There are further characterizations of God's perfection as a deity, and these include: (1) infinity; (2) unity; (3) simple; and (4) divine. These characteristics, identified by Toner, are evidences that show how monotheism as an idea differs from dualism. Monotheism is unique and absolute; in the same way that there is one truth and reality as one seeks the meaning of life through a God. It does not have dualism's polarities. Instead, what monotheism and its idea of a God share is a deterministic nature of life, a life not influenced by the real and metaphysical, but on the idea of God alone.
The idea of an infinite and united God is consistent with the argument presented in the preceding paragraph. Time does not play a significant role in determining God's efficacy to its believers. Furthermore, mind and matter merge to create a united entity, a characteristic achieved only by God. And because God transcends all the worldly ideas and concepts that humanity has created, God is then considered simple, mainly because it is not spiritual or material, it simply exists as it is. This fact alone explains God's simplicity, though to explain its existence and knowability is actually a complex contemplation to engage in. Lastly, because God is infinite, united, and simple, he is thus divine: an entity that exists for different causes not known by humanity.
These characteristics show that there can only be one God, one entity who has uniqueness and is absolute. Compared against the principles of dualism, the idea of a God alone is enough to show how different monotheism is from dualism. Dualism has an altogether different interpretation of the universe. For a dualist, a God that is infinite would surely have a counterpart of a God that is finite. Similarly, it would posit that the God's unique manifestation can be either material/physical or metaphysical. What dualism tries to achieve...
This theory essentially states that myths are designed in order to tell a story, or to explain how, through supernatural means, a particular event took place (Eliade, 1998). Using this definition from Eliade himself, it is much easier to discuss the importance of religious ritual and its tie to myths. Because myths perform the task of explaining what may have only been explainable through sheer faith without myths in
Furthermore, the Bible has influenced the evolution of language. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Old and New Testament are filled with phrases and maxims that have become part of common vernacular, such as "nothing new under the sun" from Ecclesiastics. One of the overarching themes of this course has been to approach the Bible as a multi-authored collection. Each book possesses unique tones and perspectives that emerge
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