Faith Meets Life: An Ongoing Tale - Growing up is hard to do
“I once heard a philosophy student at Western put it this way.” Mitch, the former college chaplain explains to Tamara. “To think that there is a god giving us directions never allows us to grow up. We humans have to create our own communities and codes of ethics and so on without asking for a god to make all the rules for us. So, for us to trust in a god is really saying, let's remain children. It's like being a college student. Most of us students don't cling to our parents year after year. We have to find our own way.”
“Get out of town! You mean to look to a god for direction in life is a form of immaturity?” Tamara asked.“Either individually or as a society, tribe, culture or whatever?”
“That's the idea,” Mitch continued slowly, “so there are some alternatives. One is that there is no god. If there isn't, then the people who say there is are wrong. Worse than that, when they say that God gives directions for living, they are wrong about that too.”
“Really, the directions are coming from those individuals who claim they are getting them from God. And this is where calling God ‘him,' as I've heard you say in our previous conversations, fits in. People around the planet tend to think of authority in male terms. If God is mostly about giving rules, then talking about him as male helps.
“So, we should get rid of god-talk altogether because it is a kind of fraud, even if the people committing the fraud are quite well meaning.”
Tamara hesitated a bit. “Yes, I see what you mean and that would be right. If there is no god then having any god-talk would be kind of fraudulent. We should ask priests, monks, nuns, spiritual leaders — and nothing personal, but chaplains — to stop. At the very least they should take themselves a little less seriously and not encourage any young people to follow in their footsteps.”
Mitch continued; “If there is no god, then our philosophy student is right. We'll just have to face reality and get along without him. We'll have to leave our immature ways behind us and simply live as strongly, enjoyably and freely as we can.”
“You put that very well. I am truly impressed. I couldn't have said it better myself. But whose side are you on anyway?”
“Well for now,” Mitch says, “You have given me a lot to think about. Do you mind if I call a time-out and finish my lunch? We can talk further next week. Of course, with your help, maybe I've just talked myself out of my life's work.”
To be continued?
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
“Get out of town! You mean to look to a god for direction in life is a form of immaturity?” Tamara asked.“Either individually or as a society, tribe, culture or whatever?”
“That's the idea,” Mitch continued slowly, “so there are some alternatives. One is that there is no god. If there isn't, then the people who say there is are wrong. Worse than that, when they say that God gives directions for living, they are wrong about that too.”
“Really, the directions are coming from those individuals who claim they are getting them from God. And this is where calling God ‘him,' as I've heard you say in our previous conversations, fits in. People around the planet tend to think of authority in male terms. If God is mostly about giving rules, then talking about him as male helps.
“So, we should get rid of god-talk altogether because it is a kind of fraud, even if the people committing the fraud are quite well meaning.”
Tamara hesitated a bit. “Yes, I see what you mean and that would be right. If there is no god then having any god-talk would be kind of fraudulent. We should ask priests, monks, nuns, spiritual leaders — and nothing personal, but chaplains — to stop. At the very least they should take themselves a little less seriously and not encourage any young people to follow in their footsteps.”
Mitch continued; “If there is no god, then our philosophy student is right. We'll just have to face reality and get along without him. We'll have to leave our immature ways behind us and simply live as strongly, enjoyably and freely as we can.”
“You put that very well. I am truly impressed. I couldn't have said it better myself. But whose side are you on anyway?”
“Well for now,” Mitch says, “You have given me a lot to think about. Do you mind if I call a time-out and finish my lunch? We can talk further next week. Of course, with your help, maybe I've just talked myself out of my life's work.”
To be continued?
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
