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JAINISM: A THEISTIC PHILOSOPHY “GOD IN JAINISM”
whom all others are derived. God is absolute and unconditional being with whom nothing to be equated that really exists.
(b) The Meaning of Atheism: Atheism as defined in encyclopedia of religion is sometimes said to be equivalent to Pan cosmism i.e. the doctrine that the universe consist of nothing but those physical and psychical existences which are perceptible by the senses or are cognizable by the imagination and finite understanding or belief that there is no God.
(c) The Development of the Idea of God: In early days of civilization uncivilized races developed the concept of supernatural being who could act for their welfare, protect them from supernatural phenomenon, calamities and so forth. Although in the beginning people worshiped several gods, later on concept of One Supreme Reality who is omnipresent and cause of the universe and who controls all forces of nature was established in general. Such doctrine has come into light as theism; and that which oppose to it (theism) is called atheism.
(d) In What Sense Jainism is Theist or Atheist? Jainism has been classified under the atheistic schools of Indian philosophy along with Buddhism and the Cārvāka (Lokāyats) system. As a matter of fact, the word atheism is misnomer here. The word ‘atheist’ (Godless, a = not, Theos = God) refers in the context of western thought in general to a person who does not believe in the existence of God. And an atheist is a person who holds that the sentence “God exists” expresses a false proposition. Atheism therefore, refers to that system or belief in which there is no God.
Jainism and Buddhism are atheistic system according to western concept of atheism, in the sense that they do not subscribe to the belief in personal God. So far as Christianity and Islam are concerned, God is the ultimate reality, which creates and controls the spiritual and material world. He is the first cause of the world, but is causesui Himself. He is omnipotent and omnipresent. He is
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