The God Question

Is there a God? Maybe. If there's room for Carrottop in this universe there's certainly room for the idea of an omnipotent creator of all. I'm not a religious/spiritual person. But, like most arm-chair philosophers, I find the subject of theology fascinating. I read a quote a few weeks ago I found both enlightining and relevant, and I wish to share it with you.

"Not the least of my problems is that I can hardly even imagine what kind of experience a genuine, self-authenticating religious experience would be. Without someone destroying me in the process, how could God reveal himself in a way that would leave no room for doubt? If there is no room for doubt, there would be no room for me."

This quote is attributed to Frederick Buechner, a famous theologian and writer. It appears at the beginning of John Irving's 'A Prayer for Owen Meany'.

Essentially, Buechner is saying the proven knowledge that "a god" exist in the universe would simply be too much for our fragile psychies to withstand. Our brains would implode. Our skin would bubble. Our hearts would ooze. I agree with Mr. Buechner.

At this point you might be thinking "so what?" Well, this is what I wager. I don't think most people (from the zealots to the atheist) care if there's really a god out there. I think most people rely on the idea that there might be a god out there. To know for sure would ruin everyone's fun. The true believers would sulk cause believing would now be an obsolete practice. The agnostics and the atheists would constantly fear for their souls for not believeing sooner. I would personally lock myself away in a room without windows to make sure I committed no offense that would place me out of favor with the Almighty.

All choice would be eliminated. You would either see every action and choice as predetermined by The Man (or Woman) Upstairs and thus, pointless, or you would spend all of your time thinking about which choice was the "right" one that you would live in fear of making any choices at all. What a said little world that would be.

So, what's the point? What am I getting at? I suppose this was a roundabout way for me to talk about the greatest human paradox. Hope.

Such a powerful little word. I spend much time thinking about Hope. Hope is the most unique of emotions and ideas. The great friend and enemy of the human race. People will fight violently to keep the idea of Hope alive. Hope has saved lives and it has ended them. Hope is creation and destruction.

I believe God is the human need to give tangible reality to the natural emotion we call Hope.

I often joke that humans got the short end of the evolutionary stick. "Yeah we got thumbs and a large brain, but I would much rather have talons or be able to see in the dark!!!" Talons would be cool, but evolution gave us something infinitely more powerful and mysterious. Hope. The idea that something 'better' and 'good' can happen when all evidence suggest that doom is on the horizon. Hope is the ultimate evolutionary trait. A 'predisposed feeling' that tells us survival and social dominace are not the apex of ones worth. A 'sense' that ones life has 'meaning' in the seemingly chaotic blender of existence. Hope beats x-ray vision and super strength all to hell.

And yet, I'm leary of Hope. It hurts as much as it helps. When hope is not realized its ugly cousin, Despair, steps in and destroys lives. False Hope breeds hubris. An unrealistic concept of Hope creates jealousy and anger. But somehow we still need it.

So, it doesn't matter if God really exist. Perhaps He (or She) is up there right now pushing a billion buttons that control all things. Perhaps it's the biggest ruse of all time. Neither scenario means much. What matters is this: Believing in any higher power is about cultivating the instrinsic and necessary emotion of Hope.

Like Buechner said, "If there were no room for doubt, there would be no room for me." Hope can only exist in a world of doubt. Without Hope we might be wiser, but we would not be human.