Fall from Grace

Today

Paul is in the middle of reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. Dawkins believes passionately in the abitilty of science eventually to explain everything. He quotes from a blog which says that those that answer questions by saying "it's the work of God" are basically saying a spiritual "dunno".

And I agree. It isn't the answer to attribute the unknown to the works of God. It means that we either stop all forms of research or that theists accept that, as we find out more answers, things that can be attributed to God will get fewer and fewer.

Dawkins book doesn't, of course, prove that there isn't a God either; merely that we should fearlessly examine the evidence for everything in this world.

In My Day

We were not brought up to be religious. Daddy had a good knowledge of the New Testament, but saw Jesus in humanist terms. That is; follow his rules of good behaviour, but the God bit can be ignored. Mamma was brought up as a Lutheran, despite her father being Jewish, but we were not taken to church.

I started going to Church, more for social reasons than any other. There was a damn good youth club up at All Saints and the curate (Mr MacDonald) was young and scrummy. Chris and I both started going to the club. (I think Chris even had a girlfriend there.) Going to church was part of it, so I went. I think Mamma was actually delighted when I decided, at age 16, to be christened and confirmed.

The club included a wide range of social activities - walks, dances, socials; I remember a visit to Coventry Cathedral. Belonging to the Church also provided me with a good regular income as a trusted babysitter for other churchgoers. We frequently met to discuss various theological and religious topics all designed to strengthen our faith.

I remember the day I bowed out of the Christian religion. We'd been studying Milton's "Paradise Lost" for A level at school. That Sunday during the club's discussion the curate talked about God being purely the God of love and goodness. "But," I said, "If Lucifer was one of God's angels; therefore a creation of God, God's creation must also encompass evil, since Lucifer was evil." A simple and frequently enough asked question, I'm sure. But Mr Mac couldn't find an answer. I think I could have accepted a view that answered "yes, but the choice of God, Jesus and thus mankind is for good". But all I got was flannel.

I reflected and decided that this cast doubt on the whole idea of God.

I feel confident that I can make good choices and live life rightly without a spurious belief in God. If others need God to live life rightly, fine by me. But I've no time for those who use God to justify cruelty, bigotry or to disguise hate with a mantle that says love.