Do we need to believe in a God or does God need us to exist - Essay Example

Do we need to believe in a God or does God need us to exist Millions of children across the world believe in Santa Claus, just as millions of adultsacross the world believe in God. For these children, Santa is real, he exists. Is God then, the Santa Claus for grown-ups Voltaire states, "If God didn't exist it would be necessary to invent Him". Conversely, if God hadn't been invented, would He have been necessary Professor Davies, a widely-acclaimed authority on Quantum Physics notes that people seek religion, not only for moral guidance, but also for answers to the fundamental questions of existence. For example, how the universe was created and how will it end What is the origin of life and mankind Not only are a lot of these questions being answered by scientists, but even miracles and other such occurrences attributed to divine intervention are being explained away by physics. "From its origin with Galileo, Copernicus and Newton, through Darwin and Einstein, to the age of computers and high-technology, modern science has cast a cold and somewhat threatening light on many deep-rooted religious beliefs. () scientists have demolished a lot of cherished religious beliefs and have come to be regarded by many as faith-wreckers." (Davies, 5). And yet intelligent, articulate people the world over believe in the one true God, a super power or a cosmic force that guides our existence. So, why do people want to believe this curiously elusive and unsubstantiated God It could simply be to give some kind of meaning to, or put into some kind of order, the chaos that surrounds us. After all, the existence of a God fulfils the need to credit someone with the creation of the world around us, with its sheer inexplicability and its irrational apportioning of happiness and sorrow. Digging deeper, the yearning that overtakes a human being for an exploration of the spiritual dimension of life stems from a desire for oneness of mind and body, and ultimately, an aspiration towards perfection. "Human beings, knowing they are not perfect, desire perfection and search for a better life" says T'ai Chi Master Waysun Liao (5). He points out that in spite of the tremendous advances made by us in the fields of technology the motivation that drives a human being remains mysterious. Whizzing along as we are in the space age, yet even our theories of evolution are in doubt. We still look up at the immense sky and wonder how it all started. So, how much have we actually progressed over the centuries As far as necessities go, we still need the same basic food, shelter, clothing, and though we might be eons ahead of the caveman, how much have we actually evolved spiritually It is in pursuance of this desire to evolve spiritually that God has been invented (or perhaps, He exists!). Artistic and creative people, those who march to a different beat from the rest of us, instinctively pursue this 'ultimate' through their work, the nature of their work being such that needs no rationalization to anyone other than themselves. In the work of these outstanding painters and poets, musicians and mystics intellect takes the back seat. In their art one sees their real experiences distilled, and more, one catches a glimpse of something indefinable. Whether it is the element of wonder in Alice Walker's The Color Purple when she exclaims that it is God who is trying to please us, not us who are expected to live up to His rules, or the naked truth in Borges Afterglow, or even the fatalistic note in Yeats' poetry. Because, in spite of advances made in science and technology, we still gaze up at the Milky Way, and wonder at its magnitude and glory. We still respond to the beauty of a piece of music or a painting without rationalizing it. We even watch the flight of a jet, fascinated, forgetting that the aerodynamic principles underlying the technology are as old as the birds. Poets like Yeats, Octavio Paz, Luis Borges and Rilke move us because they bring us closer to the eternal. They are more obviously attracted to the spiritual world, as is clear by their work. Yeats notes of Tagore's work that he was brought up in a tradition where 'poetry and religion are the same thing' (10). Tagore is one poet that appeals equally to the intellectual as well as the common man. He seeks the eternal with such beautiful simplicity. "I dive down into the depth of the ocean of forms, hoping to gain the perfect pearl of the formless." (100) "Ever in my life I have sought thee with my songs. It was they who led me from door to door, and with them have I felt about me, searching and touching my world." (101) So what is it they, and we, seek "The direct experience of reality (that) transcends the realm of thought and language ()" (Capra 43) Capra further adds that "() all mysticism is based on such direct experience". This 'direct mystical experience' which the artist senses through his art is something akin to what the Buddhists call 'the awakening'. It cannot be reached via the intellect, which is seen merely as a means to clear the way to the 'ultimate'. (Capra 100). Since intellect cannot take us there, we need something else to guide us. And, being humans we need to articulate this force that motivates us. We need to give it a name, whether we call it our 'inner voice', the 'cosmic force', Tao (the Way), or God. It is what drives us towards perfection and guides us towards a more noble and exalted way of life. It shows in the grace and dignity that shines forth from a human being in a particularly painful or humiliating situation, or the generosity and kindness one person shows another. It grants us the peace and happiness that comes with integrating/harmonizing mind and body, on our journey towards the 'ultimate'. Of course, it also allows us our belief in the 'ultimate'. After all, there has to be some hope for a better, less agonizing, more meaningful future. Otherwise there would simply be no reason for existence. The entire human effort to survive would seem completely superfluous. Works Cited Capra, Fritjof. "The Tao of Physics." UK: Fontana Books, Davies, Paul. "God and the New Physics." England: Penguin Books, 1983. Liao, Waysun. "The Essence of T'ai Chi." Boston: Shambala Publications, Inc., 1997. Tagore, Rabindranath. "Gitanjali with an introduction by WB Yeats." New York: Scrinner Poetry, 1997. Read More