If You Were God
Try to imagine being God, or more precisely, being the sum total of all the creative energy in the universe, even the energy of intelligence, and even the energy that is the lifeblood of each and every atom. Some 13.7 billion years ago there was nothing, not even time or space, or so the scientists tell us. And then, in an instant, there was a great explosion, what we call The Big Bang, and suddenly, there was everything, the entire universe in all its glory. You made that happen, and your creative energy continues to permeate every corner of the whole of existence.
Having created the universe, how would you go about confirming that your creation is indeed good? It’s not like you have your mother telling you how great you are. You are God. You are all-powerful. You created something out of nothing. And yet, it is precisely because of your greatness, that you find yourself somewhat alone. In a very real sense, there is no one out there quite like you.
And so, in an effort to confirm the efficacy of your good works, you create life, as a reflection of the life that you’ve breathed into the universe as a whole. And in particular, you create man and woman, in your image no less, so that they could apprehend the nature of your existence, and the wonder of the work that you have wrought. And since you are a creator, and since man and woman are created in your image, then they too are given the power to create the world as they see fit.
And so, having put in place the various pieces of the puzzle, you watch for any signs which show that your creation is indeed good. You were like an artist on a rampage when you created the universe. Just look at the pictures sent back from Hubble. But like any artist, you want your work to mean something, and so, the search for meaning is at the heart of your intent in bringing into existence the whole of creation. And yet, how will the possibility of meaning make itself known?
In your search for meaning, you created man and woman, in your image, so that like you, they could create as well. But you didn’t make it easy on them, did you? In fact, you couldn’t. Your inclination was to believe that meaning could only emerge from the struggle between good and evil. And so, in a way, you stacked the deck against human beings, because you wanted to see how they would do in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. If they could succeed against the odds, then it would be an affirmation to you that your creation was indeed good. That it meant something.
And in recent days, as if to bring history to a head, so to speak, you’ve allowed the pressure to increase, so as to allow man’s destiny to play itself out, once and for all. And so, you watch as global economies begin to tumble. You sigh as the environment is laid to waste. And you probably laugh as the extremists of the world take their ideological positions so seriously. But you are not detached from your creation. You still have a stake in the game. Your sense of self-worth is on the line after all. If man is somehow able to pick up the broken pieces, and to recast himself as “new and improved,” then it will be an affirmation to you that your creation is indeed good, and that as between good and evil, good has the upper hand. At such time, your belief in the possibility of meaning will have been vindicated.
And so, having a legitimate stake in the game, you continue to make your presence known. With little hints along the way, and with puzzling coincidences that are ever more purposeful then they seem at first, you point to the right path for us to follow. As a loving mother nudging her baby to take her first steps, you push us onward, in so many ways, to do what is right, and what is necessary, even as we trip and fall at every turn. You do this because at the end of the day you want to believe that it was not all for naught, and that there is an underlying meaning to the whole of creation, a meaning that is sometimes buried somewhere, but is still waiting to get out.
Many of us lowly humans around the world find our nations’ fabric somewhat tattered and frayed at the edges. Out economies are falling apart. Our environment has been trashed. And the forces of extremism are busy hatching plans for our collective future. It is time to pick up the pieces, and to weave them together in a new pattern, one that is more reminiscent of our founding principles and highest ideals. It is time to help God out to realize the potential for meaning, the meaning that was part of the design, but that has yet to come to fruition. Will we find the courage and the wisdom to use the dire circumstances of our time to remake ourselves in a new light, a light that will shine as a beacon of hope, for all to see, and for all to follow? What do you think?
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Did you hear the latest? The Obusha team is dropping the “War on Terror” term from it’s lexicon.
From now on the conflict will be referred to as “Benevolent Assimilation”.
I never really thought that the term “War on Terror” is particularly helpful. It is not a “war on terror” any more than it is a war on machine guns, or a war on tanks. Terror is just a strategy, not unlike other such strategies, used to evoke a sense of fear, for political gains.
What this is, is a “war of ideas,” or a “war for hearts and minds,” or as I like to think of it, “a war to realize a vision of hope.”
Ask yourself this; in the final analysis, where will peace ultimately come from? Will it come from the mouths of so called experts? I think not. Peace will come from the heart and the mind of the man on the street. You can win his mind by speaking to him with common sense and with a sense of personal dignity. You can win his heart by investing in him, by giving him a place at the table, a stake in his future. And you can win the peace by selling him on a vision of hope. Give the man on the street a sense of hope, and you will have turned the corner on world peace. Nothing more is needed and nothing less will suffice.
Given that in the span of only a few decades we have discovered more levels of complexity and patterns in the universe around us than could ever have been imagined, I think that it is the height of hubris to think that we have such status in the “eyes” of the Creator. We are but one small planet among untold billions, a relatively young one in what we know now to be the age of the universe, and in that we are a species that has survived on said planet for merely a moment compared to others. Even then our “civilization” is only an eyeblink of time in that journey of survival. Given the truly massive scale of time and universe moving events, it is just as likely that the Creator has turned it’s attention to another part of the cosmos for a small, hundred-million year pause, and, once again seeing Earth, will think “What the-? Where did all those primates come from? Where did all the dinosaurs go? Aw, they were so kewl…”
Good perspective Eric. We think much too much of ourselves, in the overall scheme of things.
And yet, if God is the sum total of all the creative energy in the universe, we know that at least some of that energy has been invested in us. Whether that investment pays off or not, is still up for grabs.
My guess is that God has all sorts of experiments going on, all thoughout the universe. And you’re right to suggest that He may look at us and easily conclude that in our case, at least, the experiment went very badly. He could easily say that we had it all, and blew it.
I do think, however, that He put a lot of care in creating us. He gave us the ability to think, and to create, and in many ways He allows us to at least simulate a version of Him. If it is the possibility of meaning that He is after, then a lot rides on what we end up doing, even if, as you suggest, we are like a grain of sand on the ocean floor, as compared to the universe as a whole. I also believe that history is coming to a head, and that the destiny of man will play itself out in short order. Do you have that same feeling?
Nissim Dahan, that is an excellent point.
I had always, in a way, believed God to be most closely related to The Sims video game in that civilations were able to be constructed on a grand scale from a very close level; however, one also has the ability to leave that civilizaton on “autopilot” and go off to another project in his or her world.
Upon returning things could have taken a turn for the better with wonderful creations being starting, in which case, the creator would cut off the excess in order to focus and guide the Sims. If thing have taken a turn for the worst it is then the obligation of the creator to step in and fix the problem through proactive management of the individual situations (usually there are many, and all very messed up) or to allow things to go forward badly even going so far as to hasten that destruction.
I too believe that this is a very significant moment in the history of our world, and though I sincerely hope that this is not end, I do believe that this is at least a new beginning, the new way forward.
Joseph, I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
The way you describe the Sims video game is probably close to the mark when it comes to God. It’s not that I have any special knowledge of what is going on. It’s just that whatever hypothesis we propose has to take into account current realities on the ground, and make sense of them
If God is a Creator, if that is His primary mission, then the question is; What is His intent when it comes to His creation? I am proposing, for your consideration, that His primary purpose is to create a universe that is capable of meaning something; that it can sustain a level of meaning beyond what mere appearance may suggest.
Therefore, while God may be tempted to fix the things that are wrong, the things that nullify the possibility of meaning, He may choose not to do so, because He wants us to fix them, and thereby prove that His creation is indeed capable of meaning something. In other words, if He did all the work, then that’s fine, but then He would have no validation that His work is indeed good. He wants to know that we can stand on our own two feet, so to speak, and do the right thing, even against all odds. Only then would His work mean something.
There is no denying that this is a special time in human history. There seems to be a convergence of sorts, of some very big problems, and therefore, to protect ourselves, we will have to bring to the fore some very big solutions. When you’re talking about economic collapse, environmental degradation, and rampant ideological extremism, those are some pretty challenging problems to tackle. The solutions will require the best that we have to give, and that is precisely what God is looking for. He is allowing this test to take place to see if, when it comes to mankind, we have what it takes to pick up the broken pieces and to remake ourselves in a new light, in a light that shines as a beakon of hope.
I also want to believe that this is not the end. But belief, in and of itself, will not be enough. We have to give our beliefs some measure of credibility by doing what needs to be done to make things better. If we choose to survive, we have no choice but to sell one another on a vision of hope.
Pipadminas, there is a danger in ignoring the concerns of places like Eastern Europe, or other places as well. Whatever arrangement we come up, as a global community, has to take into accout the welfare of all people.
Eastern Europe has been given a taste of the possibility of freedom and prosperity. The world’s economic troubles could easily dash the hopes and dreams of people around the world, who have just been given a hint of a better life. As such, dashed hopes could easily devolve into chaos and violence. We should be able to anticipate that, and do something to prevent it, even before it starts.
But I believe that the convergence of problems on the world stage could actually help to bring about a solution which takes eveyone’s best interests into account, because everyone’s cooperation will be needed to make it work. You can’t fix the economy without fixing the environment, and without neutralizing at least some of the extremism. You can’t fix the environment without growing your economy and neutralizing the extremism so as to allow for worldwide cooperation. You can’t neutralize extremism without giving everyone a place at the table, a stake in his or her future, and without addressing the environmental threats which help to breed extremism.
Since issues of the Econmy, the Environment, and Extremism, are so inter-related and inter-connected, you can’t solve one, without solving the other two, and you can’t include some people in the solution, and ignore others. We have reached the point where mostly everyone has to be on board, and where most of the issues have to be tackled simulaneously.
Well, here’s a few thoughts on where the discussion is going in terms of peace, prosperity and what many people are thinking will be some great climax in human history.
First, I think that the great climax in history we are all feeling has already occured. It ended with the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of the commercialism of China. These two events, more than any other, have removed probably 90% of the danger of nuclear Armeggedon. (The nukes are still there, but there is far less will to use them ALL AT ONCE!). There was far more economic, military, social and even environmental upheaval in the century from 1890 to 1990 than we have yet to come close to; certainly more close shaves with civilization destroying elements.
The very fact that we recognize the masses of the poor and disadvantaged, the minorities and fringe dwellers, as having the right to better or more, or a certain level of peaceful and dignified life is a huge accomplishment compared to most of our history. We are rapidly evolving a planetary system of not only trade but human rights and living standards that was not even imagined a century ago. Yes, it would seem that there are great challenges, and certainly living in the Middle East over the last couple of decades one would think that they are all based there. But compare that to, say, Europe between 1900 and 1950, or China from 1925 to 1975.
The current economic crisis is bleak, but has not (yet) resulted in a World War, mass starvation or privations as was done previously.
These are “dangerous times”, but not nearly as dangerous as any time before. The rose glassed viewers into other “golden ages” always fail to see the classism, slavery, disease, racism and tribalism that was the manure in which those flowers grew. Despite the best efforts of the 10% ( my personal theory that the worlds problems stem from the fact that 10% of the worlds population, everywhere, are complete bastards and make it tough for the rest of us), I think that the world is entering a “hydroponic” age, where civilization will advance and flourish without having to rely on the suffering, poverty and enslavement of sections of the population as fuel for the engines of the exalted few in power. People will strive towards a more balanced and effecient style of living, and world trade will become more universally streamlined around creating and maintaining a planetary living standard that exists in harmony with the natural world around it, rather than conquering and fighting it. The internet, global communications and our rapidly evolving technological culture is already in the process of achieving this by supercharging the human ability to learn and become educated, relentlessly driving out the dark corners of “manure” that still cling tenaciously to our societies. Rather than coming to a scary, brutal end to this latest round of human civilization, we will finally enter into the light of global caretaking for all mankind.
Or, Israel and Iran will nuke each other, Pakistan and India will follow suit, China will go after Japan and Tiawan, the US and Russia will just start whacking anything that moves, and then a giant asteroid (gonna hit in 2012, doncha know) will finish the job for anyone left, leaving the roaches to take over. And, in another 100 million years, the Creator will look in again, and think “What the- where did all these giant bugs come from? What happened to the primates? Aw, they were so kewl…”
I like Obusha. Most lithuanians do. It sounds like оболтус or Obama sounds like обана – very gentle to lithuanian ears. It`s not only for historical expectations, nor Obusha isn`t evil as himself. We`d better concider America as a kind of society (or global genetical experiment – research for superman – if u will…) The president`s personality shows a big shame to America and an goog example for Lithuania, how anybody shall win presitendial elections…
Eric, there’s a lot of truth to what you have to say. Certainly, many of us enjoy a high standard of living, and we see that countries like China and India, and perhaps even Russia, are quickly following suit. And yes, there is less of the brutal mass killing that has characterized much of history. And yes, many of us seem more cognizant of the suffering of others, and more willing to help ease their pain.
All this is true, and at first blush, doesn’t seem to point to the end of civilization, but rather a new beginning. And yet, many of us do perceive the possibility of a doomsday scenario, not unlike what you describe in your last paragraph.
My point is that we can’t get too comfortable with ourselves, even if our lives are comfortable. An Armageddon scenario could easily play itself out if just a few bad things occur. If we really do screw up our environment, we become “dead men walking.” Simple as that. And we won’t be able to rely on a last minute fix. If we allow our economies to disintegrate before our eyes, then the possibility of a great war will increase exponentially, and considering the technology of today’s weaponry, such a war could easily devolve into an Armageddon scenario. If we allow ideological extremism to gain the upper hand, then it will become exceedingly difficult to hold on to the notions of civility of which you speak so eloquently.
I don’t consider myself a pessimist. I would like to believe, as you apparently do, that we are able to pick up the broken pieces around us, and to remake ourselves in a new and better light. That out of our current problems, we will forge ahead into a new stage of human development, one based on justice, and on dignity and respect for our fellow man.
Such a result will only come from a collective sense of wisdom, and from the courage to do what we need to do. While I agree with you that we are capable of such a transformation, I do worry about the 10% evil doers that you speak of, and I worry as much about the rest of us finding the courage to make the changes which point to the possibility of peace, prosperity, freedom, and sustainability.
The Abrahamic God doesn’t exist.
If there was a god, he would be different and with no personality.
And he wouldn’t judge us little humans.
If the universe can’t start from nothing, then where did god came from ?
“He was always there” is the most stupid common answer we get.
There are 2 possibilities :
1- Spinoza’s god is the only god there.
or
2- The universe is with no beginning or end. No God.