I just spoke with my dad in western Massachusetts. He and my mom are praying that hurricane Sandy doesn't cause too much damage or take any lives. My dad isn't what I could call a religious man—I'm not sure he believes in the efficacy of prayer— but he is an observant Jew who attends morning minyan, so praying does comes naturally to him.
While less religious and observant than my parents, I add my prayers to theirs. And I add one more: that Sandy won't keep them and millions of other voters from voting. My dad (whose first name is Archie and whose last name could very well be Bunker) voted for Obama last year and plans to do the same this year. He likes the President, and doesn't trust Mitt Romney. Did he vote for Romney for Governor of Massachusetts? Let's just say that voting Democrat was new for him.
But this post isn't about my dad's politics but about God's preferences. If, as so many people believe, God is in charge of the universe, Sandy must be part of God's plan. God's very own October Surprise. But did he send Sandy to help Romney or Obama?
When God sent hurricane Katrina slamming into New Orleans it was, so we were told, to punish the city for its liberal stance toward the LGBQ community. The fact that Katrina missed the Gay part of town not withstanding, it is clear that God uses the weather to influence our lives. So who is God trying to help with Sandy? As a devout climatheologian, how am I to read God's weather report?
While less religious and observant than my parents, I add my prayers to theirs. And I add one more: that Sandy won't keep them and millions of other voters from voting. My dad (whose first name is Archie and whose last name could very well be Bunker) voted for Obama last year and plans to do the same this year. He likes the President, and doesn't trust Mitt Romney. Did he vote for Romney for Governor of Massachusetts? Let's just say that voting Democrat was new for him.
But this post isn't about my dad's politics but about God's preferences. If, as so many people believe, God is in charge of the universe, Sandy must be part of God's plan. God's very own October Surprise. But did he send Sandy to help Romney or Obama?
When God sent hurricane Katrina slamming into New Orleans it was, so we were told, to punish the city for its liberal stance toward the LGBQ community. The fact that Katrina missed the Gay part of town not withstanding, it is clear that God uses the weather to influence our lives. So who is God trying to help with Sandy? As a devout climatheologian, how am I to read God's weather report?
11 comments:
If G-d is not an active agent in the world to whom do we pray and for what purpose?
In a theological discussion of cause and effect, many religious people think God is the cause. But God is the effect. God moves a hurricane like a song moves a mountain. God taking sides in politics would like taking sides between the waves and the shore.
The notion that G-d is an active agent in the world is not a declaration that G-d is a Republican as opposed to a Democrat. Such notion serves to trivialize G-d. Aristotle, no believer in G-d's active agency, understood that there must be an initial "cause" or "mover." Such initial cause was the "prime mover" which is G-d. G-d as "effect" suggests that G-d is subordinate to that which causes the "cause." Or it otherwise implies that there is no explanation to the "cause" which is a confession of not knowing or Agnosticism, In such instance the concept of G-d as "cause" is hardly disaffirmed. Though the Buddhists do not conceptualize G-d, they too understand cause an effect. They call this Karma. They cannot conceive effect without cause. They are hard pressed nor do they try to explain the mechanism behind karma. In other words they do not answer who the accountant is who keeps the karmic books. I believe their approach is honest. Though honest there is little insight into the fundamental and elemental question.
Why does the "world" exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Since there is something, must there be a "cause" or a "mover?" If "God," what preceded "God?" If the Big Bang, what preceded the Big Bang?
Spelling God as "G-d" or referring to such an entity as the "ground of being" or the "ultimate cause" is simply playing with words, not demonstrating new knowledge.
These questions have been pursued for millennia by philosophers, scientists, theologians and ordinary folk. In the process we often learn more about the world around us -- at least as we sense the world -- but, we are no closer to answering the questions of beginnings or ultimate causes.
I expect that a century hence, five centuries hence, people will be living in a world that we cannot imagine but will still be debating the same ultimate questions. Whether their ruling belief systems permit them to do so openly is another questionl
The question "why does the world exist?"is much appreciated. Perhaps it exists to aggrandize man and his unquenchable ego; to pursue material desire; to spawn skeptics who are tireless in devising ever more witty, sarcastic and sophistic jibes at believers. I suppose the question is answered uniquely by our own internal journey.
I perceive that one does not pray "to" or "at" God but prays in or with God. It is immersing one's soul like putting one's body a warming shower. With this oneness in God, God does not change the world; but your view of the world/reality changes. Everyone lives in their own reality as they choose to see it. You can see it with or without God, through the fears and illusions, or hopes and dreams. The world exists because we needed it to exist. It does not need to exist if you can truly understand infinity.
BTW – I am very interested in seeing how the movie addresses “Life of Pi”.
The subjective view of the world's existence leads inexorably to moral relativism. The reality as Hitler chose to see it was a world without Jews and Slavs for that matter. Hey! It was his reality. Who is to question or judge. Yes I agree, Hitler saw the world without G-d. He saw the world in terms of his hopes or dreams. Lao Tzu claimed to understand infinity. But the first line of the Tap Te Ching which I have read in the original classical Chinese: Tao Ke Tao Fei Chang Tao Ming Keep Ming Fei Chang Ming (the Tao that may be named is not the eternal Tao; the name that may be named is not the eternal name) tells us that infinity is ineffible. For those who "truly understand infinity" -- pray tell.
Like you, I'm curious about the film adaptation of Life of Pi." The reviews are glowing, but that's no surprise for an Ang Lee film. How much of the philosophical and spiritual content of the novel has he been able to incorporate into the film?
I'm reading a book that's relevant to the above discussion: Jim Holt's "Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story." I'm only about forty pages into it, but good so far.
Shit happens. I think this is the common parlance for 'God sends his rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike". Like all good manure we can either smear it all over our heads or dig it into a garden and grow some choice lettuces out of it. We have no idea what or why! After many attempts at IVF and losing all our babies at mid term my wife began to have problems that required bits of her being removed. I, as her husband, had a gloves off with the divine in our lounge screaming accusatory abuse and questions. It culminated with the ill advised hurling of scripture. "You said right here if I ask for a fish I won't get a #!!** great rock instead and this looks to me like a rock!" As a silence ensued I had a distinct sense of an answer which was "Do you think you are wise enough to know the difference?" Through all the rockiness since then I've never really asked that "why?" question again. It most certainly isn't a moral vindictiveness on the part of God. Usually the one's who are making those assertions loudly on Religo TV are getting lashed in a rubber suit, on the quiet, at the local motel. Actually... given that Mitt spends his time with these folks a lot I'd say the storms a warning to vote left!
I don't come close to comprehending infinity. But I perceive that my fear of loss of identity or individuality contributes to the need for a beginning and an end, an up and a down, a me and a you, an in and an out, birth and death, to be separate from the eternal. Science has confined itself to these limits or boundaries, seeking “origin” of the universe, the ends of the universe, the total mass of the universe; because, what would an infinite universe really mean? We need to have world/universe that bounds and responds to our lack of understanding, with its joys and sorrows.
If God was the reason FOR everything, and there appears to be no rational relationship between behavior and outcome (e.g. “the good die young”), then aren’t we free to do whatever we want because God does whatever He wants and it’s His fault anyway? Then people rationalize the outcome to suit their needs and re-enforce their reality. It’s OK to rape and make a woman have your baby because God wants you to do it? Not in my reality.
Man does whatever he wants and always has. We have been offered a blueprint to navigate the world. For those who aggrandize Man above G-d the ultimate result even of the best intended human agents is a cutting away of that blueprint and a substituting man's judgment and calculus for that of G-d. Rational outcomes are overrated and fail to address holy actions. In a society of limited resources it is quite rational to withhold certain expensive medical services to the elderly and inform. Hey! It is not rational to to allocate "x" medical resources to Mr. Smith who is 81 years old. Rational indeed! Let him die. G-d wants us to be holy and rational but holy before rational.
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