Let’s give God the benefit of the doubt and assume that He doesn’t need us. That leaves the “want” issue. Why would a perfect God want us? Why create the universe and perhaps more importantly, why create a human being capable of noticing? What psychological need do we fulfill? Perhaps it’s ego.
Let’s just start with a very small selection from Exodus 20. Three of the 10 commandments have to do with god.
20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
I think that one can see from these passages that God has an ego problem. He doesn’t say “Don’t rape, don’t molest, don’t abuse”. No. Instead of adding these to the list of things not to do, like murder and adultery, He is more concerned with praise and respect for Himself. So much so, that he will be such a just God and punish not only the unbelievers, but their children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren. He not only has an ego problem, but is clearly not a fair and just God. Does this sound like a God? Not to me. But maybe this isn’t God’s word here. Maybe this is just the way that man recorded the incident - with a little embellishment for effect! But then that would mean the Bible isn’t the true word of God. Hmm….
More later.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Why Are We Here? - God Is Imperfect.
God
The Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshiped as creator and ruler of the universe.
Perfect
Being entirely without fault or defect.
Complete
Having all necessary parts, elements, or steps.
Just
Acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good.
When I was younger, I was taught that God, the god of the Bible, was complete, perfect, and just. That He was omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
So, why are we here?
If God is perfect and complete then He is self-sufficient. He is in need of nothing. There is nothing that He needs to complete Himself. He does not need food or shelter or companionship. To add anything to a perfect “anything” makes it imperfect. So if God doesn’t need us, He must want us. But “wanting” is a form of need. It is not a physical need, but it is a need nonetheless. It is a psychology need. I want something because it fulfils some sort of emotional need. If only I could have ‘x’, then I would be happy. Would a god have emotional needs? Not a perfect god. “Wants”, i.e., “emotional needs” indicate a defect, a sense of dissatisfaction to some degree. But, how could a perfect being be dissatisfied? Being perfect would imply being psychologically perfect as well. Such a being should be contented with existence as it is.
There should be no need or desire in a perfect god. So why are we here? I submit that if, for the sake of discussion, we assume that God exists, then we are here because God either needed us or wanted us. In either case, this would mean that God is imperfect. But if He is imperfect, then he is not a god.
The Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshiped as creator and ruler of the universe.
Perfect
Being entirely without fault or defect.
Complete
Having all necessary parts, elements, or steps.
Just
Acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good.
When I was younger, I was taught that God, the god of the Bible, was complete, perfect, and just. That He was omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
So, why are we here?
If God is perfect and complete then He is self-sufficient. He is in need of nothing. There is nothing that He needs to complete Himself. He does not need food or shelter or companionship. To add anything to a perfect “anything” makes it imperfect. So if God doesn’t need us, He must want us. But “wanting” is a form of need. It is not a physical need, but it is a need nonetheless. It is a psychology need. I want something because it fulfils some sort of emotional need. If only I could have ‘x’, then I would be happy. Would a god have emotional needs? Not a perfect god. “Wants”, i.e., “emotional needs” indicate a defect, a sense of dissatisfaction to some degree. But, how could a perfect being be dissatisfied? Being perfect would imply being psychologically perfect as well. Such a being should be contented with existence as it is.
There should be no need or desire in a perfect god. So why are we here? I submit that if, for the sake of discussion, we assume that God exists, then we are here because God either needed us or wanted us. In either case, this would mean that God is imperfect. But if He is imperfect, then he is not a god.
Background
If you were raised in small town America like I was, you were probably told that the Bible is the "Good Book" and that God is a perfect god, a loving god, a just god. There were no "non-believers" in the town - at least none that would be very vocal about it. Exposure to other religions was almost nonexistant. Oh, maybe you would hear about how so-and-so was a "Jew", but it was usually a derogatory comment and didn't involve a discussion of Judaism.
Being brought up against that background, I went along with the flow, even though it didn't seem quite right. By about thirteen, I knew it wasn't right - felt it wasn't right. I had had enough and stopped going to church. Now, some thirty years later I feel more than ever that what I was taught is wrong, very wrong.
This site is about my thoughts about why and how it feels wrong. About the issues that cause me concern. I'm not a religious scholar, although I have probably read more scripture from various religions than most practioners. I think most followers of a religion don't really understand what there religion looks like when examined close up. They don't really explore the questions of spirituality and religion. They just follow the crowd and do what is expected of them.
I am not against religion. I happen to believe that there are some good aspects to almost all religions. But much of what we are told is conflicted and illogical. While I don't believe in a god, I do leave open the possibility that I am wrong. I am not anti-god, but I think that the picture that we have of God is warped and the idea that the Bible describes a good god is also in error. There may be a god, but I cannot imagine that such a being could possibly be as described in the Bible.
So read what follows and enjoy, or not. Agree or not. But at least think about the questions and the ideas.
Being brought up against that background, I went along with the flow, even though it didn't seem quite right. By about thirteen, I knew it wasn't right - felt it wasn't right. I had had enough and stopped going to church. Now, some thirty years later I feel more than ever that what I was taught is wrong, very wrong.
This site is about my thoughts about why and how it feels wrong. About the issues that cause me concern. I'm not a religious scholar, although I have probably read more scripture from various religions than most practioners. I think most followers of a religion don't really understand what there religion looks like when examined close up. They don't really explore the questions of spirituality and religion. They just follow the crowd and do what is expected of them.
I am not against religion. I happen to believe that there are some good aspects to almost all religions. But much of what we are told is conflicted and illogical. While I don't believe in a god, I do leave open the possibility that I am wrong. I am not anti-god, but I think that the picture that we have of God is warped and the idea that the Bible describes a good god is also in error. There may be a god, but I cannot imagine that such a being could possibly be as described in the Bible.
So read what follows and enjoy, or not. Agree or not. But at least think about the questions and the ideas.
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