God (Part 2)

A definitive case for or against the existence of God can never be made. Each of us may have an opinion on the matter, even an unshakeable conviction. But it is impossible for anyone to either prove, or disprove, the reality of God to another person.

So what is anyone troubled about this matter to do? Try to forget it and focus on the material world around us? Or seek to come to some conclusion that is not based on any proof?

The answer lies in a decision that each of us takes, whether or not we are conscious of it. The decision is in how we live our lives, how we treat other people and, most importantly, how we think about dying. For death is the only certainty in our world. It is the fate of all living things, from insects such as the mayfly, whose lifespan can be measured in hours, to the Giant Sequoia tree that can live for thousands of years. And it is your fate too, perhaps not for a long time to come. But one day your life will end. And then what?

Given, on the one hand, this fundamental fact of our own mortality and, on the other, our ignorance as to what, if anything, comes afterwards, what is the sensible position to take on the question of God's existence? If there is a Supreme Being Who has created each one of us, then it raises another fundamental question. Why? For what purpose? Because there surely would have to be a purpose, wouldn't there?

This immediately prompts a third question. What if I died only to discover that there is a God Who created me for a specific purpose, a purpose I have failed to achieve? This is, of course, a hypothetical question, for the reasons already stated. But that uncertainty must surely lead any thinking person to one, and only one, conclusion.

If there is just a 1% chance that God exists, and that I exist in order to serve some purpose known only to God, then I must pursue that possibility to the very limits. In other words, I must try to find the answer, at least to my own satisfaction. And if I try - and if there is a God - surely my search will not be in vain.

There was a man once who lived for many years in a state of uncertainty about God. However, he believed that he should spend his life trying to resolve that uncertainty. The way he chose to do so was through a prayer that was never far from his lips. The prayer was simple and addressed to a God Who might not be there at all: "Let me serve You, if You exist."

Of course, if this man had lived his life as if he would never have to face God then his prayer would have no meaning. For that reason he decided to act, to be, as if God is real. He tried to be selfless and kind, to show courage in the face of evil, and to subordinate his own desires so that the Will of God might become clear to him. And, finally, his prayer was answered. Not in any dramatic, biblical sense, but quietly, and in a manner that convinced him.

If you make a similar decision: to believe in the possibility of God's existence and to search for an answer to the mystery of your own existence, then your life will automatically have meaning. That is what the man referred to earlier discovered. He might have died still uncertain about God - and yet have lived a worthwhile life.

Because his quest shaped him. He was someone who brought light into the lives of everyone he met. In other words, he became good.

But he did not die in uncertainty and, as a result, his natural goodness was transmuted into something truly wonderful, truly holy.

Why would anyone pass up the chance, however remote it might seem now, of becoming likewise?

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Fear itself

Why is fear such a potent force in so many people's lives? Fear of failure. Fear of standing out. Fear of being rejected. Fear of taking risks.

Fear is a learned characteristic. As young babies we are hungry for new experiences. We explore our surroundings oblivious to any danger. Then, we may touch something sharp or hot and realise that the world is not a benign playground created just for us. Perhaps it is that first experience of external pain that plants the seed of fear in our young minds.

And so we grow into adulthood accumulating fears. There are many things to be afraid of nowadays: being fired, mobile phone radiation, suicide bombers, becoming overweight. The list is endless. In an era of mass communication, there is bound to be some threat out there with the potential to strike fear into the most sanguine heart. Before we know it, we have become so completely moulded by our fears that we cannot see how things could be any different. We say to ourselves: "This is how I am. There is no point trying to be someone else." We learn to hunker down and live within constraints that are entirely self-imposed.

But at what stage in our lives is it too late to change who we are? Is it ever too late? The poet William Henley wrote: "I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul." Individual sovereignty is a concept easy to forget in our interdependent society. Yet, who but ourselves should determine the kind of person we are? Certainly not any politician, movie star, or religious leader. We choose who we are, even when we imagine that the choice has been made for us.

That awareness alone should offer hope. Because every new day brings with it the opportunity to choose again.

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Poker Face

All of us interact with our fellow human beings like poker players. We never reveal our full hand, that is, everything in our minds, during normal communication. We allow others to see and hear only what is consistent with the self-image we wish to project.

Our private thoughts may consist of strange beliefs, embarrassing memories, extreme opinions, hidden desires, or silly worries. These we keep to ourselves for fear of alienating, enraging, or upsetting those around us. It seems to make sense to filter our thoughts when we communicate, but is it?

When a person looks in a mirror what does he or she see? At best, a 'mirror image' that is different to what everyone else perceives. At worst, a grossly-distorted version of reality that can lead some normal-sized young women, for instance, to believe they are obsese. Is it any different when we look into our own minds?

Perhaps if telepathy were as normal as sight or touch, we would realise that there is nothing unique about us. That everyone feels the same as we do, at least some of the time. But as it's not, we have to rely on the limited communications options available to us: speech, gesture, e-mail, etc. And these bring with them a tendency to be selective about what we reveal.

It could be different though, couldn't it? Instead of jealously guarding what we think are our dark secrets, we could share them with someone absolutely trustworthy. Someone who would not judge us or run away in horror. A perfect mirror who would reflect ourselves accurately back to us. Who would say, "No, that is nothing like as serious as you have thought." Or "You can put that right and be free of its effects at last."

Does such a person exist? Well, if you believe there is a God, then surely this is exactly how you would expect Him or Her to be? Like a loving parent waiting patiently to soothe your troubled mind, just as soon you decide to put all your cards on the table.

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God (Part 1)

Does God exist? It is a simple question, although the answer is far from simple. Everyone seems to have an opinion, but no one knows for sure one way or the other.

So if the question can never be answered definitively, is it irrelevant? Should we simply get on with our lives and leave the question of God's existence to be resolved in the afterlife - if there is one? Or should we decide now whether or not to believe in God?

The answer is obvious. There can be no more important question than this if we are ever to understand the meaning of life.

If the physical world in which we live, and the planets and stars beyond, represent the entirety of reality, can our lives have any meaning? If there is no God, surely the universe in its cold vastness is oblivious to us as individuals? What is more, when compared to the countless galaxies that comprise our universe, our tiny planet is like a grain of sand on an endless beach. No, it is merely one of the millions of atoms in that grain of sand.

To reject the idea of God is to regard ourselves as an aberration, an intelligent species that evolved somehow out of primitive life. In the context of our 14 billion-year-old universe, humanity will last no longer than the blink of an eye. If 'this' is all there is, then whether any of us lives or dies, or is born at all, can be of no consequence whatsoever.

Yet, on the whole, we humans do not seem to regard ourselves as redundant, or life as pointless. People struggle to better themselves. They procreate and raise children. They build civilisations that will continue after their individual deaths. People seem to have an instinct for immortality.

Does this mean that, deep down, we have a belief in something beyond, however latent it may be? Are we imbued with a fundamental hope that life has some purpose? There must be something to this, otherwise why would we not pursue hedonistic pleasures for as long as we could, and then kill ourselves when such pursuits were no longer possible?

In an increasingly secular age, it is easy to argue against the existence of a God that we cannot see or touch. Our rational minds can be persuaded to accept a definition of reality that excludes anything not measurable by science. Nevertheless, no atheist, no humanist philosopher, can ever completely rule out the possibility of a Divine Creator.

For most of mankind's history we believed in a greater power, whether it was the Earth Mother or the Sun God, or the more sophisticated deities of later civilisations. Such belief coincided with a much greater connection to the rhythms of nature than most of us feel today in our technological age. But we carry the same genes as our ancestors, for whom belief in God was as natural as belief in the wind and the rain.

So it cannot be too difficult for each of us to establish the truth. Perhaps not to the satisfaction of anyone else, but to our own satisfaction. And surely that is enough?

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Human will

Many of us today live in a state of low-level anxiety in which our minds are to some extent clouded by a kind of vague disquiet. We are surrounded by fears: terrorism, global warming, economic meltdown. Then there are the more intimate anxieties to contend with, such as the interpersonal difficulties, the jealousies, and the worries of our daily lives. Sometimes it is hard to think straight.

No wonder that self-help books and seminars are so popular. Positive thinking, life coaching, and stress management are just some of the terms to emerge from what is a growing industry. But what exactly is the problem? Is it simply that we human beings are not designed to live in a modern, technologically-driven society? Or is there a fundamental flaw in our make-up that almost compels us to feel anxious at least some of the time? Is this why drugs such as alcohol have always been seen as desirable, and even necessary?

Nevertheless, we tend to admire clear-headed thinking in others. In his poem If, Rudyard Kipling defined as a true man someone who can "keep your head when all about you are losing theirs". But such a state may seem very aspirational amid the pressures of modern living. Or is it?

After all, the human will is a pretty powerful tool. One US president's will led to a man walking on the moon and returning safely to earth. Rosa Parks' refusal to surrender her bus seat to a white person inspired the American Civil Rights movement in their campaign for equal rights. And, Christy Brown, unable to use his hands, wrote his best-selling memoir by holding a pen between the toes of his left foot.

It is easy to feel ground down by the world. But everyone of us is much stronger than we think. To believe otherwise is to short-change ourselves.

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The ever-present now

Unlike three-dimensional space, time exists in only one dimension. We cannot go backward or sideways in time, only forward. Time is like a conveyor belt, carrying us inexorably along. We like to think we can pause occasionally, stop time to catch our breath or savour some exceptional moment. But this is an illusion. Tempus fugit. (Time flies.)

Is time then our enemy, never allowing us to know lasting pleasure, leaving us only our memories of those special experiences we must always leave behind? Or is it a mercy to know that, no matter how horrible our situation may be, it will inevitably pass as time takes us forward? For instance, a convict serving a prison sentence might feel increasing hope as each new day marks a step closer to his liberation.

Perhaps it is wisest to see time as a resource, which can be misspent and wasted, or else made as productive as possible. But how do we know how best to use this extraordinary treasure? Most people seem to oscillate between bouts of worthwhile 'busy-ness' and periods of apparent idleness. This is surely sensible - 'all work and no play...', etc. But suppose it were possible to consider in advance how we should spend the store of time allotted to us.

Imagine if, before our births, each of us was told how long our lives would be and, what is more, we were then asked to decide how we would use our time on earth. One person might say, gazing at a scene of starving children in Africa, "I will spend my life alleviating suffering in the world." Another, looking in a different direction at, say, the fleshpots of Las Vegas, might wish to experience the delights of sexual relations with as many attractive partners as possible. Of course, there are a myriad other options between these two extremes.

But we are not offered such an opportunity, are we? None of us knows from one moment to the next when our lives will end. This, perhaps, is the greatest and most positive aspect of time. For it means that our natural state is to live in the 'now'. It is all we can be sure of. The future is unknown and of uncertain duration. The present moment is, in a sense, infinite. Realising this, we can discard the fears and doubts that sometimes hold us in their grip. Their potency is based on a misconception: that if we dwell on the future we can ward off dreadful possibilities.

Our futures are the result of decisions we take now, whether it is to quit smoking or set up a savings plan. Everything in our lives happens as a result of 'now'. And if we are struck one day by the unexpected, its effects will be determined by how we respond in that 'now'. So, rather than think about time passing, perhaps we should look on our lives as a succession of 'now's, each one filled with wonderful possibilities, and all within our own control.

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To be or to do

In our busy modern world, activity is valued highly. Almost the first question asked when two people are introduced at a social gathering is "What do you do?" In many parts of the world the 'protestant work ethic' compels us to lead active and productive lives. Thus, economies grow and produce far more than their citizens can consume.

Where does all this lead us? Clearly to ever higher levels of prosperity, at least in much of the western world. And there is little doubt that if we were to collectively work less and consume less, those familiar economic indicators of GDP and GNP would decline. This raises the question as to whether or not this endless activity represents the primary purpose of mankind.

Do we regard ever-increasing economic growth as unquestionably good? Even when that leads us to earn a living doing something that does not actually benefit us directly (unless of course we spend our days growing and harvesting food for our own table)? Or that drives us to buy goods and service we often do not need?

We live in a world where successful corporations have lifespans longer than any of the individuals who work for them. For example, three companies still thriving today, Coca-Cola, Nokia, and American Express, were all founded in the 19th century. Each one has developed a life and a momentum of its own. Nowadays, their primary purpose is to keep going, and each one uses the energies and skills of its employees, from chief executive to mail-room clerk, to that end.

If we are part of this global consensus, it may be difficult to stand back and reflect on where it is taking us. Is this what it means to be human? To contribute to an economic system for as long as we are capable before handing the task on to the next generation, which then continues the cycle?

Or is there any value at all in doing nothing? Even for a few minutes a day? And 'doing nothing' meaning ceasing mental as well as physical activity? In other words, sitting still and emptying our minds of all distracting thoughts and anxieties? "Ah!", you say, "that's meditation; sitting in the lotus position and chanting mantras."

But it's not. It simply means stepping off the carousel for a short time in order to become ourselves and, even for a little while, to stop being fodder for an insatiable machine.

And just maybe we will like the feeling of 'being' rather than 'doing'. And then what?

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