Where is God?
Yes, I’m walking into dangerous territory. I am about step into the cosmic dodo. What the heck, let’s just go for the ride and enjoy this discussion. For a few minutes, let’s set aside our current point of view and look at the universe in a few different ways. Why do this? OK, it is just healthy and can be fun.
There are many religions, cultures, sects, ideologies and individuals that have opposing beliefs about where, if, who and how God exists. Let’s look at the famous Allen Watts description of the three most commonly held world views of God.
1. God as a maker of artefacts (the universe). A God who created the universe with “his” hands. Much like you would make a clay pot. This God is outside of the universe and manages everything from a location outside of our experience. “He” is out there or up there, “he” does not live in our universe.
2. God as the dreamer. This version of God creates the universe in “his” dream. There is no distinction or separation between anything. Everything is part of God’s Dream. This view might remind you of the movie The Matrix.
3. God as a living organism. In this view of the universe, everything just exists much like a single cell organism just exists. This Universe exists because it does. It is because it is. There is no understandable meaning that can define the “who or what” of this God. You cannot comprehend what you are immersed in. A fish may experience water the same way we experience the air we breathe. Normally we do not notice the air we breathe because we are immersed in air.
Yes it is a lot to digest. Could you see your version of God in these three generalized views? These three descriptions are not meant to replace a true study or research of religion. These generalizations are being presented here to provide a high level point of reference. Look at these three descriptions as models of how the universe works. We can then experiment with any specific observation in terms of these models. We could test out some observations of human behaviour in these models see if we can predict the result. A good model can simulate a process and suggest a result. For example scientists use models to predict the weather.
So, let’s test a few behaviours against these models and see what happens.
How would people, who believe in God as a Dreamer, view the birth and death cycle? Perhaps if you ascribe to God as the Dreamer, then reincarnation could be a real possibility in your world.
On the other hand, if you believed in God as an Organism, then perhaps a holistic life style would be highly valued. In your universe as a living organism, everything you do has a impact on everything else around you.
What if your God is a creator of Artefacts? How might this person behave or view the world if everything is “made” by God?
Can we predict how two people with different views of God would react to having same experience? Say, look at worldwide war and how two people discussing the impact of World War II might react to each other. The “God as a Dreamer” might tell the “God as a maker of Artefacts” person that in the “big picture” the impact of World War II has no meaning because it is just a dream.
So, where the heck is God? Well perhaps our personal definition of God is more useful knowledge then understanding where God is located.
That’s what I think, how about you?
Steve Oliver
June 2010
