not just complex so bizarre that Einstein himself rejected it saying that I would like to believe that the moon continues to exist even when I am not looking at it so the point is that quantum physics gives a very counterintuitive conception of matter as nothing but waves which collapse at particular moments now in contrast relativity gives quite a different conception of matter where matter is treated as made of atoms which comprise the physical stuff that we see around us which is tangible, perceivable and now these two theories the quantum physics conception of matter and the relativity's conception of matter these two are violently contradictory and although for decades scientists have been trying to come up with a theory of everything the further they are progressing the greater is the diversity between these two conceptions, between these theories and their conceptions of matter so now can we say that just because these two theories have two different conceptions of matter so therefore matter itself doesn't exist no so similarly even if it is true that different religions have different conceptions of god that itself does not prove the non-existence of god so now currently how do scientists reconcile the the widely diverging in fact contradicting conceptions of matter from these two theories they focus on whatever works so at the level of fundamental particles it is largely quantum physics that works and that's what they use at the level of intergalactic or interstellar, intergalactic cosmic distances it's relativity that is usually used and that's what it works so now scientists don't reject the idea that matter itself doesn't exist and reject the theories, no they use the theories that work now matter is something which is perceivable to us now by definition itself god is something god is someone who is a transcendent being so difficulty in knowing him is a natural result of his greatness and his transcendence so therefore if different religions have conceived god differently that simply means that they have grasped different features of god that one great being, there may be different religions and one fundamental truth to understand is god is greater than all the religions that we may dedicate to him so god is revealed in different ways in different religions and the very fact that people have been practicing have been worshipping god for millennia indicates that something has worked for them in some way they have benefited and that's why they are continuing this, continuing their worship of god so the point is that firstly there is just the contradictions in the differences or contradictions in the conceptions of something does not prove the non-existence of that thing and secondly if we go deeper we will see that while there are differences in the conceptions of god in the different traditions, those differences are also incorporated in the definition of god, the definition of god is that he is one of the defining characteristics that he is transcendental that's why we can't conceive him fully and just as a huge mountain with a towering peak may be seen from one side by one observer and from another side by different observer and they will describe the same mountain peak differently so a great saint and scholar gives this example to explain why different religions, different thinkers different traditions perceive different aspects of god because they are observing from different positions those positions can refer to both one's culture, one's psychological nature, one's upbringing and these cause difference in perceptions but there is a reality which is perceived differently by different people according to their culture and according to their nature but the reality itself is in no way denied or falsified by the difference in perceptions in fact if we consider the definition of god and understand his transcendence and understand his infinitude then such differences are natural given the finitude, given that we are finite and our perceptions are finite so naturally there will be different perceptions but those different the very fact that people across the globe in various parts of the world have conceived of some transcendent being and have attribute and have considered him as possessing remarkably similar attributes in terms of his defining attributes, his omnipotence his omniscience, so these qualities indicates rather the reality of that being, certainly the difference in the conceptions of god they come from different cultures cultural situations and they don't prove the non-existence of god just as the say the different traffic rules in different countries some countries say move from the left side some countries say move from the right side they don't prove the non-existence of the road or the non-existence of the concept of traffic regulation so there are cultural differences but beyond the cultural differences there is a reality and that's reality is god thank you are the four meanings.