My Journey (IX): Is there a God?

I guess it was inevitable for this question to come up. Looking back through the years I think on some level subconsciously I always questioned this and through all my doubts I was always just asking the wrong question. But the reality is it was necessary to first deal with the subjects of faith and the Bible. Anything less and it would have been a mere rejection based on emotions and on being “mad” at God. More an act of rebellion that a rational choice resulting from an extensive and thorough search for knowledge and reason.

How do I see the concept of God? I do not believe that god created man in his image. I see, rather, that man has created god in his image. Each society through the history of the world has worshiped a god of some sort. This god has fit within the parameters of their social and cultural existence.

Does the fact that every culture HAS a god prove the existence of a god? Absolutely not. What it does prove is the need in the human psych to have somebody in control. Somebody that provides balance and justice. The pattern has been repeated time and time again throughout the history of man. Society requires order. This order is brought about with a two fold form of human control: government and religion. You establish rules. You establish an arbitrator for those rules. This arbitrator must be somebody with sufficient power to enforce these rules.

A perfect example is the Ten Commandments. You start of f with establishing the arbitrator and enforcer. I am the Lord thy God. Next you establish the appropriate reverence and respect for that arbitrator. Remember the sabbath and do not take his name in vain. Then you establish acceptable rules of behavior. Obey your parents. Don't lie. Don't covet. Don't mess with your neighbor's woman (ironically mentioned twice since the book IS written by men and us men are kind of particular about other men messing with out woman!)

Over and over throughout the history of the world this pattern has been followed in both monotheistic and polytheistic societies. The point comes down to this. There is no conclusive evidence to the existence of a god. The existence for one god in one society results in the rejection of the god of other societies. For example if you believe in the God of Judeo-Christianity then as a result you reject the gods of Hinduism. And this rejection is not a mild rejection. In other words it is not a, well you are wrong, oh well. It is a strong rejection, i.e. you are wrong and you will burn forever in hell for it. Indeed, Old Testament Judaic law called for the death of any that worshiped a different god.

In my opinion, a solid reasoning and simple process of deduction as well as an open minded observation of the world and its cultures would lead to the fact that the concept of god is more a concept in the human mind that an actual person that is in control of the world.