Dear Resident Theists

[Randy Carson]

I've asked this from several people multiple times, and never got an answer. Needles to say my curiosity remains unsatisfied.

So would any of you, nice, pretty, tasty god fearing men and women be so kind and present to me, step by step, your line of reasoning in going through this progression:

First cause
V
deistic deity
V
Theistic god
V
abrahamic god
V
your particular abrahamic god
V
your particular denomination's god
V
your personal version of this god

Really, really pretty please? ._.

(I realize that the last two may be the same thing depending on the circumstances, so feel free to merge them if you like)

I'm going to cover this rather quickly. We determine that God must exist primarily by reason and logic. The first cause of which you speak is just one of the many ways that human reason can come to understand that God must exist. If true, then the question of whether that God is deistic or theistic depends on Him; theists believe (based in part upon recorded history and in part upon their own experience) that God has revealed Himself and is, therefore, theistic by definition.

So, here is the brief overview:

1. First Cause.
Peter Kreeft says, "The argument is basically very simple, natural, intuitive, and commonsensical. We have to become complex and clever in order to doubt or dispute it. It is based on an instinct of mind that we all share: the instinct that says everything needs an explanation. Nothing just is without a reason why it is. Everything that is has some adequate or sufficient reason why it is. [Source]

Since the "first cause" is defined as God, and ALL monotheists worship the one Creator, the rest of this is somewhat superfluous. But we can move on to

2. Deistic deity.
By definition, that which causes or brings all other things into existence is God; thus, if there is a first cause, then we have arrived at deism which is defined as "belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe." [Source.]

The great monotheistic religions of the world believe that God has stepped into history as recorded in their sacred scriptures; hence, we arrive at

3. Theistic god
By definition, theism is "belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in one god as creator of the universe, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relation to his creatures." [Source.]

For three of the world's religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, this interaction began to accelerate with Abraham, and this brings us to:

4. Abrahamic god
Abraham was the father of Isaac (Israel) and Ishmael. From these two sons, Judaism and Islam are descended. And within the context of Judaism, the messianic promise of God led to fulfillment in Jesus, founder of Christianity.

5. Your particular denomination's god
I am a Catholic, and all Catholics worship the same God as the Jews and Muslims as noted above. However, Jews, Christians and Muslims ascribe and/or emphasize different attributes to this God; for example, Christians understand that God is a trinity of persons whereas Jews and Muslims do not.

6. Your personal version of this god
I do not believe that I have a "personal version" of God that differs radically from that of the Catholic Church, the majority of Christian denominations or the Jews and Muslims. However, I would need to know more about Muslim theology to be sure.

I suspect this is not the answer you were looking for...if not, maybe if you re-formulated the question, I could come closer.