Some theologies envision a God who watches every move, who notes and judges every sin. Some theologies imagine a God whose “eye is on the sparrow,” who sees every struggle and responds with loving care. Others take God out of the equation entirely, believing that the only thing that keeps complete tabs on our actions would be the law of cause and effect.
Do you feel that God or the universe watches you with judgment or compassion, or neither, or both?
The ageless “Problem of Innocent’s in Pain” makes it utterly certain that no kind, omnipotent deity is watching over us. Further, no amount of spluttering about “free will” gets rid of the problem of innocents in pain. “He” is supposed to be omnipotent, remember? A truly omnipotent being would need no victims in his universe that contained free will and compassion. “If God is good, then He is not God. If God is God, then he is not good.”
Of course, being a life-long UU, I’d suggest that there are a few more options than judgement, compassion, neither, or both. When I last believed in any sort of god-like presence, I felt such was neutral at best; witnessing, but no longer acting. Years later now I don’t believe in any God at all, and find both greater peace of mind in that and also, now-and-then, some sadness. I now feel that the onus is on each of us to tend to & strengthen our human relationships & communities so that we do not become further isolated, which is the contemporary cultural trend — see, for example, The Lonely American.
Thank you Heather, for your clarity. Without a concept of God as heavenly Father, IS a lonely sad existence.
I was raised Lutheran, and this core belief system still remains, but life experience tells me different stories and I have to form conclusions apart from the Lutheranism of my youth.
Gosh, Marie. What is it about Lutherans? In my 50 years as a UU it is always the Lutherans who seem bitter and thrust from a sense of the holy and it has always made me so sad. I joined the UU church in college via a deistically oriented minister. It was comfortable since my background was Jewish and even Reformed has a strong sense of a God, not necessarily as defined in the Old Testament.
I’m a Universalist.
I believe that God made and loves me, you, and everybody else.
If the Universe, or the Divine, is watching, that is her business, and is not my concern. A better question for me is, “How am I watching other people—with judgment, or with compassion?”
I am only in control of how I watch, and taking care to do so on the side of compassion seems the only way to go with that. If John was literally right, God is Love and not some being. Being on the side of love, then, is the best expression of the Holy. (Sorry, was that a pun?)
In my personal quest, I have come to embrace the theology of Religious Naturalism. I do not believe in a deity that intervenes in human affairs but I do equate the Divine with the life-force and creative energy that is ever-present in creation and binds us all together. Even though much of this can be explained in scientific terms, some of the mysteries and wonders of life can be viewed more clearly through a religious lens. Religious Naturalism provides me with a framework to celebrate and honor these relationships.
Is God watching over us? In my view, the answer is yes. Our existence, the miraculous product of an evolutionary process, is the Universe looking back at itself. The Divine dwells within us and connects us to everything. Acting out of love and compassion is the best expression of gratitude for this unique opportunity.
Al, I loved your reply to this question. i’m struggling to know what I believe in anymore, yours seems most closely to what I believe. Thank you.
Sue and Al, oh yes.
I’m not happy to see UUism equated with humanism or atheism. Many of us are at least deist. What I loved from this week’s service was the concept of not questioning if there is a God or defining God, but experiencing God. I hold with that.
As a new UU and Humanist, I am delighted when people express their view of life in the universe. If it includes a belief in a supreme being who watches over them, I see that as a comfort and guide similar to other things people do to feel that way. For myself, as a scientist too, I am comforted by what we find in our exploration of the universe and life here on earth. Billions of years have been spent by natural processes to create life that thrives here. Respecting and understanding that is important to me. I also take comfort from the Buddhist tradition. That all of this is ultimately illusion and will all change and disappear eventually. The only currency for life and calm is love and compassion. Enjoy your view of the world and do the good things it suggests to you. You are my friend and companion on this journey.
Whoever you are, I’m glad you’re not a hostile humanist. Many of our churches are not really open and respectful of members in search of a god, despite what we claim.
Oh now I see who you are, Art. Thank you.
I don’t believe there is an entity besides myself that constantly criticizes and judges everything I do, though I do more than enough of that myself. I – and the world – will need to live with the consequences of my actions, but that’s not the same thing.
I don’t really believe in any deities. Reality is “god” enough and, though I think of it symbolically as a kind of music, I’m very aware that it is a comforting symbol and not factual. Even as such, I view it as neutral and beyond the human conceptions of good and evil. Accepting reality can ease pain, but that’s about it.
I’d like to believe in something else. I’d like to believe that something is always with me, cares about me, values me, and will comfort me if I ask – not that it will necessarily change any of my circumstances, but that it will meet me halfway with the whole accepting reality business and will sustain me. That kind of belief would really help me. It wouldn’t even be a huge adjustment from what I already believe, but it’s different enough that I don’t know how I could believe it as it seems completely contrary to how the world actually works. I know other people have been in even worse circumstances and have drawn strength from some god – but I don’t know how they developed their faith and so much of their believes seem incongruent with reality.
I certainly agree with you Martin that I judge myself more harshly than any person or deity might. I have never regarded God as a judge or one who solves my problems except maybe when as a child I attended a Reform Jewish Sunday school. Reality is often so depressing I find it often too difficult to accept and could never confuse it with God. The God I experience uplifts my soul when I open myself to her spirit. That uplift gives me the strength to control my circumstances.