A flawed God

Sat Jan 27, 2007 6:17 pm

Dear Uncle Mxxx:

Thanks for once again bringing up such interesting but fundamental philosophical inquiries: That of the nature of God.

It is certainly not a small (and, as I see it, growing) number of people in modern times who questions the intention if not ability of God. It is strangely paradoxical that as the standard of living as well as the compassionate perspective of morality rose over the last couple of centuries, the dissatisfaction and anger at God increased in similar proportion.

Instead of appreciating God for the abundance and blessings he receives, modern man progressively assigns more and more credit for the innovations that brought about such plenitude upon himself; and concurrently relegates more blame for his expanding perception of suffering and inequity to God lest it contaminates the perfect self-vision of a supremely intelligent, sentient and compassionate being.

I suppose it was an inevitable progression that as man walked out of the darkness of cognitive instinction to self-awareness and examination, he relied at first on the mystic interpretation of theology to explain the powers beyond his control, and to make sense of his life under that construct. Once man moved beyond survival and tending to his basic needs, his ability to conquer the physical realm and mold it to his service empowered him, which allowed him to pursue the pure intellect and brought about the idea that "God" is no longer a useful commodity because it restricted man's own ideas on spirituality and morality.

At least among the pure intellectuals, the proclamation that "God is dead" was not lamented but embraced joyously. It swept through the affected an initial euphoria of self-actualization but, in time, left them empty and longing. The "Utopia" many thought was in their grasp as they attempted to build (often through destruction) failed time and time again. The "ego" that supplanted "God" enabled justification of means with impunity, which plunged large swaths of humanity and geography into darkness no better than when man was mere "God's puppet."

Now man is at a conundrum of outgrowing the spiritual cradle where he felt comforted unwittingly by his cognitive limitations as well as wittingly the clear directives of God's word. He is presently neither in trust of his inner spiritual compass, nor is he respectful of the God tossed so long ago into the moral garbage bin. Still yet he will not take up the cross for which the state of suffering and trespasses engendered under his watch, but looking towards the heavens with accusation.

The question of free will is indifferent to a rock, tree, animal or even an unaware man. Yet to make sense the concept of -- and more importantly to believe in -- God in its functional element, one cannot escape the necessity of a perfect supreme being, His unequivocal commands and the free will to follow. A "flawed" Creator is an oxymoron, the recognition of which renders pointless the moral discussion of God. It is essentially the creative potency of God residing in the limited (flawed) material realm, and pregnant with the seed of evil (a very apt descriptive of man), that we are the very offspring of this "demiurge," very much god-like but in an imperfect way.

The God that is perfect has a divine purpose, of which is made known to us in tangible teachings as well as intangible inner voices. It is not a matter of boundary that is problematic (without such we are just free, not free-willed), but ultimately the decision we make to stay or cross...the ability of which is a gift of love, and the trial from which that love may be returned. 

Jim