Looking for God: an Ongoing Tale - Rejecting a god leaves disappointing role models
Mitch, a former chaplain at the college, tries to restart the conversation he was having with Tamara, a student, a week ago. “I had a lot to think about after our last lunch,” he said.
“I'll bet you did,” Tamara replies. “If I remember correctly, you felt uncomfortable with the idea that believing in God is a form of immaturity. It's for people who are too weak to think things through on their own, or it's for societies who think they need religious leaders to tell them what to do instead of working out their own rules.”
“Yes, that's how I understand it too. And you probably have more sympathy with this take on God than I do, though I can see why it seems to make sense.”
“Seems to make sense?” Tamara questions. “Doesn't it make a lot of obvious sense?”
“When you think about it for a little while, it might not look as impressive as at first.” Mitch tries to explain that some people who reject the idea of a god are pretty disappointing.
“Hitler, for example, treated the Christian church with contempt and created a myth of Aryan superiority. Or what about people like Conrad Black or some of the powerful accountants who have lately been convicted of mass fraud. They behave with contempt for religious ideas, act as if they own the world and, indeed, do make up their own rules. I think that rejecting God is a kind of immaturity, a failure to realize that you are not your own self-made man or woman. The ground rules you make for your life are not likely to be all that impressive to anyone but yourself.”
Tamara seems a little confused. “So you think that to reject God is immature?”
“I don't want to be too hard on people because I know there are many reasons people have a hard time with God. All I'm trying to say is that as far as I can tell, to reject God can be just as much a form immaturity as maturity. In fact, I think that we human beings are well suited to know God and are inclined to look for him.”
Tamara responds quickly. “There's the ‘him' word again. Now you're using it. Anyway, it seems that you've started to turn the immaturity argument on its head. But what do you mean that we are suited for God?”
“Take the movie, I Robot.” Mitch continues. “You know where the robot, Sunny, has to put his hand inside a dangerous container that would burn the arms off of other robots? If he doesn't reach inside to get a vial of liquid, some very bad things could happen.”
“Yes.”
“Well, he remembers that his creator made him out of a unique metal that can withstand higher temperatures. And he says, ‘Don't you think we were all created for a purpose? I like to think so.'”
“But we probably will have a hard time going anywhere with this idea, even though it sounds really great — a hard time, that is, unless there is God. If there is, he probably created us, and if he did, he may have had some great reasons for doing that.”
“Like what?”
“Like for me to finish this fantastic burger and leave here in time for me to get to my next class. Let's meet next week to think about this some more.”
To be continued.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
“I'll bet you did,” Tamara replies. “If I remember correctly, you felt uncomfortable with the idea that believing in God is a form of immaturity. It's for people who are too weak to think things through on their own, or it's for societies who think they need religious leaders to tell them what to do instead of working out their own rules.”
“Yes, that's how I understand it too. And you probably have more sympathy with this take on God than I do, though I can see why it seems to make sense.”
“Seems to make sense?” Tamara questions. “Doesn't it make a lot of obvious sense?”
“When you think about it for a little while, it might not look as impressive as at first.” Mitch tries to explain that some people who reject the idea of a god are pretty disappointing.
“Hitler, for example, treated the Christian church with contempt and created a myth of Aryan superiority. Or what about people like Conrad Black or some of the powerful accountants who have lately been convicted of mass fraud. They behave with contempt for religious ideas, act as if they own the world and, indeed, do make up their own rules. I think that rejecting God is a kind of immaturity, a failure to realize that you are not your own self-made man or woman. The ground rules you make for your life are not likely to be all that impressive to anyone but yourself.”
Tamara seems a little confused. “So you think that to reject God is immature?”
“I don't want to be too hard on people because I know there are many reasons people have a hard time with God. All I'm trying to say is that as far as I can tell, to reject God can be just as much a form immaturity as maturity. In fact, I think that we human beings are well suited to know God and are inclined to look for him.”
Tamara responds quickly. “There's the ‘him' word again. Now you're using it. Anyway, it seems that you've started to turn the immaturity argument on its head. But what do you mean that we are suited for God?”
“Take the movie, I Robot.” Mitch continues. “You know where the robot, Sunny, has to put his hand inside a dangerous container that would burn the arms off of other robots? If he doesn't reach inside to get a vial of liquid, some very bad things could happen.”
“Yes.”
“Well, he remembers that his creator made him out of a unique metal that can withstand higher temperatures. And he says, ‘Don't you think we were all created for a purpose? I like to think so.'”
“But we probably will have a hard time going anywhere with this idea, even though it sounds really great — a hard time, that is, unless there is God. If there is, he probably created us, and if he did, he may have had some great reasons for doing that.”
“Like what?”
“Like for me to finish this fantastic burger and leave here in time for me to get to my next class. Let's meet next week to think about this some more.”
To be continued.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
