Thursday, September 15, 2011

A Dialogue on God from Facebook

The concept of God.

by Sanjeev Ahluwalia on Friday, September 16, 2011 at 12:29am

This is in response to the note by Sunnymindcaves regarding the debate on the concept of God. I have put together my two cents of thoughts on this topic and would like my friends to share thier views. Thanks.

I might be labelled an athiest as till date I have not been able to comprehend the existence of God as explained by different religious thoughts or outfits that I have come across so far. My mind simply refuses to accept God as portrayed in practically all the religions as some “all powerful” entity that is eternally engaged in meticulously pulling the strings for each and every act that is staged on this planet or for that matter in the whole universe as defined by the realms of scientific world. As per my perception, science is based on evidence and the concept of God is based on faith, and that seems to be the fundamental difference. When you have faith in something, it requires that you not ask for evidence. It is opposed to the scientific mindset. Harvard paleontologist Steven G. Gould called science and religion "two non-overlapping magisteria." In other words, science and religion are discrete realms of knowledge capable of co-existing. The fundamental question is this possible, or are science and religion really opponents squared off against each other? Science has provided logical answers to many mysteries that have transcended the formation of this universe and beyond. However, there is a plethora of unexplained phenomenon for which science is still groping in the dark and that darkness enlightens the concept of God for most of us. Also, it is convenient for us to surrender ourselves to the concept of some omnipotent existence whose shape and purpose is governed by the orthodox philosophy of a particular religious sect, we start subscribing to, as dictated by the specific domain of our very existence in this universe. One thing that I can admit is that though science has successfully explained most of the mysteries but it does not give us by itself a value system, a set of guidelines for how to behave? Whereas, the religious system, it’s institutions and beliefs, do provide a pattern for the social construction for our society. The theory propagated by the religious scholars for the existence of God has an interesting explanation to provide for the creation of God vis a vis this universe. As per their rationale, the first postulate is that God exists outside of time. They believe that God has no need of being created, but, in fact, created the time dimension of our universe specifically for a reason. However, since God created time, cause and effect would never apply to His existence. The second postulate forwarded is that God exists in multiple dimensions of time. Things that exist in one dimension of time are restricted to time's arrow and are confined to cause and effect. However, two dimensions of time form a plane of time, which has no beginning and no end and is not restricted to any single direction. A being that exists in at least two dimensions of time can travel anywhere in time and yet never had a beginning, since a plane of time has no starting point.


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    • Sunnymindcaves Caves
      Sanjeev: Replace the expression 'God' with 'Cosmos' or 'Universe' in the second half your note, and you would have changed nothing of the meaning --, for example, in these sentences:f "God exists outside of time. They believe that God has no need of being created, but, in fact, created the time dimension of our universe specifically for a reason. However, since God created time, cause and effect would never apply to His existence. The second postulate forwarded is that God exists in multiple dimensions of time. " I am a 'theist' in that I believe in an immortal, ever present, all- embracing power that moves everything; I an 'atheist' in that I do not believe that this power is anything except the sum total all the cosmos we know and the laws that prevail in it. Universe and its laws are not indistinguishable -- not for me at least. I deliberately used the words " cosmos" or "universe" in my first sentence instead of "creation" because a creation presupposes a creator. I believe that cosmos and creator are one - which translates into saying that cosmos is self created --without a beginning, without an end, beyond time, a law unto itself and the begetter, destroyer and re-generator of everything that is. Interestingly, most oriental religions are pretty close to this definiton of God and cosmos. There is only one cosmos (Ik Onkar), this cosmos alone is the supreme doer ( Karta purkah) it is impartial to everything, everyone, without love, without hatred (Nirbhau, nirvair) it is immortal (Akal Murat) Ajooni (beyond the cycle of life and death) Saibhun ( Self created).....The Upnishads make no distinction between God and Cosmos neither does Gurbani (Khaaliq khalik, khalik main khaaliq, poor rahio sabh thaain) or Balihaari Kudrat Vassia ....If God exists in multi dimensions, so does cosmos...as the theory of black holes and the shoe string theory clearly demonstrate. Time as we understand it has since long ceased to have any meaning at all. Time is both Timeless as well as timelessness.It is free of any arrow pointing in one direction. Time, in mysticism and in science, has a multi directional movement - at the cosmic scale. The more you talk about cosmos in terms of modern science, the closer you get to a mystic's vision of God. To be a theist, you must believe in cosmos -- or in God, which is the same thing. But to be religious in a narrow, sectarian and theological sense, you would need to call upon all that body of rubbish thrown around dictatorial icon, and then burden Him with all the petty jobs of the world. Of course, even while being religious, I do not subscribe to an external God that stands doling out summary justice from outside the cosmos. God stuff for children's comics, though.
      9 minutes ago ·
    • Sunnymindcaves Caves correction: Last sentence " Good stuff for children's comics" ( Although 'God stuff for children's comics' is also not wrong!!!)
      4 minutes ago ·

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