The Phenomenon of Faith

 

Vaidotas Matutis, Marijus Grigola; Lithuania, Vilnius, 2014

 

Full version in Russian: http://gisap.eu/node/59472

Original article in Lithuanian: http://matutis.eu/tikejimo/

 

A human is so powerful that had even created God.

Человек настолько могущественен, что сотворил даже Бога.

Žmogus yra toks galingas, kad sukūrė net Dievą.

 

While introducing the human algorithm in the article “HUMAN AS A NATURAL information system”¹ we have scarcely discussed the “thinking zone”. In the following scheme it was attempted to expand the zone of thinking in the meaning of information, while in the article „Why the complex analysis method? “²  a slightly different picture of this part was presented through the relationships of politics and economics, or an idea and an action. Though in both cases, while trying to discuss this zone in more detail, we are faced with the necessity of introducing the component of FAITH. This idea was offered by Leonardo da Vinci, but due to its sensitivity he did not expand the theme.

The aim of the work: Since faith and religion are closely related subjects, in order to discus this theme there must be a deep mutual understanding of both, the speaker and the listener. In this article we will pay more attention to the mutual understanding while analyzing the component of faith in the thinking zone of the human algorithm, and most probably return to the analysis of algorithm in the next article.

A saying “A human is so powerful, that had even created God” presented at the beginning, is most probably not entirely correct, but it is also not completely wrong. We have used it, because it is provocative and makes us reflect.

It is worth asking oneself, how an expression can be correct and wrong at the same time.

A lot depends on the meaning provided to words that we use while studying one or another topic.

This theme is particularly dependent on concepts. If we speak the same words, but imagine their meanings in different ways, our conversation will look like a conversation with a foreigner, whose language we do not understand. In such cases it may seem that a person is talking silly nonsense. Though, if we try to reveal what meaning is provided to one or another seemingly simple word, we would see that this “nonsense” is not complete nonsense at all. Everything is simple: same words can be given slightly or completely different meanings. Very often the result is human misunderstanding, disputes, quarrels or even more serious conflicts.

Let us consider an example. There is an expression: “God is nature, and the commandments of God are laws of nature”.

Therefore, by stating this, you most probably be accused of rudimentary understanding. Your perception of God is very narrow, you oversimplify him and you turn his commandments into something like instincts.

That would be a simple misunderstanding. It should be comprehended that interlocutors understand the meanings of these concepts about nature and its laws in a slightly different way. Besides, it is not stated here that nature is only wild people, wondering with spears in wild forests, and the laws of nature – only the instincts that affect those people.

Nature is absolutely everything that exists. It is Earth and Sun and stars, galaxies, the Universe, maybe even more than the universe, it is something that we do not know or are unaware of, finally the human himself, every small bug digging in the ground, molecule, atom, electron, or even a smaller particle; to put it briefly it is absolutely everything we know and do not know about.

If nature is absolutely everything, regardless whether we know about it or not, and if we call God – nature, do we really oversimplify him and put him into some frames? Quite the opposite – we let him free from any frames. Imagine the opposite – if God is not nature, and nature is absolutely everything that exists. That would mean that God does not exist. We people, ourselves, tend to put God into frames, but not nature. Thus, we can not claim that he is not nature and that he does not exist.

From the mentioned example, the commandments of God or the laws of nature have been left not discussed. Are the laws of nature instincts? Here it is not that simple. The laws of nature determine absolutely everything. Including human instincts. Therefore, instincts are a tiny particle of all laws of nature.

In terms of a human, laws of nature make a human – human. Even more: laws of nature create a human from the simplest dust particles of our planet Earth – molecules. And what can be more grand? So yes, we are the same ground that we walk on. Besides, nobody blows any particles for the construction of our body from the sky. After all, “God made Adam out of clay” and it is true. Everything should be taken from the ground and later returned. Thus, the Holy Scriptures reaffirm the truth that “all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again”. But all of this is determined by the laws of nature. If we called God – nature, it is quite natural that God has created people. And if the laws of nature are the commandments of God, then they are those primary commandments, which we do not have the right to disregard or deviate from. Their disregard or a selfish attempt to use them for manipulation can lead to big trouble, starting from personal failures, destructed lives to global disasters or even self-destruction.

Not only do the laws of nature or the commandments of God make a human – human, but also control our infinite Universe and make it behave exactly as they tell it, and not otherwise.

A well-educated reader would most probably object to the fact that there are such phenomena in the universe that are not subordinate to the laws of nature. Such a person is likely to think that all laws of nature are already known. Far from it – no. Laws of nature are not only those known to scientists; there are many more and it would be fondly to think that the human mind is able to comprehend them all.

“God is everywhere” – is another self-evident truth. It is obvious that if God is everything that exists – there is no place he can not be at. We, ourselves, are his particle. There is only one question that arises: do we begin to harm him by starting to selfishly manipulate, using his commandments according to our wishes and desires?

Does not our brave behaviour begin to resemble the behaviour of a malignant tumour in a human organism? Even though such tumour is composed of the same cells of a person, it tries not to listen to the organism of that person and to grow on its own. It is tempting to believe that we are not that “malignant tumour”, but it is worth to take that into account by everyone.

Let us return to the theme of concepts. Their unification is necessary not only in terms of religion, but also in all other areas. Religion is different, because it is a very sensitive topic, thus the similarity of concepts has a special meaning here. Moreover, there are a lot of mystifications and abstraction in religion, so here concepts or meanings of words are not as specific and clear. As a result, there is place for interpretations, presentiments, or even reflections of emotions instead of specific or precise concepts or meaning of certain words.

Hence, let us go back to our first expression. Did the human create God or God has created the human? We can see that everything depends on the fact whom do we call God and whom do we call a human. If we call a human the creation of nature, and God a character of religions, and there are hundreds of them in the world, then this saying is true. Though, if we understand God as a whole of everything that exists, and nature is this whole, then the human as a creation of nature is also the creation of god. In this case, the expression provided at the beginning is completely wrong, and even the opposite. In this case, the truth is that human was created by God.

To conclude the discussion of this expression, it is possible to mention the remaining concepts. These are: do we all understand the word “powerful” and the word “created” in the same way? If we begin analyzing these concepts, then you would have to read a couple of pages more. But since our topic is not about that, we would not analyze the mentioned concepts. We would just once more like to draw attention to the great importance of understanding concepts. In order to understand the other person, we would recommend not thinking what one or another concept, used in a conversation, means to you. Try to understand what those concepts mean for the person, who is using them. That would make your communication more enjoyable and reduce the chances of misunderstanding.

We should also mention another game of concepts. If a believer would be asked a question – “do you believe that God exists or do you know that God exists?” – then in his eyes we would perhaps see a bit of confusion.

To believe – means to think and behave as if that thing you believe in is real, even though you do not have any possibilities to know the truth.

If a believer says that he believes, that means he admits to himself and to others that God might not exist at all. He simply believes and that is all.

If he says that he knows that God exists, then he does not need to believe, because he knows. And if he knows, then he can not be a believer, because it is impossible to believe and know at the same time.

Religion and God. How do these concepts mutually bind? Or maybe they have nothing in common?

Here, too, everything depends on the concepts, attitude, and perception. There are hundreds of religions in the world, which explain God in their own way. Which of them is right? Perhaps that is a rhetorical question.

Religion is more a social phenomenon intended to maintain some kind of a structure. It is possible to believe that there is God, maybe a Guardian Angel. Maybe God in addition to everything is the Guardian angel. We do not know that. But do we have to know that? We can believe that there is God and that would be it. There is much that a person does not know and it is unlikely that some day one would. Of course, one also knows a lot of things. But that does not prevent one from believing. Believe in humanity, truth, future, happiness, goodness, love, and in many more that makes a human – human. That also includes believing in God.

What force makes people search for God? There is no nation, no mankind history without one or another religion, one or another explanation of God. Is it possible that this phenomenon is triggered by some law of nature, or in other words – a law of psychology? The existence of this law does not prove the existence of God what so ever, but we are discussing not that. There are different interpretations of what influences the emergence of religions. That includes fears and inability to explain natural phenomena, various diseases, death and the like. All this, and not only this, influenced the formation of religions and the explanation of God. But in today’s age of technology and information people also search for God. Modern scientists, inventors, politicians, and ordinary people believe. What makes them search for God these day?

The answer, most likely, lies in the human himself, in his periods of age, maybe even in his genes. Everything starts from childhood. There is a father in childhood. He always cares, teaches, looks after, and disciplines. Childhood is such a period when almost the rest of a person’s life is being encoded. In childhood a person learns all basic things by using which, one will live all one’s life. That includes vision, hearing, movements, walking, talking, behaviour, and much more. Childhood is as if a provision of force to the cannon, which after having fired from the trunk has no possibility to depart from its route. Of course there are exceptions, but one can also notice the echoes of childhood experiences.

Finally, in this extremely important period of a human’s life, in one’s childhood, the father-feeder plays a key role. (Of course, it is necessary to mention both parents or even more general –guardians, but to make it easier let us take only the “father-feeder”.) Later a person walking through life does not completely understand the essence of God, until a horrible misfortune takes place or until one becomes old. Of course, one can be an honest believer during one’s life, but the real existence of God one feels, as I have already mentioned, only then. Why? Well, because since childhood in the consciousness of a person remains an understanding of the existence of the father-feeder. In one’s subconsciousness one feels that one can always apply to him in case of trouble, when one is lonely, helpless or miserable. But there is no father-feeder in senility. What then? That is where the marvellous phenomenon of God appears. The vacuum of the father-feeder is present throughout life and becomes stronger only when one begins to wish for something really strong. It might be that it is not the father himself, who is being missed, but that state, when you always knew that there is somebody behind you, who would not leave you, encourages and to whom you are immensely important. It is exactly that vacuum that is being filled by the existence of God.

Conclusions: Thus, we have revealed the mystery of God. Though, it is also an illusion. We have not revealed any mysteries. Everything depends on our attitude and in the middle of a discussion – on the meanings given to our words. Let us think as we wish, but try to understand one another.

 

List of references:

 

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