Letter to God # 3: Founders & Followers

Dear God,

It seems that, throughout human history, certain individuals have experienced what they consider to be special epiphanies about the nature of reality and- in their enthusiasm- have felt compelled to share their insights with other people. These individuals have pioneered progress in a variety of fields including philosophy, religion, science, ethics and politics. Some have called such individuals innovators, philosophers, founders, geniuses, mystics, witchdoctors, prophets and sages.

I find it interesting that such individuals have existed in nearly every human society across the globe. These individuals always seem to be counter-cultural nonconformists who view life differently than most others. These individuals tend to gain a hearing and attract a considerable following of devotees (many of whom take their leaders at their word yet have neither seen nor experienced what the leader claims to have seen and experienced).

These charismatic leaders often make a considerable impact on the times in which they have lived and then they die- like every other human being who has ever existed. But unlike every other human being who has ever existed, many of these individuals continue to live on in the memories of their followers who seek to both observe and propagate the ideas of their founders.

It seems that many of these followers attempt to recapture the lost presence of their leaders by deifying the individual and reducing their essence, ideas and actions into a formalized ideology. At this point, the tangible human leader who once lived and acted upon the earth is transformed into an abstract system of thought based upon what their followers remember about them. Monuments are constructed; guidelines are formalized; writings are canonized; doctrines are established; denominations become inevitable and diverse opinions about what the originators really intended begin to sprout unrelentingly.

Some of these belief systems endure the passing of generations and survive by adapting themselves to the fluctuating dynamics of a growing civilization. When this happens, you find adherents devoting themselves to ideas, rules, principles and commands that are likely to be very different from what the originator intended.

This is where it gets muddy. This is where I struggle.

I don’t place a lot of confidence in human subjectivity considering what modern psychology and neuroscience teaches us about the cloudiness of human memory. Perhaps I’m wasting my time telling You something You already know, but, as I understand it, we human beings tend to reconstruct narratives from our selective and ever-changing memories- which are largely shaped and determined by our personal interests, cultural contexts and limited perspectives.

I am troubled by the thought that most, if not all, of these systems of thought are based primarily on the transient memories of devoted adherents. It seems the kindergarten game of telephone has now been magnified on a massive scale, but carrying far more serious implications for human life.

Some, but not all, of these originators and their adherents have even made the claim that their insights were given to them from some divine, otherworldly source. Which makes me wonder: Are You speaking through such individuals? How should we respond to those people who claim that they have heard directly from You, are found in Your favor and are the most faithful representatives of Your holy will?

Pardon my skepticism, but what do You really expect us to think considering how many pious individuals propagate messages that they claim were sent to them by You, but which conflict and contradict those messages propagated by others who also claim Your divine endorsement and approval?

On top of that, how else should we respond considering how many charismatic leaders have misled sincere and faithful people to destructive ends? Haven’t You noticed how faithful, committed and sincere individuals- when misled by destructive ideas- often become the most dangerous types of people; those having the most potential to unleash evil because they have greatest amount of incentives to justify their actions and the least amount of reasons to suspect that there is anything wrong with their guiding ideology? Hasn’t this insight served as a recurring theme throughout human history and mythology?

I am told that You are a fan of the faithful types who confess to a simple, child-like trust in what they believe that You have told them. I am constantly reminded by students of the Christian scriptures that You have hidden your insights from the wise and have revealed them to the child-like.

But, in a world where human gullibility is so often exploited for destructive ends, how could any sane or sensitive human being not be skeptical and seek to use their intelligence to discern between truth and error? I realize that I may also be an unintentional propagator of my own form of destructive self-deception but I pray and hope that this is not the case.

At this point in my life, I find skepticism and investigation to be far more humble responses in the wake of all that we have learned and in the face of all the mystery yet to be explored.

Write back when You get a chance,

Me