It actually makes more sense for me to declare that there is a God, and that I know that God, than to declare that there is no God. For, since no one can truly comprehend what God must be, the concept of "God" has a multitude of meanings, each and all inadequate to fully account for a true God. To the extent that what we call God is to be found within us, I might be forgiven for finding something of that truth within and - mistakenly - presuming to speak as the voice of God. I would certainly be guilty of overreaching and misinterpretation, and my actions "in the name of God" might have dangerous consequences, but I would at least be basing those actions and interpretations on something that I experienced. On the other side, if I declare that God does not exist, the implication is that I am either denying the reality of a particular notion of God (for example, the old white-bearded man in a white gown who micro-manages our individual lives), or I am denying the reality of every one of the myriad conceptions of God, or I am presuming to fully comprehend the universe and to be in a position to know definitively that there cannot possibly be any kind of God whatsoever, or, if such a possibility exists, nevertheless there happens to be no God in existence.
Who is really more arrogant, the man who, raised in a longstanding religious tradition, becomes carried away by his religious enthusiasm to the point that he believes that God is speaking through him; or his neighbor, who believes that he knows enough about everything to be able to declare that every notion of God held by humankind throughout history is rubbish?
Thursday, December 6, 2007
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