Which god?

[OMG12]

i was reading up on ancient Mesopotamia, by the 3rd millennia BC there were some 3600 gods, obviously with the various religions which have existed throughout time the number of gods and goddesses which have existed must number the 10s of thousands.

I believe in a divine force (not a personal god) that would run through all these iterations/stories as well as everything that science discovers, it’s not necessary for me to pick one god or any because essentially it’s all the same. I don’t believe in a God that personally intervenes (well it’s more complicated than that but for these purposes it will do).

but I’m curious -what makes people believe in one God over another. Eg why the Christian God over say Enlil and/or Ishtar etc? Is it purely cultural?

Typically brainwashing from family and tradition.

Apart from that, the non-religious people I’ve known that later became christian were looking to fill a hole in their life and after a while they realised that christians are mostly very unchristian in practice.

Culture and familiarity (This is why I stick with the CofE despite not aligning with all the theology - like you I think it is all one and we can’t know the precise details)

Having a religious experience (this can be in any religion but convinces people that this particular one is true)

Christians would say the resurrection is convincing and the events at Pentecost (also the healing and other miracles). That assumes they really happened as described in the bible which we can’t know.

I quite like the quote ‘by their fruit shall you know them’. Jesus for the most part said and did good things - no scandals that we know of. He did curse a fig tree for being out of season and consider not healing a gentile woman comparing her to a dog. Also spent a lot of time avoiding crowds but perhaps that teaches us to have boundaries for ourselves.

Anyway waffling on now. I think the world would be a better place if no one was 100% convinced that their religion or philosophy was the only right way.

Have you studied the Christian Faith?

Because if you haven't had personal experience of it you really aren't in a position to make such comments about what is 'Christian' and what is 'un-Christian 'practice.