Searching for God

By Charles Sears

Searching for God is an essay sequel to The Search for God by the same author. Its a book of quotations about God, religion, and philosophy taken from several different points of viewbelievers, disbelievers, agnostics, and atheists. It is the authors opinion based on personal research. While the reader may agree or disagree with the points and conclusions reached; it is hoped that the book will inspire new avenues of thinking about this all-important subject and related subjects.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781532006043

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Copyright © 2016 Charles Sears.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-0603-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-0604-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016914143

iUniverse rev. date: 08/23/2016

The ability to discriminate between that which is true and that which is false is one of the last attainments of the human mind.

James Fenimore Cooper, American novelist

DO WE REALLY WANT TO KNOW?

If you knew for a fact that the next book you read contained the absolute truth about the existence of God would you want to read it? Or if you were convinced that the spiritual leader or prophet you were about to meet was endowed with the wisdom of the ages would you really want to hear him?

While it is obviously unlikely that one would know in advance that any particular person knows the absolute truth about anything, the point is; do we sincerely want to know the truth about God or do we take what we have been taught through the tradition of family, church or some other authority or perhaps a holy document such as the Bible or Koran or even the idea that there is no god at all, as truth without really questioning or discovering for ourselves what we really believe. Or do we simply hope what we think we believe is true?

All of us from the moment we are born, even before, are products of our environment and experience as well as our genetic makeup. Throughout life our human thinking has been influenced in many ways especially during our early years.

This may seem obvious but if we as adults stand back and view our present thinking about God, religion, spirituality, or life in general, we may see that our views on these and many subjects may to a large extent depend on external influences we don’t fully realize.

If for example our parents and perhaps most of our family has always been say, devout Roman Catholic, Jewish, Baptist or Moslem, Atheists or any other, we may consider ourselves a believer even though if we were to objectively search our own independent mind we might find that it may or may not be what we completely believe.

Of course the operative word is independent. And even if one were to realize a different belief than that of our heritage or up bringing to openly reveal it could be difficult so it may be easier just to defer to majority influence especially if ones differing belief is somewhat uncertain. Some may feel that religious ideas and the question about whether or not God is real is beyond comprehension and dismiss it from their thinking.

A motivation could be; to have a more informed idea of what the truth might be. This could include at least a cursory understanding of religious options including other denominations, investigation of what persons of stature throughout history have said on the subject and the possibility that there is no God at all or if there is one the possibility that He, She or It is far different from what we have believed. Of course this investigation could also reveal that what you have believed all along is the truth or the closest thing to the truth you can know. But for some perhaps such an exercise may not be important or necessary because they have resigned themselves to cautious doubt or hopeful faith.

To most, religious beliefs are to a large extent a matter of faith. And it may require great fortitude to think differently from what one always has or to investigate other options. Many religions have powerful traditions and their originators whether saints, prophets or spiritual leaders are often highly venerated. Throughout history perhaps millions have believed. Were they all wrong? To think differently can seem almost blasphemous.

"You do not believe; you only believe that you believe

Samuel T.Coleridge, English poet

TRUTH

The absolute truth about many things is obviously unclear, perhaps even more so the existence of God. Millions rely on the teachings of prophets or revered personages of long ago such as Muhammad, Moses, Buddha or Jesus. Since the absolute truth about spiritual matters seems obscure or uncertain to many, a person may rely on a book or sacred document as the source of truth. This allows the adherent, usually through faith in the text, to proclaim it as the absolute truth. Although this assuredly gives the faithful a sense of comfort and stability, a sense that the issue is settled, it may also require one to set aside reason to some extent to honestly believe it. In a religious context, the reasons one believes in God or the tenants of a particular denomination may vary. For many it seems there is little or no empirical reason for their belief in God beyond a general good feeling and sense of moral duty or some look at the universe, life and nature on earth and think all of this could not be created without some divine guiding hand. Some choose a religion because they were brought up with it. Some may simply visit various churches to see which one seems to fit. For many if not most their belief in God is based essentially on faith.

There is no religion higher than the truth.

Helena Petrovna Han Blavatsky, Russian born theosophist.

TRUTH OR RELIGION?

But what is the truth? To most of us our human reason tells us the truth. Although even relying on reason we often do not have adequate information to reach a reliable conclusion about many things. For example, in the area of religion, since we do not actually know with out a doubt if the text of a particular sacred book is the absolute truth it is usually necessary to rely either on our reason or the word of someone else such as a priest, minister, historian or some other respected authority or to simply rely on one’s own faith. But then many say religion to a great extent is a matter of faith. While some, if not most religions claim efficacious results from adhering to their doctrine, prayer etc., many members may go through years without realizing or never honestly realize what could be called a true physical healing or positive event as a direct result of prayer, meditation, religious ceremonies or the practice of any religious liturgy.

Again, there are obviously many things on a human level we do not know not to mention a metaphysical level. Could it be that one reason we do not realize the benefits of prayer etc., is that most current religions are wrong?

It may be that to experience God or to tap into a spiritual realm, if one exists, it might be necessary to divorce ones self mentally from the material realm. This can be extremely difficult as we all seem to be for the most part rational sensory beings.

Perhaps then there are two truths, the material rational and the spiritual transcendent. But since these two seem so contrary to each other is it possible that one or the other is illusion?

Boxers genuflect before battle; a high school football team may huddle in prayer before the game asking for victory and safety from injury. If the team loses and one player is injured God is usually not blamed. If the team wins would the credit go to God? The whole exercise is perhaps mostly symbolic. What may be actually needed are more practice and being more careful.

It is notable that during the Civil War both North and South believed God was on their side. It shows how at a certain time in our cultural history such a blind faith in something so often irrational or at least mostly improvable would be so wide spread. Maybe it’s not so much a culturally historical thing as just human nature. Radical Islamists as well as Christian Crusaders believed they were following God’s will.

"There are no atheists in the foxholes.

Ernie Pyle, WW2 journalist

ONE TRUE RELIGION?

Devout members of most religions believe theirs is the only true one. Their reaction to all the others can often vary from respect to outright condemnation. Since according to them only one religion or tradition can be the true or correct one, it seems logical to conclude that they may feel that all the rest are wrong. Since many religions seem to have originated or are closely tied to particular countries or regions, for example; Texas is mainly Protestant, Italy is mainly Catholic, the Mid East is mainly Muslim, parts of the Far East mainly Buddhism, Haiti mostly Voodoo etc., it does seem logical that a person of that region declare their religion the only true one when they might simply be