Dear God,
Where are you?
Me
Showing posts with label Letter to God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Letter to God. Show all posts
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Letter to God # 2: Studying God, Studying Humankind
Dear God,
Call it blasphemous, but I am unable and unwilling to cast aside my growing suspicions that those lofty claims that so many pious believers, prophets, shamans, ministers, preachers and evangelists declare about You and Your will actually reveal more about their minds than Yours.
Could it be that silent gods speak loudly about the lives of the people who seek them?
Perhaps Ludwig Feuerbach was right in saying that theology (the study of God) is really anthropology (the study of humankind).
Nevertheless, as you may know, despite my persistent doubts I continue to accompany my wife and daughter in observing worship services at a predominantly African-American Missionary Baptist congregation. My wife truly enjoys these services and, while I am still sorting out my own theological and philosophical views, I willingly participate until I can devise some mutually satisfactory alternative that would satisfy our needs in this area.
Although I disagree with almost all of the theological ideas and doctrinal affirmations upon which this particular church is based, I am intrigued by the human behavior that I witness in this setting. I watch closely as the choir and musicians who, like magicians, use their instrumental mastery to construct layers of worship-inspiring sounds and melodies- inducing many of those gathered into a virtual explosion of cathartic emotional release. I also find it particularly interesting that such music is played during those parts of the service where critical, life-changing decisions are being weighed (i.e. altar calls, calls to conversion, etc.).
I sit in the pews and listen attentively as the speaker of the hour describes the contemporary social problems facing our generation and the specific congregation. I admire the preachers who use clever analogies to explain profound ideas of religious wisdom, but I begin to lose interest as they rouse the weekly gathering with encouraging and heartening ideas about the supernatural powers and miraculous capabilities belonging to God the Father, Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The three (or is it the one?) of You are branded as the solution to all that which afflicts the people and a relationship with You all is presented as the only thing worth seeking in this earthly life.
I find such approaches to be inadequate and enabling as they merely shift the responsibility for dealing with human problems away from the human beings- who I believe to be the originators and solvers of such problems- and instead seek to place the burden of progress upon supernatural shoulders.
But I try to be patient in my attempts to understand this response.
While listening, I challenge myself to hear the practical applications behind the sermon’s theology, the cry for stability beneath each claim of scriptural inerrancy and infallibility, the heartfelt concerns beneath each prayer invoking supernatural assistance and the unmet needs that can be found behind each description of those divine entities expected to intercede on behalf of the believers.
So often I have heard well-intentioned counselors offer clichéd phrases like, “God is in control,” “God knows best,” and “Everything happens for a reason” to the broken-hearted in the wake of a senseless tragedy. I’m not saying it is wrong to offer such consolations to those who grieve, but I just find it interesting that this is how many humans tend to respond to such events. I wish I could offer a more consoling thought, but at present I'm afraid that have no better alternative that would be considered helpful to individuals who are dealing with that kind of hurt. But I hope to find such an alternative if such claims are not true.
But surely You are more than a losing team’s half-time, locker room speech- a grand idea told to either encourage those who face the inevitable or to inspire those who need to believe that someone is looking out for them and will sustain them through life’s difficulties.
Surely, you are more than that.
But maybe that is what people need to keep going. And perhaps I need to make room for that...even if I find myself decreasing in my desire for You.
Sincerely,
Me
Call it blasphemous, but I am unable and unwilling to cast aside my growing suspicions that those lofty claims that so many pious believers, prophets, shamans, ministers, preachers and evangelists declare about You and Your will actually reveal more about their minds than Yours.
Could it be that silent gods speak loudly about the lives of the people who seek them?
Perhaps Ludwig Feuerbach was right in saying that theology (the study of God) is really anthropology (the study of humankind).
Nevertheless, as you may know, despite my persistent doubts I continue to accompany my wife and daughter in observing worship services at a predominantly African-American Missionary Baptist congregation. My wife truly enjoys these services and, while I am still sorting out my own theological and philosophical views, I willingly participate until I can devise some mutually satisfactory alternative that would satisfy our needs in this area.
Although I disagree with almost all of the theological ideas and doctrinal affirmations upon which this particular church is based, I am intrigued by the human behavior that I witness in this setting. I watch closely as the choir and musicians who, like magicians, use their instrumental mastery to construct layers of worship-inspiring sounds and melodies- inducing many of those gathered into a virtual explosion of cathartic emotional release. I also find it particularly interesting that such music is played during those parts of the service where critical, life-changing decisions are being weighed (i.e. altar calls, calls to conversion, etc.).
I sit in the pews and listen attentively as the speaker of the hour describes the contemporary social problems facing our generation and the specific congregation. I admire the preachers who use clever analogies to explain profound ideas of religious wisdom, but I begin to lose interest as they rouse the weekly gathering with encouraging and heartening ideas about the supernatural powers and miraculous capabilities belonging to God the Father, Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The three (or is it the one?) of You are branded as the solution to all that which afflicts the people and a relationship with You all is presented as the only thing worth seeking in this earthly life.
I find such approaches to be inadequate and enabling as they merely shift the responsibility for dealing with human problems away from the human beings- who I believe to be the originators and solvers of such problems- and instead seek to place the burden of progress upon supernatural shoulders.
But I try to be patient in my attempts to understand this response.
While listening, I challenge myself to hear the practical applications behind the sermon’s theology, the cry for stability beneath each claim of scriptural inerrancy and infallibility, the heartfelt concerns beneath each prayer invoking supernatural assistance and the unmet needs that can be found behind each description of those divine entities expected to intercede on behalf of the believers.
So often I have heard well-intentioned counselors offer clichéd phrases like, “God is in control,” “God knows best,” and “Everything happens for a reason” to the broken-hearted in the wake of a senseless tragedy. I’m not saying it is wrong to offer such consolations to those who grieve, but I just find it interesting that this is how many humans tend to respond to such events. I wish I could offer a more consoling thought, but at present I'm afraid that have no better alternative that would be considered helpful to individuals who are dealing with that kind of hurt. But I hope to find such an alternative if such claims are not true.
But surely You are more than a losing team’s half-time, locker room speech- a grand idea told to either encourage those who face the inevitable or to inspire those who need to believe that someone is looking out for them and will sustain them through life’s difficulties.
Surely, you are more than that.
But maybe that is what people need to keep going. And perhaps I need to make room for that...even if I find myself decreasing in my desire for You.
Sincerely,
Me
Letter to God # 1: Prayer
Dear God,
Pardon me for the ramblings, but I thought it best to reach out to You through the form of a letter since I seem to think best when I am writing. As You may know, It’s been nearly two years since we last talked; and when I say talk, I mean it’s been two years since I tried to communicate with You through the form of a heartfelt prayer.
In that span of two years, prayer took on a whole new meaning for me- more akin to an active meditation on those persons and things that I want to keep at the forefront of my attention than any appeal for your intervention. I have “prayed” (as most would understand the term) only on those rare occasions where I felt compelled by the social pressure to conform. In such times, I have concluded my wishful appeals with rote phrases like “these things we ask in Jesus’ name” mainly because they were the expected norms in my social circles- not because I believed that any such phrase would make any difference in the outcome. To me, such phrases have become hollow and such appeals have become pointless.
The only value I find in prayer- besides serving as an opportunity to focus one's mind on matters of value and importance- is that it enables one to hear the deepest concerns of their fellow human beings; heartfelt concerns that they may never share if they did not believe that You were somehow listening and willing to help.
Over the past few years, I noticed that those rare mornings when I woke up not believing became more frequent and I gradually became more comfortable with the idea that You may not be “present” in any way that makes a significant difference in the lives of humans. Some have said that You are a mysterious, invisible, inactive and silent entity that might as well be nonexistent. And, to be honest, it’s hard for me not to agree with them.
But I remain hesitant to proclaim this publicly for dread that my current views may be the expression of some sort of immature and rebellious phase instead of any sort of insightful wisdom. I hope this is not the case, but I have not ruled out the possibility that I may one day regret these very words which I now write to You.
I am fully aware that these very musings may one day prove to be the seeds of my liberation or the evidence of my condemnation. Yet I fear being wrong on such an important matter far more than I fear any idea of Hell. But I risk being wrong and embark on this scary and uncertain path because, as far as I know, we only have one life to live and I don’t want to waste my energies on a vain pursuit.
God, if you are there, and if you care to answer, then I ask you to please make yourself known to me. I ask for a clear and direct sign because I don't want to play mindgames on myself. I ask, because I take the idea of You seriously. I will try to be patient and wait for your answer. How long? I'm not sure. But, I fear that if you fail to respond, I may take your silence as all the proof I need to continue on my path towards the ever-elusive, iconoclastic and liberating thing we call truth.
With all due respect,
Me
Pardon me for the ramblings, but I thought it best to reach out to You through the form of a letter since I seem to think best when I am writing. As You may know, It’s been nearly two years since we last talked; and when I say talk, I mean it’s been two years since I tried to communicate with You through the form of a heartfelt prayer.
In that span of two years, prayer took on a whole new meaning for me- more akin to an active meditation on those persons and things that I want to keep at the forefront of my attention than any appeal for your intervention. I have “prayed” (as most would understand the term) only on those rare occasions where I felt compelled by the social pressure to conform. In such times, I have concluded my wishful appeals with rote phrases like “these things we ask in Jesus’ name” mainly because they were the expected norms in my social circles- not because I believed that any such phrase would make any difference in the outcome. To me, such phrases have become hollow and such appeals have become pointless.
The only value I find in prayer- besides serving as an opportunity to focus one's mind on matters of value and importance- is that it enables one to hear the deepest concerns of their fellow human beings; heartfelt concerns that they may never share if they did not believe that You were somehow listening and willing to help.
Over the past few years, I noticed that those rare mornings when I woke up not believing became more frequent and I gradually became more comfortable with the idea that You may not be “present” in any way that makes a significant difference in the lives of humans. Some have said that You are a mysterious, invisible, inactive and silent entity that might as well be nonexistent. And, to be honest, it’s hard for me not to agree with them.
But I remain hesitant to proclaim this publicly for dread that my current views may be the expression of some sort of immature and rebellious phase instead of any sort of insightful wisdom. I hope this is not the case, but I have not ruled out the possibility that I may one day regret these very words which I now write to You.
I am fully aware that these very musings may one day prove to be the seeds of my liberation or the evidence of my condemnation. Yet I fear being wrong on such an important matter far more than I fear any idea of Hell. But I risk being wrong and embark on this scary and uncertain path because, as far as I know, we only have one life to live and I don’t want to waste my energies on a vain pursuit.
God, if you are there, and if you care to answer, then I ask you to please make yourself known to me. I ask for a clear and direct sign because I don't want to play mindgames on myself. I ask, because I take the idea of You seriously. I will try to be patient and wait for your answer. How long? I'm not sure. But, I fear that if you fail to respond, I may take your silence as all the proof I need to continue on my path towards the ever-elusive, iconoclastic and liberating thing we call truth.
With all due respect,
Me
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