Despite all the awe and power and mystery we have ascribed to our Supreme Being, isn’t it obvious that we have totally dumbed down the Power behind the Universe? The gap between It and us is so vast…we are pathetically unequal to the task of quantifying It, pigeonholing It…relating to It in any meaningful way at all. And so we have humanized It. Over the millennia, we have acknowledged Its greatness, Its control, Its vast superiority to ourselves, in the only way we could fathom.
We took this overwhelming preponderance of stuff—knowledge, perception, understanding—that we do not have, and attempted to vacuum-pack it all into one neat bundle. A package that would reduce all the unknowables to something we could get our arms around. We made it a bigger, better, more perfect version of ourselves. After all, we want our God to be omnipotent, but not inhumanly so. And so we conceded to the Universal Power the characteristics of the highest human authorities with which we were familiar: Father. King. Lord. And threw in a few traits that were beyond human aspiration: Omnipresent. Omnipotent. Eternal. And to top that off, we then had the audacity to proclaim that It had created humankind in its very image. I remember the catechism question and answer verbatim: Q: What is man? A: Man is a creature composed of body and soul, and made in the image and likeness of God.
When you think about it, how arrogant, how incredibly ballsy, is that presumption?
<<Despite all the awe and power and mystery we have ascribed to our Supreme Being, isn’t it obvious that we have totally dumbed down the Power behind the Universe? >>
ReplyDeleteWell, no. I suppose individual people may have unwittingly done that. But the major religions all argue for the vast power and inscrutability of God, or of the same with respect to the universals of creation when God is not posited (I'm thinking of Buddhism, whose universals are very different from Christianity's.)
I remember the catechism question and answer verbatim: Q: What is man? A: Man is a creature composed of body and soul, and made in the image and likeness of God.
<<When you think about it, how arrogant, how incredibly ballsy, is that presumption?>>
It's not arrogant when it's stated in a scripture which is believed to be the revelation of God. If a person believes in that revelation, then the arrogance would lie in not believing its content.
I guess then the question becomes, is it arrogant to believe that God would seek to communicate to us? To me, the answer would seem to be no, since we are so utterly designed for communication.
You have great questions and observations.
So where did everybody go???
ReplyDeleteReading and pondering...
ReplyDeleteYou are asking some wonderful questions, and here is where my thoughts ran. Putting God in a box is something I rail about, but I know that I do the same thing. Without some framework, I'm reduced to mere, goggling jelly. I think where the real problem lies could be in not acknowledging how we box God in our efforts for understanding. Do I think it arrogant to think that we are created in the image of God? Well, sometimes, yes I do, yet I don't doubt, as Robin pointed out that we are designed for communication with the Almighty, the Universe or whatever appelation is most comfortable. Scientists have even found a location in the brain some call "the God spot." On MRIs, it is shown to be highly active in prayer and meditation and when it's artificially stimulated, people report feeling a strong presence with them. Some see this as a trick our brain can play on us. I see it as just another example of how we are truly designed to listen to and speak with the Divine. Whether we are in the image of God or not, I can't help but believe that we are wanted and loved.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a great writer, and have expressed so eloquently and intelligently the way that I sometimes feel about religion in general. Pretty arrogant to think that God is just like us, only better.
ReplyDeleteHamlet mused on this very matter.
ReplyDeleteWe may have been created in the likeness of the Creator, but it's a flawed creation. We're know so little and we're so scared that somebody else might get more than we have or know more than do. And we have politicians who are more than a little happy to keep the fear going.
ReplyDeleteJackie
This is a beautifully written, thought provoking piece. I think I share your skeptisism about God, heaven and hell. I feel there are no guarantees afer this life...yet I maintain a glimmer of hope that perhaps there is. It's a yearning to be reunited with those who I have lost more than a desire for some form of eternal existance.
ReplyDeleteEternal is just beyond the realm of human comprehension. What religion offers us is a tidy way to try and cope with the concept. What does happen "forever" after the lights go out? We NEED to know...or at least be reassured. But, we can't know until it happens....and at that point, does it really matter?
For me, God exists in the complexities of science. The intracacies of the natural world are so beyond understanding. These are gifts. God exists in art and music. God exists in love. God is in what makes our heart swell and our spirit feel renewed.
As I age I find it more and more difficult to have blind faith, to just believe, if you will. I work at belief and faith daily -- for me. I need it to get through the tough(er) times. Definitely a thought provoking piece here. I like the idea of 'IT' being much larger and awe inspiring than myself.
ReplyDelete