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What facts tell us about God
By Paul Sanche
Last
edited: Thursday, April 03, 2003
Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2003
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Over the ages, humans have imagined the supreme power as a being. Now we see this power as a process. Instead of "who made life what it is?" we ask
"what made life what it is?"
What facts tell us about God
Facts lead us to believe there is a Supreme Power that makes life what it is.
We usually conceive this power in human terms, as a being existing outside or beyond the universe.
We talk about the words of God, his will, his creation, his power, his infinite qualities of perception, kindness, forgiveness, understanding, helpfulness, generosity, etc.
Every human language and every faith or creed gives this being names and attributes: God, Allah, Jehovah, Creator, Lord, Savior, Ruler, King, Holy Spirit, Father, Almighty, etc.
We base our concept of God on the man-made words with which we think and communicate among ourselves within the framework of our various cultures.
Our words either refer to facts, like a horse, or fantasy, like an angel or a flying horse.
Let's look at what facts tell us and don't tell us.
Facts tell us that God: is one with the universe, not a separate being; is and has always been the same for every human; talks to us only through natural laws; is not visible, but is erceivable through these laws; never goes against natural laws nor makes any favors; has no preference for any group of humans;
has a non human way of being fair; lets us to solve our own problems; let's us seek ways to get along and live in peace; does not offer eternal life to any human; allows permanent existence of all the micro components that have been or are part of us in the course of our lives; lets us discover on our own more and more natural laws; lets us learn on our own how to fully enjoy life; allows us to get to understand life better through our perception and awareness of natural laws, not through the words of those who claim to speak in his name.
Facts don't tell us that God: has spoken verbally to anyone at any time;
has any human attributes or qualities;
is a being separate from the universe;
has a physical body or is a spirit of some kind; dwells in any special place like heaven or paradise; promised land to anyone at any time; listens specifically to anyone at any time;
does any special favors to anyone;
has preference for any group, race our nation; is either willfully forgiving or chastising; fathered a human son or had a mother; takes all human decisions.
Please go over these lists over and over, or make your own lists.
Do this honestly, and you'll get to
understand God as a natural process.
Theologians, over the ages, tried and tried and tried to conceive a being to explain a natural process, an impossible task.
The natural process of life is inherent in the complex elements that produce it: matter and energy.
Under specific conditions existing on our planet, a transforming cycle of matter and energy takes place naturally.
The most difficult part for many of us
is to go from linear thinking to process thinking.
Our human impulse is to ask: who makes life what it is? We need upgrade our thinking and ask ourselves: what makes life what it is, how did the life
process get started?
We now have factual answers to these questions. While seeking a being, we don't see a process.
If the power is in a process, is it rational to seek this power in an imaginary being? Not any more.
For centuries we did not understand that mind is a process of the brain, not something apart from it.
If we're honest with ourselves, we'll admit that there is always a difference between what's rational and what's not, what's perceivable and what's not.
Do we need to keep on ignoring these differences just because our forebears ignored them?
If we find God in a process that's everywhere, then, rightly so, we can say God is everywhere.
We are part of this process of life.
If we honestly go over these lists over and over, we sharpen our views and get a better understanding of the supreme power that makes life and the universe what they are.
I see God as a Process, not a Being. So will you.
When most of us get to know God well,
we will upgrade our concept of life,
and peace on earth will be possible.
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