Monday, November 9, 2009

Creator god

As I have considered an “evolved god” in a parallel universe, one problem arises: How do you explain the miracles where various persons (Passover angel, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, et al) acting as agents of god alter the “natural order” unless god is somehow in control of (rather than controlled by) the universe? I happen to believe the historical record that the miracles actually did occur, so I have to retreat from my “evolved god” position. Yet, there is a sense in which the “creator god” allows the spiritual “parallel universe” to be perceived and evolved by people in various cultures at successive times according to what (their needs, god’s interests, random events)? I guess, to proceed further, I’ll need to read some Karen Armstrong and others.
Obviously, I’m not a theologian.
.
.
The year’s at the spring,
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his Heaven –
(with the billions of innocents
who’ve died of hunger, poverty,
disease, and injustice)
All’s right with the world!
—Browning in Pippa Passes
.
.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Parallel Universe -- imagine

“god” lives in a parallel universe not limited by time and space. Since there is no “time” in the way we think of it (in a linear manner), of course, “god” knows everything that has happened (since god began*) and “will happen” though “god” doesn’t think of it as something occuring in the future, since there is no future with “god”, only the eternal present. The question is not whether “god” knows but why the “loving god” we worship doesn’t intervene in the world as we know it when people do bad things. I don’t know the answer to that. Perhaps there is a tug of war going on in this parallel universe of which we only have fleeting glimpses.

*imagine the possibility that in the evolution of the world there evoved not only humankind with opposing thumb and large brain capable of planning and all the rest, but also there evolved a spiritual parallel world populated by the spirits of those who died and the phenomenon of gods with real power and the ability to communicate (even via real angels and a real Jesus “son of god”) with humankind (be they judaeo christian, muslim, hindu, buddhist, or animist.) This kind of thinking is almost science fiction. I’ve searched somewhat to see what kind of belief this is but haven’t come up with a name. I can still be thankful for the world as it is, whether created or not. It’s all a great mystery.