We have no proof, but we seem to need to believe that God exists. I was raised a Catholic. I was baptized, made my first communion, confirmed, and even married in the Catholic Church. God was somebody to pray to, someone who could grant wishes, change things, and right great wrongs.
When I was in high school, I discovered Campus Life, which was a Christian youth organization that sponsored camps, weekly bible study groups, and social activities. I joined with a full heart, delighted to participate with like-minded adolescents who wanted to “just say no” to drugs. The only problem was that they recommended that we read the bible. I read the “modernized” version with normal language.
And then I read the traditional bible: old testament, new testament. The more I read, the less I believed. I remember one spring when I went to Mass every day during lent. I was completely happy. Jesus loves me! I felt invincible. But my studies of the stories and words in the bible contradicted my euphoria. How could God be like the bible described? How could such a cruel master be the guiding light for all of mankind? How could God abandon his own son to suffering? I didn’t want a God like this. My young intellect conquered my belief in God.
And yet, as an adult living in Spain, I have visited countless Gothic cathedrals and older Romanesque churches. I find it impossible to sit on the wood benches, walk on the stone floors, look up at the soaring arches and not feel the connection to God that the builders intended. So many wonderous paintings, sculptures, wrought-iron gratings, and carved choir seats evoke a profoundly spiritual peace. How could such beauty be inspired if God did not exist?
On the other hand, I also read The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov. Here was a perfect description of the role religion played in our history. Religion was a political tool used by the intellectual elites to control the rest of the population. Convincing the ignorant that the advanced technology was a miracle from God enabled them to manipulate the population at will. This scenario was far more believable than any other I had learned. Similarly shocking was Erich von Daniken’s Chariots of the Gods which postulated that biblical stories were visitations from extra-terrestrials. Even if you didn’t believe, the theory was plausible.
So does God exist? Well, I find it far more interesting to ask, if God doesn’t exist, why should we be good? Believing in God motivates us to follow good moral principles. I need to be good so that after I die I will go to heaven and not to hell. The terrors of hell, complete with fire and brimstone, pain, and suffering, provide us with the moral impetus to forsake evil deeds and live a righteous life. Dante’s vision of hell as well as stories of supernatural vampires, werewolves, demons, and other horrific creatures lead us to believe that evil exists.
Our advanced civilization, one step up from the jungle, hardly inspires confidence that people want to live a good life. Today we find countless examples of mobs, bullies, wife beaters, and killers. True crime reality shows document abhorrent atrocities committed by people who don’t worry about going to hell. In the year 2022, we have a war in Ukraine, hate crimes and ethnic cleansing, and confrontational politics in all major democratic countries. For many years I believed that if the devil exists, then God had to also, if only for karmic balance. Hardly an overwhelming argument.
I find it very difficult to believe that some divine entity watches over us and worries about each one of us.
So, if God doesn’t exist, why should we be good?
I think that we can choose righteousness because it makes us happier than evildoing. My theory is that self-gratification does not lead to happiness. For example, rich people, movie stars, rock and pop idols can buy anything and do anything they want to. Yet they don’t seem to be happy. They have high levels of drug abuse, suicide, and other misfortunes.
Neither does self-sacrifice lead to happiness. Spiritual leaders who practice abstention, deny worldly pleasures, and reject all fun things, like ice cream and margaritas and juicy steaks, don’t seem to be happy either.
I believe happiness comes from making others happy and doing good deeds. For example, donating time or money to charity, giving food to the poor, or helping someone without claiming credit. Doing good deeds brings satisfaction and joy far removed from the gratification of buying a Gucchi blouse or a gold Rolex or drinking Moet and Chandon.
Happiness also comes from accomplishment, from reaching your goals, from working hard to improve the world.
Praying for someone? I don’t have any experience with prayers actually working. But doctors who research cancer and find cures, engineers who design safer cars, business managers who save companies and the jobs of their employees, and athletes who make fans happy with championships all provide joy to other people and bring immense happiness.
Success brings happiness. Hard-earned teamwork brings happiness. Creation and innovation bring happiness. Being good for goodness’ sake brings happiness. If God does exist, the plan must have been for us to help ourselves.
The meek shall inherit the earth? I don’t think so. The bold shall improve the human condition? This seems much more likely.
