The world is undoubtedly a confusing place, full of contradictions and opposing viewpoints. In some ways, everyone is an acrobat, for we all "talk like this, and act like that."
And as we try and make sense of our existence, we see certain segments of the population professing belief in some deity or another, while others doubt the existence of any supernatural powers. Such variance! And this is a topic that has been on my mind of late.
The Question of God:
November 21st, 2011
Toronto, ON
Let us consider two opposing viewpoints on the subject of "God". I've ensured that both are on extreme opposite ends of the spectrum, only to provide a clear example of the variance of opinions that exist:
Christians say that God created mankind and, according to Biblical accounts, the world in seven days. Due to the sins committed by mankind, He sent His "only begotten Son" as a sacrifice for our sins. Belief in Him is the only path to salvation. This is the crux of Christian belief, across most denominations.
Many Christians believe that one can maintain a personal relationship with God, and to some, this manifests itself in direct communion with Him. eg. Certain Christians have said "Oh, God told me to do such and such a thing...he spoke to me.", or "God made me speak in tongues today."
In other words, the belief is that a direct relation with God can be expressed in the material world, as if one were to have a friend in their company. Were they to ask God a question, they may receive an audible reply. Were they to ask God for a miracle, He may choose to intervene and temporarily suspend the laws of nature in some circumstances.
This is a summation of certain evangelical/born again/Pentecostal views on the nature of God.
Atheists, on the other hand, doubt the positive existence of any God. This, they say, is due to a lack of any visible evidence. In addition, scientific discovery over the past two centuries is undeniably contradictory to any literal interpretation of Biblical creation narratives.
Atheist rejection of a deity stems mainly from the following factors:
- A perceived lack of material evidence
- Doubts over the authorship of the Bible and other holy books
- Doubts over the divinity of figures such as Krishna, Jesus, etc.
- Unlikelihood of a divine creator.
Again, this is merely a summation of some of the key points of atheist thought. But the conclusion is that atheists reject the idea that the universe was created by any supernatural force, and they reject Biblical and Qur'anic descriptions of God.
Answering the Question:
In short, there is no single answer that will prove satisfactory to all, but there are certain points that are worth considering. I will draw these points from the Writings of the Baha'i Faith, of which I am an adherent.
1. Science and Religion must be in conformity:
One of the core principles of the Baha'i Faith is the harmony of science and religion. Consider the following passages from Abdu'l Baha:
As Abdu'l Baha states, true religion and science are complimentary. Science explains the functioning of the material universe, while religion explains the nature of the soul, morality, and those things exalted above the material realm. Any literal interpretation of religion that contradicts proven scientific fact should be discarded, says Abdu'l Baha.
But can science tell us everything? Absolutely not. Science serves to answer the question "how?", but cannot reach into the realm of "why?" For example, it can explain the evolution of life on Earth, but it cannot tell us "why" material substance exists in the universe in the first place. It can explain the Big Bang theory, and how it unfolded, but it cannot explain "why" motion occurred in the first place.
Is the absence of any material proof of God's existence an unassailable reason to deny the existence of a creative force, or God? Not necessarily.
2. God is unknowable:
According to the teachings of Baha'u'llah, God is completely unknowable in His essence, and is completed exalted above the comprehension of His creatures. How, then, would it be possible for the creation to comprehend the creator? Again, Abdu'l Baha has something to say on this matter:
"All the people have formed a god in the world of thought and they worship that form of their own imagination, while the fact is that the imagined concept is comprehended by the mind, which is comprehensive. Surely that which comprehends is greater than the comprehended, for imagination is accidental (non-essential), while the mind is essential. Surely the essential is greater than the accidental. Therefore consider: All the sects and peoples worship their own thought: they create a god in their own minds and acknowledge him to be the creator of all things, when that form is a superstition-- thus people adore and worship imagination (or illusion)."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 561)
What Abdu'l Baha is saying is that our idea of God, and the way we imagine Him, can't possibly be anything other than imagination, for again, the creature cannot possibly understand the creator. All efforts to prove or disprove the existence of God through resorting to material proofs are thereby bound to fail.
Baha'u'llah has written:
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 48)
Baha'u'llah states that we can only know God through his appointed Messengers, who are likened unto mirrors that reflect the light of God unto mankind. Baha'u'llah teaches us that each Messenger has come to mankind at an appointed time, with a specific purpose for mankind at that time, in order to carry forward an ever advancing civilization. Even the words God's Messengers employ must be understood in context:
Therefore, the holy books must be carefully studied by one and all with an unbiased eye, recognizing that the words used were meant to connect with a particular audience at a particular time and place. And of course, reading these scriptures should be done with a firm recognition of the complimentary roles science and religion play: the two wings of one bird. One, without the other, will prevent flight.
The questions we must then ask ourselves are these:
For religious literalists: When literal interpretation of certain verses of scripture contradicts proven scientific fact, is it not possible that the verse has been misinterpreted? For if God is the creator of all things, then He is also the One who has enabled us to study science. (Baha'u'llah, in fact, declares it to be one of God's greatest gifts to man.) Seek to recognize symbolism and metaphor. Baha'u'llah assures us that the holy books are of God, and therefore cannot be wrong. The interpretations of fallible men, however, often are.
For atheists: Is it not possible, however unlikely in your opinion, that there are plains of existence beyond our comprehension? Is it not possible that such realms exist in states that cannot be perceived by our senses-- senses,which are also prone to error?
No matter who you are: We are all seeking truth, and truth can only be discovered when we completely free ourselves from prejudice and pre-conceived notions. Doing such a thing takes courage, for it often leads us to conclusions that differ from what we expect or desire.
I wish each of us the best of luck on our quest.
~
And as we try and make sense of our existence, we see certain segments of the population professing belief in some deity or another, while others doubt the existence of any supernatural powers. Such variance! And this is a topic that has been on my mind of late.
The Question of God:
November 21st, 2011
Toronto, ON
Let us consider two opposing viewpoints on the subject of "God". I've ensured that both are on extreme opposite ends of the spectrum, only to provide a clear example of the variance of opinions that exist:
Christians say that God created mankind and, according to Biblical accounts, the world in seven days. Due to the sins committed by mankind, He sent His "only begotten Son" as a sacrifice for our sins. Belief in Him is the only path to salvation. This is the crux of Christian belief, across most denominations.
Many Christians believe that one can maintain a personal relationship with God, and to some, this manifests itself in direct communion with Him. eg. Certain Christians have said "Oh, God told me to do such and such a thing...he spoke to me.", or "God made me speak in tongues today."
In other words, the belief is that a direct relation with God can be expressed in the material world, as if one were to have a friend in their company. Were they to ask God a question, they may receive an audible reply. Were they to ask God for a miracle, He may choose to intervene and temporarily suspend the laws of nature in some circumstances.
This is a summation of certain evangelical/born again/Pentecostal views on the nature of God.
Atheists, on the other hand, doubt the positive existence of any God. This, they say, is due to a lack of any visible evidence. In addition, scientific discovery over the past two centuries is undeniably contradictory to any literal interpretation of Biblical creation narratives.
Atheist rejection of a deity stems mainly from the following factors:
- A perceived lack of material evidence
- Doubts over the authorship of the Bible and other holy books
- Doubts over the divinity of figures such as Krishna, Jesus, etc.
- Unlikelihood of a divine creator.
Again, this is merely a summation of some of the key points of atheist thought. But the conclusion is that atheists reject the idea that the universe was created by any supernatural force, and they reject Biblical and Qur'anic descriptions of God.
Answering the Question:
In short, there is no single answer that will prove satisfactory to all, but there are certain points that are worth considering. I will draw these points from the Writings of the Baha'i Faith, of which I am an adherent.
1. Science and Religion must be in conformity:
One of the core principles of the Baha'i Faith is the harmony of science and religion. Consider the following passages from Abdu'l Baha:
There is no contradiction between true religion and science. When a religion is opposed to science it becomes mere superstition: that which is contrary to knowledge is ignorance...
...Religion and science are the two wings upon which man's intelligence can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress. It is not possible to fly with one wing alone! Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing slough of materialism. All religions of the present day have fallen into superstitious practices, out of harmony alike with the true principles of the teaching they represent and with the scientific discoveries of the time. Many religious leaders have grown to think that the importance of religion lies mainly in the adherence to a collection of certain dogmas and the practice of rites and ceremonies! Those whose souls they profess to cure are taught to believe likewise, and these cling tenaciously to the outward forms, confusing them with the inward truth...
...Consider what it is that singles man out from among created beings, and makes of him a creature apart. Is it not his reasoning power, his intelligence? Shall he not make use of these in his study of religion? I say unto you: weigh carefully in the balance of reason and science everything that is presented to you as religion. If it passes this test, then accept it, for it is truth! If, however, it does not so conform, then reject it, for it is ignorance!...
...Put all your beliefs into harmony with science; there can be no opposition, for truth is one. When religion, shorn of its superstitions, traditions, and unintelligent dogmas, shows its conformity with science, then will there be a great unifying, cleansing force in the world which will sweep before it all wars, disagreements, discords and struggles -- and then will mankind be united in the power of the Love of God. (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 140)
As Abdu'l Baha states, true religion and science are complimentary. Science explains the functioning of the material universe, while religion explains the nature of the soul, morality, and those things exalted above the material realm. Any literal interpretation of religion that contradicts proven scientific fact should be discarded, says Abdu'l Baha.
But can science tell us everything? Absolutely not. Science serves to answer the question "how?", but cannot reach into the realm of "why?" For example, it can explain the evolution of life on Earth, but it cannot tell us "why" material substance exists in the universe in the first place. It can explain the Big Bang theory, and how it unfolded, but it cannot explain "why" motion occurred in the first place.
Is the absence of any material proof of God's existence an unassailable reason to deny the existence of a creative force, or God? Not necessarily.
2. God is unknowable:
According to the teachings of Baha'u'llah, God is completely unknowable in His essence, and is completed exalted above the comprehension of His creatures. How, then, would it be possible for the creation to comprehend the creator? Again, Abdu'l Baha has something to say on this matter:
"All the people have formed a god in the world of thought and they worship that form of their own imagination, while the fact is that the imagined concept is comprehended by the mind, which is comprehensive. Surely that which comprehends is greater than the comprehended, for imagination is accidental (non-essential), while the mind is essential. Surely the essential is greater than the accidental. Therefore consider: All the sects and peoples worship their own thought: they create a god in their own minds and acknowledge him to be the creator of all things, when that form is a superstition-- thus people adore and worship imagination (or illusion)."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 561)
What Abdu'l Baha is saying is that our idea of God, and the way we imagine Him, can't possibly be anything other than imagination, for again, the creature cannot possibly understand the creator. All efforts to prove or disprove the existence of God through resorting to material proofs are thereby bound to fail.
Baha'u'llah has written:
"Know thou of a certainty that the Unseen can in no wise incarnate His Essence and reveal it unto men. He is, and hath ever been, immensely exalted beyond all that can either be recounted or perceived... He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation, and His Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His Mission than the proof of His own Person."
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 48)
Baha'u'llah states that we can only know God through his appointed Messengers, who are likened unto mirrors that reflect the light of God unto mankind. Baha'u'llah teaches us that each Messenger has come to mankind at an appointed time, with a specific purpose for mankind at that time, in order to carry forward an ever advancing civilization. Even the words God's Messengers employ must be understood in context:
"O SON OF BEAUTY!
By My spirit and by My favor! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I have revealed unto thee with the tongue of power, and have written for thee with the pen of might, hath been in accordance with thy capacity and understanding, not with My state and the melody of My voice."
(Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
Therefore, the holy books must be carefully studied by one and all with an unbiased eye, recognizing that the words used were meant to connect with a particular audience at a particular time and place. And of course, reading these scriptures should be done with a firm recognition of the complimentary roles science and religion play: the two wings of one bird. One, without the other, will prevent flight.
The questions we must then ask ourselves are these:
For religious literalists: When literal interpretation of certain verses of scripture contradicts proven scientific fact, is it not possible that the verse has been misinterpreted? For if God is the creator of all things, then He is also the One who has enabled us to study science. (Baha'u'llah, in fact, declares it to be one of God's greatest gifts to man.) Seek to recognize symbolism and metaphor. Baha'u'llah assures us that the holy books are of God, and therefore cannot be wrong. The interpretations of fallible men, however, often are.
For atheists: Is it not possible, however unlikely in your opinion, that there are plains of existence beyond our comprehension? Is it not possible that such realms exist in states that cannot be perceived by our senses-- senses,which are also prone to error?
No matter who you are: We are all seeking truth, and truth can only be discovered when we completely free ourselves from prejudice and pre-conceived notions. Doing such a thing takes courage, for it often leads us to conclusions that differ from what we expect or desire.
I wish each of us the best of luck on our quest.
~
Nabil, thoroughly enjoyed your article - intelligent examination of the human mind and/or the rational soul in our quest. Keep inspiring us with such writings that forces us to go a layer within and probe.
ReplyDeleteShaheen