A good book to read on this topic is "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong. She writes and interesting and scholarly account of the history of man's belief in God.
It is interesting that many claim the Buddhists do not believe in God. This is, however, untrue. Their position is much like mine. They refuse to discuss the existence of God because they believe that the divine power behind creation cannot be described or defined in human language. God is above and beyond existence. None of our words or phrases can deal with the topic. In fact they do not like the term "God" because:
"This is largely because theists use the word "God" in a limited way to refer to a being who is not very different from us.. Like the sages of the Upanishads, the Buddha insisted that nirvana could not be defined or discussed as though it were any other human reality.
Attaining nirvana is not like 'going to heaven' as Christians often understand it. The Buddha always refused to answer questions about nirvana or other ultimate matters because they were 'improper' or 'inappropriate.' We could not define nirvana because our words and concepts are tied to the world of sense and flux. Experience was the only reliable 'proof'.' His disciples would know that nirvana existed simply because their practice of the good life would enable them to glimpse it." pg 31-32, "A History of God", Karen Armstrong.
If you wish a Buddhists comments on Nirvana I can give a quote.
Shalom
Ted
