This one could be quite a topic of contention… I implore the reader to keep an open mind, since these views are entirely a personal opinion and thus justifiable. Of course, any criticism is always welcome.
I have often been asked this question: “Do you believe in God?” and my answer has always been “No”. It’s not surprising for those who ask to look at me in surprise then. I’m another atheist for them
But I need to clarify. I am no atheist. An atheist is one who believes that no God exists, whereas I do not hold that view. I’m certain that God exists; he exists for all those who believe in him. But I am not one of them.
Confusing, I’m sure. In order to clarify my point I want to know firstly, who exactly is God? He’s the Supreme Being, the creator of the universe; the creator of all living things…is that what your answer is? More or less like that? But hey! The last time I heard, all living things were the result of a biological process.
Okay….I’m not mocking anyone. You sure can challenge me by asking what I think of the creation of the universe. Who did that? That’s not a biological process. You got me there…I don’t know how the universe came into being. Maybe it was indeed God who created it. But that was millions of years ago. No human saw it. So how do we know for certain? And even if God made humans later….what is he doing now? Is the universe complete in itself? Or is he out making other universes? Or was creation only to be done then, and no more now?
Creation is not just the handiwork of God. Even man creates. Even animals do. Even chemical reactions do. So creation is not just in the hands of God.
In the ancient ages, in the Stone Age for instance, the forces of nature were worshipped. They were Gods then…the sun, moon, wind, water etc. So God was just a force then. Later as civilizations advanced, kings were worshipped. So Gods assumed a human form. And now as I know, Gods are Supreme Beings who rule the world, rule the universe.
I’m not challenging anybody’s faith in God. As I said before, I believe he exists, but I only want to point out the many definitions people offer are not complete in themselves. I don’t claim to know any better or be correct but what I believe is God I state next.
Often, man finds himself, trapped in situations which offer him nothing but negativity. They could be worries, troubles, problems or simply helplessness. We often fight with feelings of sadness, depressions, pain, hurt and a lot more. These are the times when a person has to fight against himself and emerge as a victor. Before I let you know where this is leading let me tell you: No feeling is born outside the heart of the man himself; it is we, ourselves, who create every feeling we feel, inside us. Situations occur outside, but the feelings we go through are a product of our own thought and soul.
Now when we are trapped, it is a web of our own feelings. It is we ourselves who create that web, unknowingly, unintentionally. And then to pull us out we need something, we need someone. Don’t be surprised when I tell you it is our own selves in the end that pulls us out. There could be help from others, but ultimately what pulls you out is your own self.
Now when we are trapped, it isn’t easy to keep a straight mind to be able to think of a way out. It is a contradiction in itself; to trap oneself and at the same time save your own self. It is here that God comes into picture.
When we lie in trouble, we think of God. We believe in him, and we know he will help us out. We pray, ask for help, plead, beg, and hope for miracles. We make promises, we ask for strength. Now in whatever manner you think of it; as God giving you the strength or as God himself taking you out in his arms, it is your faith that actually pulls you out. You know that there is someone, out there, who will help you, and you begin to hope, you begin to think positive, you begin to drive your negativity away. As the intensity of the negativity decreases, you can think straight and you find a way out. And in the end, you thank God.
Now that seems to be an almost flawless discussion. Then why do I still not believe in God? Because for me, as for everyone else, it is a matter of faith. When I lay trapped, I pray not, I ask not. I think; I think for my own self, of a way to get out. It is my soul, my conscience, my mind, my heart; it is me who helps then. I derive my strength not from anything else but from inside. If I can call that inner strength as God, then indeed, I do believe in God.
You could further debate by saying “What about the times when we ask not, but thank him?” Indeed we thank God, but when exactly? When he supposedly gives you something? Sure? Or is it when we know that we don’t have something in particular and we get it, then we thank him? Does everyone who believe in God thank him? For a new day? For the life you have? For every working limb of yours? For everyone you love? For everything that is yours? No you don’t thank him always….. You only do it when you realize not having something and then get it. You rarely thank him for what you already have (or maybe you really do thank him, and it is merely my ignorance that hasn’t seen much of it).
What about all those things that happen in the name of God? Bloodshed, torture, mass murders…how do you justify those? Indeed you say its for the God…but which God demands that? I thought if there is a God, he will not ask anything of you, He’s supposed to be God!
I am not disclaiming the existence of God. He is certainly there, only that the definitions, the theories are flawed. As long as there is no justifiable and valid theory in my view, I prefer not to believe in God that others define. I certainly don’t believe in idol worship. I certainly don’t think of him as possessing a human form. I don’t imagine him residing in any place of worship or of any of his words engraved in the holy books. I don’t think of him as restricted by the boundaries of a religion. I don’t see him having his followers following a strict code of conduct.
I simply don’t believe in the God that you believe in. It is thus that I say that I don’t believe in God. All the definitions you give me as “God doing this” and “God doing that”, I can very well contradict them. For me it is entirely a matter of faith as I see it today. And my faith is invested entirely in my soul….nothing else.
