So I've been thinking lately about the very concept of God - where did it come from? Why does it permeate our society, our psyche, and our cultural experience? It's been an interesting experience as I have gone about studying what this "God" concept is to much of the world. To some, God is a Spinoza character, a hands-off creator who made our reality then sat back and observed (Einstein favored this point of view). Some believe that God is a father-figure we must impress with our actions. Others (most Americans) believe God is a loving, personal being that watches over us and reveals truth as we request it.
Then, there is a growing sect of people who believe there is no God - and these, I have decided, are very different and distinct from the common atheist, who does not believe in God. To believe there is no God is a stance that the world is natural, that it is good as it is, and that God is not only unnecessary, but nonexistent. The atheist, on the other hand, requires little evidence but that which in convenient to his or her preconceived notions of the world - have you ever noticed how many atheists are friends with eachother, listen to the same music, engage in the same activities, and read the same books? This isn't herd mentality, it's a coincidence produced because they, as people, are designed a certain way and the concept of God doesn't jive with how they are.
And that's just fine. Childish, but fine.
On the other hand, there are the people who believe there is no God. I must say, I actually empathize and respect this view because it is, at least, based on some objective pursuit of truth, some rational understanding of reality (which is, ironically, the very endeavor that brought me to God.) It is a belief that is the result of reason and struggle, not the path of least resistance.
I must contrast this with the common practices of many prominent atheists who deny Christianity and other God-centered religions (but mainly Christianity) based on what it teaches - in other words, they disagree with it, therefor it is false. The atheist's ego or sense of ethics is offended by Christianity, and therefor it is cast out from their sense of reality as a straw-man or social enigma. In doing this, the atheist reveals the age-old natural motto: The world is natural because it must be natural. Nothing else will do.
Many Christians, to further contrast the perspective, believe in God despite the moral and ethical implications of a personal God - I, for example, would much prefer a physical existence devoid of God or afterlife because it allows me to pursue whatever hedonistic, pleasure-seeking experiences I want with no regard for those around me or the state of the human condition. However, the existence of God guides me to a higher level of happiness (one with a counterpart in responsibility) and demands that I refuse to invite the animal inside up for tea.
To not believe in God is to not reject God as inconvenient or as an obstacle to our physical fulfillment, but it is the result of our God-given reason. And that's okay. I can't agree ... but that's okay.
3 comments:
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Good words.
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