Saturday, September 3, 2011

Remember just how improbable the existence of God is.

It's worth remembering every day, every year, throughout your life, throughout the life of this universe, just how improbable the existence of God is.

God has never been seen or heard. No one has ever credibly reported a God sighting. No one has ever reported anything that remotely indicates the existence of God, and had it independently verified so that it could be shared with an awed and humbled world.

Life is improbable - the universe is improbable. So imagining a being so powerful, so knowledgeable, eternal, infinite, all-seeing, is improbable to a degree that makes our unlikely existence seem commonplace by comparison. Explaining an improbable occurrence by presupposing an incalculably more improbable occurrence does not make the first one more probable.

If the God that you conceive of is this eternal, infinite, all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful intercessor in human events and supervisor of this universe, and heaven and hell to boot, then remember that he evolved along with humanity, from animist forces, to pagan Gods to one almighty God, and then, curiously (for Christians), back down to three. He changes every day, every year, from person to person, congregation to congregation, region to region. He never stays the same. It's as if we make him up as we go along, and he is powerless to resist our whims.

If believing in God makes you feel good, brings feelings of love, serenity, certainty, security, if it helps you get over the regret, shame and sorrow that you feel about committing some horrible wrong - then be aware that this is why you do it. Just remember how improbable the existence of God is.

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