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(God, Limited or Unlimited?)
In
the opening section of this chapter, we touched upon another of the areas in
which theology, and the religions based upon them, often overstep their
authority; as in, proclaiming that God is unlimited in Her Power. A more common
way we see this expressed is: God can do all things. Of course, this often
brings up such philosophical questions as: can God make a rock so heavy that He
couldn't move it? Or, as in the example used earlier, can God make 2+2=5? And
might it not be fair to ask: is it is not a contradiction when these same
theologies which assert that "God can do all things," also claim She
cannot commit a sin?
One
of the reasons this type of problem surfaces in these dogmatic assumptions is
because the theology has overstepped its boundaries. They have gone outside the
realm of possible human knowledge and understanding to assert declarations,
which cannot be proved or disproved - or for that matter, even known! The
faithful are often required to accept these assertions in good faith simply
because the religions say so. What is said is pronounced the Holy Truth, and
anyone questioning such, is accused of being some type of enemy of God, a
heretic or an atheist.
This
omnipotent quality of the Divine is often cited to support events in the Sacred
Scriptures that go far beyond the laws of physics
which govern the universe. An example of this would be the sun stopping in the
heavens as in Joshua 10:12-14. Obviously, such an act would have catastrophic
consequences upon the planet if God did not suspend the laws of physics in some
way - at least the laws, as we now understand them.
Yet,
does it really seem likely that God would establish such a set of laws and then
violate Her own law simply to impress people, or
perhaps to scare them? Why would God even need to show Her
power? Do we have to believe that the earth stopped on its axis and, make
unknowable pronouncements about the power of God, to see any truth or relevance
in this inspiration?
The
answer of course is no. We can avoid this whole conflict with physics, and
reality, if we look to Scripture for its symbolism rather than a literal
interpretation. We will discuss this in more depth when we discuss Divine
revelation in the next chapter. But, we need to touch upon this idea here, at
least if we are to make sense of what we are trying to say about God's power.
If
there is no other way to look at these stories then literally; then, they must
either be false, or, we have to come up with rationalizations for our faith
that simply do not make any sense in terms of our perceived reality.
For
example, one might look at the many battles in scripture as metaphors for
conflict; either internal or social.
On
the personal level, the battle can symbolize the internal struggle between our
selfish ego (which is the enemy) and our spiritual pureness (which is the
Divine within). On a social level, the enemy can become the indifference to the
greed, inhumanity, and inequality in a society; the battle becomes accepting
personal responsibility to do our part to change these things and the struggle
this may entail.
Often
these stories are simply trying to convey to us that the social norm which
forsakes our equality as children of God needs to be battled, albeit, they
sometimes are extremely violent in their portrayal. They illustrate the
difficulty we as individuals have in overcoming our own selfishness to
establish a sense of spirituality that is harmonious with ego.
There
is a psychological metaphor to these stories for peoples who had no benefit of
psychological understanding. They are designed to illustrate that selfish egos,
or indifference to the needs of others in a society, are not in line with the
design of the human psyche. These things prevent us from rendering to God what
is God's; namely, the equality of all his children. They help us to realize
that we must battle indifference and egotism if we are to be victorious and
achieve spiritual fulfillment at a personal level, which will ultimately lead
to a better society for all. Divine Inspiration is not about God rescuing us
from an external enemy; but rather, us doing battle internally in order that we
may see the glory of the Divine within our own being. They are trying to convey
to us that the Divine Power is within us but it can sometimes become a battle
to see it.
In
the story above, the sun stands as a symbol of light, or enlightenment. That in
victory Joshua recognizes the zenith of God's power that was an essential part
of his being victorious over the enemy. We can not get too hung up on the
particular details of these stories, because we must always keep in mind the
culture that recorded them. It was a violent and superstitious society totally
unaware of the physics around them.
The
whole Old Testament can be seen as the psychological quest of the Jewish people
who were seeking a purer relationship with God, a sense of spiritual
development and a wholesome self identity - something each of us go through as
individuals and as a society. The Bible, read responsibly, helps us to
understand our ability to see ourselves objectively, to know God in a healthy
relationship, and recognize that the achievement of spiritual fulfillment is a
war within the self.
To
use the Bible, or any sacred work, as a proof to define the powers of God is to
miss its greatest potential. It is to look for a headline without a story.
The
archeological scholar John Romer points us in a
wonderful direction:
Clearly,
we have traveled a long way [Biblically] from modern history, and we have
arrived at quite another world and one with its own logic and its own wisdom;
IT IS THE WORLD OF MYTH, and there is much of this, too, in the Book of
Genesis. Myth, that is, in the proper sense of the word, not, as in the common
modern misusage a falsehood, BUT A SACRED TALE. A tale whose
purposes are passed with the story's telling as precisely and as unconsciously
as babies learn the grammar of their mother-tongue. MYTHS DIFFER FROM
HISTORY, that mere continuum of events, in that they are carefully
designed: and IT IS THESE DESIGNS THAT HOLD THE MYTHS REAL MEANINGS,
and these are seldom simple moral stories, but deal with the deepest issues of
the day...
...
Obviously if such subtle stories are attacked with the blunt instruments of
rational explanation - 'Scientist says conception possible at ninety' or 'Dead
Sea volcanic eruption dated to 1234 BC - the true purpose of the ancient
Stories will run through our fingers like sand, READ SYMPATHETICALLY, HOWEVER,
THEY WILL TELL US ABOUT A PART OF ABRAHAM'S WORLD THAT ARCHEOLOGISTS CAN NEVER
HOPE TO FIND.
(John Romer, TESTAMENT, Henry Holt & Company, cl988, pp33,34-35)
These same criteria apply to the
theologian. These stories need not be searched for historical accuracy or their
literal truth. They are not about God's state of existence, but man's spiritual
evolution. They are often stories from the depths of the unconscious filtered
through the conscious minds of various individuals who were influenced by the
beliefs, culture and knowledge of their times. To better understand the
stories, we must better understand the people. In order for these stories to
have any meaning for our world, we must look at how they might have been
interpreted in their world (See Chapter on Revelations for further elaboration
on this theme).
While
theology can reasonably assume that the power of the Creator far exceeds human
comprehension, we cannot assert this power to be, either infinite, or limited.
We simply have no way of knowing if the Nature of God has any type of ethic or
self- moral standard, which might govern what She can and cannot do. For
example, maybe God would choose not to violate Her own
law - which the laws of physics would have to be.
Another
question which comes to mind when we talk of the Power of God,
becomes, is the creation we live in and perceive the best of all possibilities?
If the answer is yes, then God is in fact limited by the possibilities to
creating things the way She did. If it is not, then
God has not given us the best of all possible scenarios to exist in; and this
would seriously call into question the love and justice of the Creative Force.
The
truth we need to face is: WE CANNOT KNOW THE STATE OF THE BEING OF GOD!
However, given the evidence of our scientific observation, we might reasonable
conclude that God does not violate the laws which She has ordained (i.e. the
laws of physics). There is simply no observation, other than what is recorded
in ancient stories that things such as the stopping of the sun have ever
occurred. It would seem that such an event would be recorded on a worldwide
scale if it were a factual historical account. There were ancient societies who
spent a great deal of time studying and recording events in the heavens, it
would seem that they would notice a sun which didn't move for a day.
Responsible
speculations do not rule out God playing an active role in the creation, or
say: miracles do not happen. Even if limited in some way by Her
own nature, God can participate in the creation by using the very laws He has
established. Thus, miracles, and the like, would happen by God's power
interacting within the framework of the creation in some manner. These miracles
might be subtle and seem natural to us -never being really detected, but nevertheless
there. We, as human beings, could also be an instrument of God's miracles by
acting upon the inspiration She may inspire within us
as individuals.
Logically,
who better than God could master the laws of His own making in such a manner as
to aid the whole without being noticed? In a sense, isn't that what evolution
is doing?
One
must also keep in mind that very often what our ancestors seen as miraculous or
supernatural, might have in fact been natural phenomena. Northern lights,
rainbows, comets, and eclipses were very often recorded as supernatural, or,
seen as signs from God. Today we know that these things are very natural and
pretty much understands what they are. But anyone who has watched a rainbow, or
seen a comet travel across the night sky, could not deny the feeling of
inspiration and awe such sights often bring. These things now understood? Yes.
- Any less spectacular or miraculous? No.
And
too often, all these supernatural events we read about,
cause us to lose sight of the most profound miracle of all; which is, the very
existence of reality.
So,
theology does not have to rule out the power of God in our lives simply because
it cannot assert that God violates the laws of His own creation. On the other
hand, theology does not have to justify claims that the sun stopped in the
heavens by declaring that God suspends the laws of nature on whims to do so.
While a responsible theology would not assert that supernatural feats are
beyond the power of God; the more responsible approach is to search such text
for a message of sorts - rather than to try to read it literally. This helps us
to avoid making claims about the Nature of God that we in effect cannot know.
Just as the comet does not have to loose its ability to inspire because we understand
it, the story of Joshua does not have to loose its value if we choose to view
it for its symbolism rather than its literalism. In fact, many times this makes
much more sense by eliminating many of the contradictions such tales create. It
would also help the individual to seek the Divine within one's self; rather
than, looking to the skies for some external sign. In looking for the miracles
of God, one often looses sight of the simplicity of God in their own heart.
And
there is one more ratiocination against the literal
interpretations of miracles and too much emphasis being put upon them. For God
to stop the sun for one generation and to expect blind faith from others, would be grossly unfair. If God is justice; then to
prove Her existence in such a manner for one
generation; would require that He do it for all generations. If we are all
children of God, created equal, then we should be treated equally especially in
matters, which pertain to a belief that might help us attain eternal salvation.
Anything less of God is grossly unfair.
One
must also reflect about the logic in some of our theological reasoning for a
second. If the sun stopped in the skies today without everything flying off the
planet, it would make faith a lot easier to accept than reading about it
happening thousands of years ago. One has to wonder, why the people who had
such miracles thrusts upon them, had such a problem remaining faithful to God? Yet, this happens over and over in the sacred text.
Most of us could be sure that we would have little problem with our faith if
God made it rain bread from heaven, or, stopped the sun in the sky for our
benefit. The truth is, miracles still happen, but we just do not see them as
such - The bread rains from the soup kitchen - The sun stops every time one
gives of one's self. - the seas part every time we
open a door of opportunity for another, or have one opened for ourselves. These
are all miracles existing in the biggest miracle of all - reality Itself!
Why
make this Power of God such an issue, one might ask? After all, we have already
stated that this power of God's would be so far beyond human comprehension it
becomes easy to explain why we would see it as infinite, even though, we have
no idea of what the infinite is.
The
answer to this has to do with the psychological suggestions miracle doctrines
leave upon the conscious mind.
These
doctrines, when focused upon too much, lead to delusional thinking that removes
responsibility, allowing for projection on the part of individuals. If God can
stop the sun, He can clean up our nuclear waste. If God can flood the earth, She can also clean up all our pollution. If God can make it
rain bread from heaven, He can feed the world's starving without any problem.
This last one brings up another moral dilemma. If God fed Her
chosen people in the dessert, How is it He lets children all over the world go
undernourished today - many of which do in fact believe in Her?
The
concept that all these acts of God are symbolic is a much more credible
explanation than trying to rationalize their reality. It is also much more
responsible because in the first place, God doesn't become an arbitrary tyrant.
Secondly, by seeing the symbolism in these events, we can draw upon the
inspiration in a manner that gives meaning to the reality of our everyday
lives. God's power does not come into question, but the way we look at it does.
By drawing upon the symbol, we can take advantage of the power of God that is
manifested through us. The stories, seen in such a way, no longer tell us what
God is going to do for us, but they help to guide us so that we may see the
reality of what God has already done. When we face this reality of what has
been given, we are in more of a psychological condition to give thanks by
responsible actions for those gifts.
For
example, one of the most common and universal stories is the flood myth (the
word "myth" here is used to denote a sacred story rather than
implying untruth). We are all too familiar with Noah and the
On
the other hand, there is a psychological implication to this story that is both
beneficial and inspirational. In that scenario, the sin and decadence that
leads to the flood is a symbol of selfishness and narcissism. The waters of the
flood are the forces of the unconscious, or the spiritual connection to our
Maker. In egotism and selfishness, we are doomed to drown ourselves and to
destroy that with which we come in contact with. The familiar flood story tells
us that Noah tried to warn the people, but they would not repent (change their
hearts). They had it within themselves to change, but they refused. Thus, the
rains of an unfulfilled spirit destroyed them. The moral of the story: Greed
and selfishness are in the end self-destructive.
The
Noah story also can be useful in today's world. The selfishness of the people
ended up destroying the world. The Noah's of today could be seen as the scientist who continue to warn us if we do not change our
selfish ways, the environment and life as we know it could be destroyed. This
is not to say we need to go without, but, only that we act responsibly and
unselfishly in the pursuit of our goals.
These
wonders of scripture are often used to communicate an idea to us that is an
abstract. To the people of Noah's time, psychology and the unconscious were not
even pondered, yet alone, practiced. The myths taught them beautiful concepts
in terms they could understand and relate to their daily lives. Living in the
regions, which they did, and being farmers: the destructive powers of flood
were easy to relate to. The mystery and power of water were recognized, as well
as its paradox as both giver and taker of life. Such things do have there
origin in the inspiration of God; but they would be no different than telling
our children about the "boy who cried wolf" to point out the values
of not making up stories. Admittedly, the complexities of these stories go far
beyond this simple example.
The
point is, theology and religion must stop making assertions about God based
upon human assumptions, be they scripture, or otherwise. We cannot know God's
Power, Her Will, or His State of Being, or any limitations upon Her Nature.
Theology
needs to reverse the religious approach it takes. Instead of looking to what
God has done, or is going to do, for us; we need to ask ourselves what we are
doing for God? We need to search our sacred text to seek solutions to human
problems, rather than, making declarations about the Divine.
Present
theologies, for the most part, have a tendency to place everything in the lap
of God. God's Grace becomes our salvation, and while this might be true, the
way it is presented shifts personal responsibility for taking advantage of that
Grace from the individual to a dependency on the generosity of God. It shifts
the responsibility of actualizing that grace in our interactions with other,
replacing it with belief in a redemption outside the
self.
In
a like way, the idea that God is going to create a New Heaven and a New Earth,
even if true, lessens our appreciation of this world. And the focus on the
Supernatural Powers of God causes us to take for granted the on going Power of
God we experience every day.
The
stopping of the sun in the heavens may be quite a one time feat, but it is
nothing in comparison to the power and energy of the sun that is generated
every day. Theology needs to make people aware that if you want to see God's
real Power, just look up at the sun that keeps us all alive! The scientists can
tell us how it works, but the theologian can help us answer the question of the
miracle of why it works at all. The wonders of the "why" reality
works are the true miracles we need to see. When we begin to recognize God's
Power in these everyday realities, we will begin to appreciate them enough to
start cherishing them. Such a focus cannot help but make this world a better
place.
The
Power of God can be seen every day in the workings of the creation. Theology
needs to focus its attention upon this concept instead of seeking to define
God's Power as a whole. The knowledge of what God is capable of is of no use if
it blinds us to His power working around us everyday. If theology leads people
to see the miracle to what is, they will have to look no farther to see the
Power of God.
Please email us with your thoughts.