The problem with the examination of the God-Man relationship is that only one side of the relationship is available to us for study. Everything we think we know about God is our idea. Everything about our relationship to Him is based on underlying assumptions, speculations, history, belief, faith, hope, and fear. Man(kind) cannot ever “know” God except in terms that are understandable to us as human beings. We cannot imagine beyond the capabilities of our own species. Therefore everything we attribute to God is our own invention. Everything we attribute to God is stated in human terms. How could it be otherwise? At best we have only very indirect methodologies with which to try to understand God. We don’t even speak the same language as God. Translations are always suspect. In the oldest stories (note this word carefully - “stories”), the Angels came to Earth. They found humans and became besotted with the beautiful Earthling women (the only ones around at the time). Well now, isn’t that a nice ego trip? It even sounds like the first European sailors landing in Hawaii. It does double work for an autocratic patriarchal society: it allows human men to have their cake and eat it too. The men can blame the subsequent events on women, and enjoy the fruits of the results. “It is your fault that you are so beautiful that I come home from a hard day in the fields to find you in bed with an Angel! And now you tell me that you’re pregnant?” Having a child of an Angel in your home would be a real positive status symbol. Especially at a time when all children were precious and getting rid of any child, especially that of an Angel, would be unthinkable. Now, let us be realistic and remember some cold hard facts. This story was supposed to have happened five or six thousand years ago. Bathing is a relatively new concept in modern personal hygiene. Baths only used to happen when people were caught out in the rain. When they fell into a stream, or when the horseplay at the laundry got too rough. Deodorants and perfumes had not yet been invented. Toothpaste and tooth brushes had not yet been invented. In other words people smelled worse than baby skunks, and that is BAD ! If those Earthling women had become that attractive to Angels, either Angels have no sense of smell, or the Angels had a raging case of hormone fever. I wonder if someone somewhere was exaggerating some concepts? As a side issue, I have often pondered over this quandary. Man (kind) stunk. No baths. No soap. No deodorants. Heavy, poorly tanned, animal skin clothes, sweat, wood smoke, and non-existent oral hygiene all added to the thick viscous aroma that surrounded humans, especially (male) hunters. How did they ever get close enough to wild animals to kill anything with a hand thrown spear? I can see where it gave added emphasis to the development of the technology and sociology of long distance killing: pits, jumps, and bows & arrows. And soap ! And the idea that tom be clean was to be Godly. Lets skip the ridiculous Angel stories and get back to God. The most basic, primary assumption is that God Is. No hard, scientific, rational evidence of any kind exists for this assumption. A rational person has to keep this thought constantly in mind. A rational person has to remember it as he studies and discusses the whole of human culture. All the complex arrangements and structures of human beings have been built up on this foundation of sand. Without this fundamental underlying support (as fragile and easily erodeable as it is), little of human existence makes much sense. It is as if the whole human race has forever been mentally ill. And is still actively operating under, or with, a mass delusion, hysteria, or psychosis. Furthermore, this hysteria, despite an infinity of varieties, is all encompassing. It reaches into every part of every culture on the planet. It is important to remember that, despite the overwhelming numbers of people involved, delusion is delusion. And one delusion is not better than another. “My delusion is better than your delusion,” is the path to insanity. We, as human beings may have been deliberately imposing limitations upon ourselves. We may be driven by instinct or genetics to do this. It may be a kind of self-recognition of our own human condition and weaknesses. If it is true that all of religion is delusion, then the connection between religion and our human propensity to war upon our own species is very suspect. It has to be examined in a new light, and from a different perspective. Perhaps war, frequently driven by religion, or differences between religions, is our species’ form of unrecognized population control. Perhaps we are more like lemmings than we would like? Perhaps war is answering to an innate understanding and recognition of the carrying capacity (maximum human population) of the land. Perhaps war is as natural to us as breathing? Regardless of society, culture, or even religion, all that Man creates is a house of cards without the anchoring concept of God. Beyond the minimal conditions of existence, there are details that have to be considered. First think about this sentence: “The Devil is in the details”. Note how easily religious terms scatter throughout the language. Also note the use of religious metaphors. Metaphors are commonly used to communicate the idea that we are about to approach a very complex subject. A subject without easy to establish answers. A subject for which the answers which are likely to be developed are possibly difficult, unpalatable, and quite possibly unpopular. Still, to throw out a number of intriguing questions allows and encourages a larger participation and increases the likelihood of a better resolution. Questions like: What kind of God is He / She? Are there any limitations to His / Her powers? Was this God, the Creator? If God Created Us, is He / She still aware of us / interested in our problems / concerned with or about our existence and / or our behavior? What responsibilities, if any, does each of God’s creatures have to the Deity? Is Man’s responsibility to God greater than, similar to, or lesser than any other species? Why? How do you know? Why do you think that? Thankfully, we will not try to answer all of these questions here. If it is true, as some have speculated, that God’s Plan for His Evolutionary System is to develop intelligence, then what is the purpose of intelligence? Why would God want to develop intelligence? Has He found no other intelligence beyond His own in the Universe He Created? If God wants / wanted to develop intelligence, why does He also allow / permit Free Will? Could it be that even to God that that which is impossible to deny Him (worship) is worthless to Him (And why would God value / demand worship?) perhaps unless it is freely given? Does God have an ego problem? Why would God need worship / adoration? Does God need anything? If it exists, how troubling to God is this need? I don’t think that God has an ego problem. I don’t think God is troubled. I do think that Mankind does have an ego problem. I don’t think that God wants, needs, or demands worship, or prayers. I do think that a significant number of humans love the idea of not having to work for a living. I think that a number of humans love having large numbers of people giving them fine presents all the time. Presents like good foods, and other valuable substances, or acts. I don’t think that God is looking for anything more complex than companionship and friendship. Only people need to eat food and enjoy fine presents. I think that God is simply lonely. I think that God seeks the presence of another Intelligence comparable to His own in the Universe. That, it seems to me, is the ultimate (even God-like) challenge: to create such an Intelligence. We don’t know how God came about. He just Is. Perhaps God is self created? And like an infant, doesn’t know how He got where He Is. We humans might very well be simply the result of the fumbling attempts of an infant God seeking a playmate. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Moreover, the task of creating an intelligence interesting enough to be a suitable companion to God, without the contamination of Imposed Will, means that God, by allowing His Creation Free Will, is taking a risk. God is gambling. God is rolling dice. There must always be the possibility that His attempts (at creating intelligence) (human beings?) will fail. Snake Eyes! Box Cars! Take that species off the table! Considering how long we have been around, how far we have to go, and the constant high level of utter stupidity exhibited by the human race, I am not really very optimistic about the human race making the cut. Perhaps we will get lucky. For an intelligence to grow into an interesting level of size, strength, awareness, and toughness to be a suitable companion to God means that God cannot give us a free ride. We have to be able to take our own lumps. We have to survive. God cannot solve our problems for us. It is our job to solve the problems. God cannot listen to appeals for help. To help us would only delay the maturation process. God must ignore all calls for help. God must allow us to solve our own problems. That way, we will grow and become stronger, and become suitable, or we will die.
(c) Copyright 2006: George Wallace recently published a book on religion which lashes out at nearly all of the comfortable ideas about God, the trappings of organized religion, and the priesthood. His pithy comments and suggestions for a return to a God-centered personal religion will interest everyone. This article may be freely reprinted so long as all copyright attributions, and the full content of this resource box are included. www.OhGodIsThatYou.com
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