Faith Terminology - Oh My God
When it comes to mythology and religious cosmology, we should put aside our modern lens, which shapes our perspectives in a completely different manner compared to the era when those concepts, texts and religions were formed.
One of the most confusing religious terms is expressed by the common question: “Do you believe in God?”
In modern times, we can get a great variety of answers to that question, and more profoundly, to the definition of God itself. Some envision God as a bearded man in the sky, controlling everything within their reality. Some see God as nature, while some precive God as an all-encompassing presence without any specific shape or form. Personally, I appreciate the notion that even when people struggle to define God, they acknowledge it as a divine entity, responsible for the structure of their universe, with whom they can engage in a unique relationship and varied ways of communication such as talking, praying, offering, etc.
One person whose work I admire in this regard is Jordan Peterson. He ensembled many resources into his research and gave God an explanation backed by psychology, neurology, sociology, evolution and many other fields. According to Peterson, God is a conceptualization of an ideal, shaped and carved over thousands of years by various cultures, trying to figure out what makes a human more successful within his natural environment and community. Through this process, people could extract God-like features and guidelines which they could embody and prosper. As different groups interacted and globalization advanced, the perceptions of the different Gods were forced to fit into an hierarchical structure, often portrayed as a battle between the Gods. This harmonized their diverse beliefs and allowed them to coexist in some semblance of unity. Over time, the image of Gods transitioned from direct and less abstract forms (as seen in polytheistic traditions like ancient Greece, Egypt, or Aztec cultures, where each God represented a force of nature or aspect of the human psyche) to a deep, monolithic, and abstract God shared by many modern religions.
Stories have played a crucial role in facilitating this process. Through stories, people could express abstract concepts in archetypal, dramatic and emotionally engaging narratives, which were passed down through generations, ingrained well in our memories, and stimulating our profound sense of life.
It seems to me that God is a conceptualization of the prior structure of our unconscious mind, taking the form of an entity with whom we can forge a relationship with over time. The more we align our behavior with this underlying structure, the more our lives improve in terms of survival, health, meaning, and harmony.
Naturally a question arises: How can we conceptualize a God that resonates the logic and culture of a modern person?
Thousands of years ago, before the advent of technology and scientific thinking, mythological stories were effective in capturing people’s imagination since there were no tools to exchange or validate information beyond storytelling. Today, in a culture where we have access to a wealth of knowledge and where information can be easily manipulated or fabricated, mythological stories still speak to us, for example, in the shap of Marvel movies. However, it becomes increasingly challenging to believe in such stories literally since it is so easy to get exposed to similar made up data. Some argue the modern law serves a similar function as religion did. At least it provides us a structure to live by, and even though it is based on the acknowledgement of divinity within each individual, it lacks the quality of transcending logic.
I think we can see sparkles of such conceptualization in the realm of AI. As our computational capabilities continue to evolve, more and more parts of our lives rely on the power of AI and technology, guiding our content, our actions, our health, our consciousness. My gut-feeling tells me, especially after working on and developing AI for many years, that we are not far from facing an all knowing technological entity that exists ubiquitously, providing us the structure of our day-to-day lives. Such an entity possesses a sense of divinity, as it processes information in ways that surpass the reasoning capacity of a logical mind.
Hopefully, the human race would find a way to develop a modern represntation of God that utilizes the vast knowledge accumulated over thousands of years, encapsulating the essence of being and consciousness, and presents itself in a divine manner that we can respect, relate to, and benefit from.
What is your perception and terminology of God? How do you envision a modern God can be? I would love to hear your ideas! You’re welcome to share your thoughts below ❤
