God II

I was listening to an interview between a philosopher and a religious leader. The philosopher stated, "God is a social construct." The religious leader said he couldn't accept this because his faith said it wasn't a construct but the underlying basis of life given to us by God. Talk about polar opposites.

And I don't know about you, but I can't think of way to argue (in the debate meaning) with someone who says that it's all about faith, something they can't provide proof of its existence or something you can't test to determine if it exists or just something in the mind or imagination. Harsh? Not really when you consider many of them say it's about their faith, and even they can't define it or prove it's existence other than their belief.

Except that many take out the Bible to show their faith, and say, it's all here, the word of God. Really? Their Bible is their faith or God? Both? But did God write the Bible?

And this is the crux of the issue, who wrote the Bible. If God wasn't human and didn't have the capacity to write, where did the words and ideas in the Bible originate? Bible scholars are certain various men (not no women or ones so acknowledged) wrote the Bible over its lifetime. And we're told the word of God was expressed through them. Literally, firguratively or some other means?

And do we know they actually got the translation right, even after all the translations and edits over the milleni? How many translations of the Bible have there been? And we know the current Bible is accurate and correct? But which version today is that? So, we have all these versions all of which have been or are accurate and correct, but they all differ in writing and interpretation.

And then there are other religions. If the Bible is the word of God, what about Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shamanism, and all the other religions? Isn't their God and the word of their God different? So, who's God and book of God is right? Which is the true, accurate and correct version of God?

And what about the history of the Bible? Why don't we have versions before about 4-5,000 BCE? if God has existed all these millenia and a part of human history, where are the Bibles of long ago? Didn't they have a God and their God gave them words to live by and with?

Ok, wandering around a bit. But it always intrigues me about people who assign faith to the belief out of dedication to an imaginary entity with a book replete with unproven and unsubstantiated power. It is and that's all there is, or so they say, without reservation or question. It gives them something solid to believe in and live by.

I don't find that wrong, only wrong when the espouse that it's what we all should do and be, something they simply can't define or prove. I'm not disagreeing with them, I'm only asserting the philosopher has a point. Without a social framework, does God exist?

Or is God the result of construction for a social environment for how everyone should think or behave? Without people is there a God? And can people exist without a God? But who's God? My God or your God? And if we agree about God but disagree with the details, who's God is more right?

Ok, it's the endless circular argument and everyone is right and wrong, because neither side can prove their side or dispprove the other side. Or so their God says, or they say their God says. To them.

To me, I'm always wondering and questioning for in the end, it's the old adage, it isn't we who ask the meaning of life, it us who are asked the meaning of our life. And for that you don't need God except as an excuse, a reason or an explanation. You still to answer for yourself, something no God can help.