The One True God and His One True Revelation
A Dialogue between God and Abraham
Written by Raymond Fontaine, Ph.D. - July 2003
Last evening, I reread the article entitled "The Legacy of Abraham" in Time magazine dated September 30, 2002. The author, David van Biema, recalls that the Old Testament Abraham is "beloved by Jews, Christians and Muslims." Then the author asks "Can this bond stop them from hating one another?" A little later, when I fell asleep with that question still rattling in my mind, my subconscious stirred up a dream about God and Abraham discussing that very problem.
In my dream, God greeted Abraham, "Hi, my dear old man, can I have a word with you?"
"Gladly, my Lord," Abraham answered, "I suppose it's about my unruly descendants causing trouble in the Middle East."
"Yes" God said, "but first, let me commend you again for challenging the common belief in your day that many gods manipulated the forces of nature on earth and sometimes meddled in human affairs."
"Before long," Abraham said, "I realized that the gods were the creation of human imagination seeking to explain and manage nature. I reasoned that one god could account for the wonders and laws of the entire universe. One omnipotent and benevolent God made more sense that a plethora of gods with manlike foibles and caprices."
"Thank you, Abraham, for making that giant step for mankind - away from many gods to one God."
"Convinced that I was right," said Abraham, "I instilled my belief into my two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac passed it along through his descendants who were first called Hebrews, then Israelites, and now Jews." Simultaneously Ishmael handed down the family's monotheistic belief to his offspring called Arabs."
"Let us not forget," said God, "that Isaac had a descendant called Jesus (6 B.C. - A.D.30). While embracing Judaism's monotheism, Jesus preached additional religious ideas that spread worldwide. His followers are called Christians and they now number about two billion faithful."
"Similarly," said Abraham, "Ishmael had an offspring called Muhammad (570-632) who clung to the family's belief in one God. But he too added some novel religious ideas. This religion is called Islam and its believers are Muslims. Today they number over one billion."
"By my count," said God, "more than half of the people on earth today have followed your lead and believe in one God. Thanks for your initiative."
"But," said Abraham, "these are the very people who are killing one another in Israel and Iraq, all claiming the same ancient forefather - me and the same Creator - you. Where did we go wrong?"
"You are not to blame," God said. "You made the first step towards universal peace when you demystified and drove away the deities causing turmoil on earth."
"But even after the demise of deities," said Abraham, "the conflict continues unabated. We can't fault the ancient deities for this. Then who or what is to blame?"
"Part of the problem," answered God, "are the deep differences in the religious beliefs of these groups. What the Jews believe is based on the reputed divine revelations recorded in the Old Testament. The Christians base their beliefs on the supplementary divine revelation proclaimed by Jesus and recorded in the New Testament. And lastly what the Muslims believe is based on a reputed angelic revelation made to Muhammad and recorded in the Koran. Let me assure you, my dear man, that all those revelation were man-made - creations of human imagination."
"My Lord," said Abraham, " if humans were to scrap these fabricated revelations about you, as they earlier dismissed all false deities, what or who would be left to inspire the people?"
"Just me as revealed in nature," said God. "That simple revelation is available to everyone. Everywhere on earth, there are lovely flowers and trees, animals and birds, and millions of other creatures of mine. Looking at them, humans should reason that someone with intelligence designed them. Isn't that enough revelation of my existence? What I am, how I think and what I do is beyond human comprehension."
"But in trouble and need," said Abraham, "humans turn to you who could so easily ease their pain and solve their problem. Where else can they get help?"
"Like all their fellow creatures in the universe," God answered, "humans should exploit their personal resources and get help from their environment which includes their fellow humans. Instead of attacking and destroying one another, humans should help their neighbors who include Christians and Muslims and Jews. Do you agree?"
"Yes, of course," Abraham answered. "You're right as usual."
At that moment, I awoke with my mind at peace and with an answer for David van Diema. He asks the question whether the bond that links the Jews, Christians, and Muslims to Abraham can stop them from hating one another? The answer is "no" as long as they go on believing in different divine revelations that in fact never happened. The only true fundamental bond between Jews, Christians and Muslim is not Abraham but the Creator of nature that reveals his existence and intelligence.
But before that single and simple belief enlightens all mankind it will take time. To get rid of the ancient deities took a millennium. It may take that long to reject all untrue revelations of God. Abraham succeeded by handing down his personal monotheism to his children and then to their children, one family after another. That may be the best way to pass along the belief that God is revealed only in nature - one family to another family, one friend to another friend, one generation to another until all humans are bonded together in Nature's God and live in peace with one another.