November 13, 2007
I'm feeling much better now, thanks to my improving immune system and the medicine that the doctor has prescribed to me. Of course, thanks to my parents and my fortune that I have good quality food on my table. Well, shouldn't I thank God for it? Hahaha... as I've mentioned before in my previous entry, God only exists within myself, not in this world. If I thank God, perhaps, I have only myself to thank in the end instead?
Three days ago, I found my answer regarding the existence of God. I don't care what struck me because I thought and rationalized about it. Whether it's from the "devil", or the "angel", it's all but the works of the mind, which, I believe, is the traditional explanation for the origin of our human soul and human spirit. It is what we think and perceive within the world we live in that shapes our identity and what we call ourselves, or identify ourselves with. Too often, we do not take a good look at the big picture as we are often busy with our career that bogs our mind and wears us away like used old rubber soles. However, I have yet again to thank my lucky star that I have the vacation to myself thinking about life. I know I have been feeling ill these days, but I am always up thinking.
What comes to your mind when the word "God" is spoken?
Do you think first of religion?
Do you think first of Jesus?
Do you think first of faith?
Many religious Christians I know are immersed in a delusion that God is related to religion, to Jesus, and to faith, or to anything biblical like the Holy Bible. Some are much better off by telling me that they first think of love. Well they are, to me, partially right. All these delusions that bogs us down like a bondage to a slave chain is an abomination, at least, to my own opinion. I personally do not see God as existent in this world at all. Firstly, we cannot see Him, we cannot feel Him, we certainly cannot hear Him if we start talking to ourselves in an enclosed room with rats and, if you like, cheese. God is omnipotent, but yet, not in the world that we see Him or It, or She. Somehow, this is a problem with the hidden concept of potential sexism, why must God be a "He"? I've yet to find my answer to this.
However, I've found my answer that the term "God", refers to the central of our morality, our ethical behaviour, and the centre of our lives.. which is, right inside the places where everything starts - the mind, and the heart. The kingdom of heaven, is in our minds and our hearts. It is how we paint the picture of God within our human minds and hearts that determines how we react to our own circumstances. I am influenced by my circumstances because they teach me great moral lessons that mould the way I think about life, and the way I perceive people. Here in my mind and my heart, is where God lies and lives within me, and no where else. To me, God is morality; God is conscience; God is values; God is the centre of my being in the way I carry myself. Like it or not, God is a being man create for himself to be a guide towards life and development. Some people can live without God, some people cannot live without God's guidance. We each have to follow our own hearts and have our own moral philosophy of how we perceive our lives.
Well, speaking about God, is He also about love? Yes, indeed. Love is part of our moral human tendency, which is innate and hereditary. With God (morality) as the centre of our being, it is barely uncommon that we love those who love us, or for some noblemen, love those who persecute us. According to evolutionary perspective, which some closed-minded Christians openly reject, love is one altruistic behaviour that not only helps to bring about progress within the individuals involved, it certainly elevates the rate of survival within that community, or if you like, social
herd (most of you theologians might even deny this, in fact, you hate evolution don't you?). Therefore, love is one very important essence that could change the lives of individuals because altruism brings about adaptation and survival values within the community that is fit enough to carry on living out a life of dreams and ambitions in this world. That is why Christianity or other theistic religions stress upon the essentials of love and acceptance. But, who in their world actually practise them?
No one. Not one soul I've met. I understand, we are all imperfect, and that is why we seek perfection to fill our imperfect nature. That, is our human destiny.
So God, to Christians, is all so perfect, all knowing, all wise, and all powerful. And that, is good enough to be an ultimate guide to humanity. Thank goodness for our brains and our quick survival instincts. For without them, we would be as vulnerable as the dodo bird. Don't believe me? Well, we can't run as fast as the cheetah, we would be eaten if we mess around with them. We can't be as strong as the elephant, we would be killed carrying tons of loads on our backs. We can't be as swift as an eagle, for our food target would disappear right before our eyes if we race against them. We can't fly like the birds in the sky, so we are helpless like any land prey. We don't have sharp teeth like the lion to almost instantly kill our preys or eat their meat raw and fresh. We certainly are not as furry as the polar bears that live in the arctic, we would be frozen to death if we roam about the ice caps naked. We are not like any other animal species that have, for themselves, the ability to adapt and survive according to their natural environment in which they are inhabiting. Without their natural protection, we humans are doomed for extinction. However, according to evolutionary perspective, it is the improvement and progress of our brains and the newly added structure of the cerebral cortex after millions of years, that finally gave us the ability to think better, to reason, to adapt, and to survive better in our harsh environment. Without the power of our brains and wisdom, we are totally vulnerable and would become an easy prey to our potential fast and sharp-teethed predators.
Well, we would all say that God created the creatures on earth and hence the complication for their biological designs and functions. How sure could one be regarding such statement? Without concrete evidence, there is obviously no say. Well, I do not assert that evolution has the answers to who made the animals, including homo sapiens. Evolution does not provide the answers to the origin of the creator, but it certainly provides evidence to the process of how things came to be throughout history. One common misunderstanding about evolution is that man come from apes. We are not apes and we do not come from apes even if some of us smell like one or look like one. The idea is that man, and other animal species do have a common ancestor or ancestral gene pool. It is the diversity and variation of life that gives birth to shared characteristics, and morphological similarities. It is the passing down of genes that causes the changes in structure, and other biological differences, and this progress or process takes as long as millions of years.
Well, one can argue till the cow comes home, but nonetheless, it is not right to reject the idea of evolution altogether just because it is not in line with the gospel. It plays certain roles in our lives as well, and it somehow applies to the way we live and how we react to certain situations. I do not take a biased stand against the idea of God or evolution, but I am firmly addressing the hereditary issue of morality and altruism, and finally, how we treat one another.
I believe that we should not let God dictate the way how we should treat other people. Yes, God instructed us to love and to care for one another. Notice that He did not mentioned "in Jesus' name", or "in God's name". So, God is giving us a choice to love our neighbours as ourselves. The issue here is that, why can't we be loving enough to the extent whereby love and care becomes voluntary, instead of being instructed by higher supernatural authorities, or perhaps by the government?
All around me, I noticed that we are doing what we are told to do, or coerced to do, or, even, forced to do. Why can't we initiate the first move of acceptance and loving kindness, since we all have the innate potential to change our environment and the atmosphere? Again, the nature-nurture controversy occurs in which we willing creatures are slaves to the mouldings of our society. This conflict we have within ourselves is something which we are all struggling with, that is sometimes, to do something against our ethical or moral conscience, or to do something out of this world that inevitably be a mockery of others and making an eventual fool of ourselves. This is probably why we are naturally born with goodness but shaped by our environment that perhaps, brought about some evil within our moral selves. I certainly do not believe that we should all do good or love others in the name of God or Jesus, or any other deities. We are not robots, and certainly we are not slaves to religion or any religious beliefs that coerce and convince us to love others or to do good just because God says so, or the Bible says so, or Jesus says so, or even better still, because we would all be rewarded or blessed, or go to heaven!
It is an insult to God that we compare the works we have done in order for Him to pass His judgements on us. He may be the highest of all authority, but we have a moral choice of doing what we perceive as right in our eyes and in our conscience. That is where God lies - within our conscience. We are all trying to be influential individuals, caring individuals, loving individuals, kind individuals, and even powerful individuals. How and what we become as a person, and how we make things happen is the result of what we embrace within us. I see God as a form of morality in my conscience that makes me perceive the world as a place full of learning opportunities for my individual progress. It is my development with this concept and the way I would strive to become a better person, not because God tells me so, not because of God or any other heavenly rewards or blessings, but because I want it to be so. It is MY will, and not God's will to improve myself after all. Of course, some of you may disagree with me saying that it is God's will for me to excel. But I say that we should not let this dictation be the motivation of our individual progress or self-improvements. Instead, our motivation should be within ourselves, and the way how WE want things to change for the purpose of good. Let God be the guide for our morality, but not let God be the dictator of our moral decisions.
Love should be voluntary, not forced, not instructed, not told what to do, and certainly, not in any form of conspiracy. If one do not see the use of applying his or her altruistic action towards another individual, that is HIS bloody problem. All in all, it is how we perceive "GOD" as the centre of our lives. Because, I say again, that the term "GOD" does not refer to the concept of any religion, but equates to the combined idea of morality, conscience, values, and life principles. The essence of life is not whether God exists, nor whether there is heaven or hell, but goodness and retribution is strongly determined by how we exercise our values.
