Over the years I have been asked many questions about religion and spirituality. "What happens when we die?" "If God exists why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?" "Why are there so many different religions?" One of the most common questions is, "Do you believe in God?" So here's my response to that particularly challenging question .......

Someone:     Do you believe in God?

Me:                That depends.

Someone:     What do you mean?

Me:                That depends on what you mean by God.

Someone:     I don’t understand.

Me:                OK. When someone asks me this question, I sometimes find that they already have their own idea about God. We frequently realise that we’re talking about two entirely different images or beliefs. That is why I asked you what you meant by God.

Someone:     If I’m being honest, I don’t know. What I do know is that I don’t believe in the idea of an old man in the sky, that’s just nonsense.

Me:                I agree. And I don’t believe in the idea of God being like a Father Christmas figure dressed with a judge’s wig either.

Someone:     What does that mean?

Me:                Lots of people think of God as being like Father Christmas, blessing us with lots of gifts whilst also being ready to judge us and punish us if we step out of line. That idea seems to me to be too much like making God in our image, in how human beings are.

Someone:     So are you saying that people shouldn’t have images or beliefs about God?

Me:                No, not at all. We all need images and ideas to help us make sense of these important matters. What I’m saying is that we should be wary of making our images and beliefs into absolute truths.

Someone:     You seem very clear about what you believe God is not like, but you still haven’t answered my question!

Me:                I know. That’s a fair point. I suppose that I find it a difficult question to answer because my beliefs have changed quite dramatically during my lifetime and I’m still on a journey of discovery. If I am being honest, I don’t think that I will ever know the full truth about God in this life. I don’t think human beings can know for certain, they can only believe. What I can say is that I find it easier not to think of God as a concrete being, but more as Being itself. God seems to me to be more like an expression and experience of Deep and Complete Love, a wonderful and infinite energy that is to be found within us and beyond us.

Someone:     I don’t think I’m any the wiser, that sounds rather airy-fairy to me. But I suppose it’s good to talk about these things now and again.

Me:                Yes, it is. And I can understand why you might think that my comments are rather “airy-fairy”. People often misunderstand what some folk mean by the word “love”. I think what’s important is that we continue to search and to be open to new ideas and experiences. And perhaps to think more about what Love means.

Someone:      OK. So what do you mean by Love ….?

 February 2024