Is there God?

Since the beginning of history, men and women from different places and fields of study have inquired about God’s existence. Is there God? Does God exist? The Bible assumes God’s existence. There is not one verse which directly states the existence of God, because for the Bible writers, the existence of God is a given fact—it is an accepted reality. In fact, to not believe that there is God, is considered ridiculous. Only fools who are corrupt and those deeds are vile say “The fool says in his heart” (Psalm 14:1).

But still, it is possible to ask the question of God’s existence as it relates to everyday practical human life. There are valid questions that people commonly ask, though silently. They are questions raised everywhere and every time by all kinds of people who encounter the realities of life. They are questions that transcend the boundaries of nationality or citizenship. They are not original questions, as they have already been raised in the past; but they will be recycled, as they will be brought up again today and in the future.

Was there God in the past?

Was there God during the Holocaust, when millions of Jews were murdered by the Nazis?

Was there God every time a bullet hits a body of a soldier during the World Wars?

Was there God when the World Trade Center collapsed, killing innocent lives?

Was there God when the tsunami hit Asia in December 2005?

Is there God today?

Is there God in the market, where there is cheating?

Is there God in the streets, where all you hear are jeepney horns and vehicles’ engines?

Is there God in the subdivision, where there is an atmosphere of individualism?

Is there God in the house, where the drunk father gets home late?

Is there God in the classroom, where the teacher is an atheist?

Is there God in the jeepney, where people sit in front of each other but do not talk?

Is there God in the mall, where what everyone wants is to have and buy?

Is there God in the office, where the boss is demanding and your co-workers are tired?

Is there God in the city, where everyone is busy?

Is there God in the barber shop, where talks revolve on senseless topics?

Is there God in the hospital, where everyone is suffering pain?

Is there God in jail, where convicted criminals abound?

Is there God?

Is there God in the traffic, when you are already late for an appointment?

Is there God when a mother is grieving over the death of her only child?

Is there God in your neighbor’s house when they don’t have any food?

Is there God when a friend comes complaining about his or her miserable life?

Is there God when your best friend is sick?

Is there God when your neighbor has cancer?

Is there God to a hungry old man begging on the street?

Is there God when a car just carelessly cut you through?

So we ask again: “Is there God? Where is He?

Is there God?

Is there God for a family living in the slum?

Is there God for a desperate unemployed fresh graduate from college?

Is there God for the drug addict, whose very life is death?

Is there God for the taxi driver, whose life is in peril everyday on the streets?

Is there God for the peanut vendor, whose earnings cannot feed the entire family of eight?

Is there God for the blind, who sees nothing but darkness?

Is there God for the sorrowful, whose heart is filled with grief?

Is there God for the orphan, who has no one to show him love?

Is there God for the street child, whose mind and heart is filled with fear?

Is there God for the oppressed, the outcasts, the society’s trash?

Is there God for the businessman, whose business is on collapse?

Is there God for the hungry, whose stomach is grumbling and in pain?

Is there God for the son, whose father loves beating him?

Is there God for the daughter, molested and sexually abused by his own father?

Is there God for the homosexual, who is living in shame and sin?

Is there God? Where is He? Why is there suffering in the world? Where is the good God in an evil world?

Is there God?

Is there God in politics, where greed and corruption abound?

Is there God in philosophy, where search for truth is never satisfied?

Is there God in economics, where having possessions is the ultimate aim?

Is there God in education, where intellectual activity dominates the practical sphere?

Is there God in science, which often times opposes the person of God and belief in Him?

Is there God in arts, where sensual beauty is idolized?

Is there God in technology, upon which humanity leans and depends for its existence?

Is there God in business, where love of money is both first and last?

Is God in the world? Why are there so little, if no evidence of His existence?

I do not see any wrong in asking these questions. Indeed raising them is inevitable. So long as we are living in this world, these questions will be asked by humanity. The questions I enumerated are indirect questions concerning God. They are in no way directed towards God. Most of the time, these questions just stay in the mind—we do not utter them, we do not say them—although they are deeply rooted in our consciousness.

It is part of our freedom to raise questions. Indeed we can utter these very questions to God. We can tell God and inquire of Him. But it is not fair, I think, if all the answers to these questions are left to God as His assignment. There are elements in the questions that are answerable only by God. This I affirm. Yet when we look back at the questions, we see that we already have the answers to the very questions we ask, especially us who are Christians. Let me illustrate my point by inversing the questions. This time, it is God who asks the questions—and they are directed to believers. GOD IS ASKING: WHO WILL BE ME?

Who will be Me in the market, where there is cheating?

Who will be Me in the streets, where all you hear are jeepney horns and vehicles’ engines?

Who will be Me in the subdivision, where there is an atmosphere of individualism?

Who will be Me in the house, where the drunk father gets home late?

Who will be Me in the classroom, where the teacher is an atheist?

Who will be Me in the jeepney, where people sit in front of each other but do not talk?

Who will be Me in the mall, where what everyone wants is to buy and have and buy?

Who will be Me in the office, where the boss is demanding and your co-workers are tired?

Who will be Me in the city, where everyone is busy?

Who will be Me in the hospital, where everyone is suffering in pain?

Who will be Me in jail, where convicted criminals abound?

Who will be Me?

Who will be My hands?

Who will be My feet?

Who will be My voice?

Who will be Me for a family living in the squatters area?

Who will be Me for a desperate unemployed fresh graduate from college?

Who will be Me for the drug addict?

Who will be Me for the taxi driver?

Who will be Me for the peanut vendor?

Who will be Me for the blind?

Who will be Me for the sorrowful?

Who will be Me for the orphan?

Who will be Me for the street child?

Who will be Me for the oppressed, the outcasts, the society’s trash?

Who will be Me for the businessman?

Who will be Me for the security guard?

Who will be Me for the student?

Who will be Me for the hungry?

Who will be Me for the son, whose father loves beating him?

Who will be Me for the daughter, molested and sexually abused by his own father?

Who will be Me for the homosexual?

Who will be Me?

Who will be My hands?

Who will be My feet?

Who will be My voice?

Who will be Me in politics?

Who will be Me in philosophy?

Who will be Me in economics?

Who will be Me in education?

Who will be Me in science?

Who will be Me in arts?

Who will be Me in business circles?

Who will be Me?

Who will be My hands?

Who will be My feet?

Who will be My voice?

We are the light and salt of the world. (Matthew 5:13-16)

We are the ambassadors of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

MONOTHEISM, POLYTHEISM and ATHEISM

This essay has three propositions:

(1)   Monotheism is belief in many gods, but is commitment to one God.

(2)   Polytheism is belief in many gods, and is commitment to many gods.

(3)   Atheism is non-belief in gods, but is commitment to gods.

To elaborate:

Christians, like the people of ancient Israel, are and should be polytheists, but only in terms of belief. Christians should acknowledge the fact that there are many gods out there, and that most of the world’s population are increasingly – although perhaps unconsciously – sliding towards committing themselves to several gods. These other gods, from a Christian perspective, do not have ontological existence and are but a product of fallen humanity’s imagination. Nevertheless, they are genuine objects of veneration and devotion. We can say that Christians should acknowledge the fact that the world is hallucinating, and that the world is continuously producing imaginary and ontologically empty beings and ideologies. We must believe that there are many other gods, and be able to recognize these gods in order to send them back into the non-existence from which they came from.

Our difference, as Christians, from polytheists is that although we recognize the presence of many gods, we are worshippers of only One – and the True God that is – while polytheists both believe and worship many gods. But I am not solely referring to ancient polytheism here. Polytheism has its many forms and branches (one of which is atheism). It has evolved, and will continually do so. It might be cleverly hidden, but what we need is to be able to discern its new manifestations. For instance, today, when we mention polytheism, people might immediately think of Egyptian religion, Hinduism or Greek mythology. What does not come to mind is that polytheism has already moved one, and has acquired an invisibility cloak that disables us from perceiving it. Whereas ancient polytheism worshipped only that which were thought as divine beings, along with the icons and idols representing these beings, modern polytheism worships different gods. They can be an ideology, a concept, or an ideal, but these gods are real objects of worship. As such, polytheism today, compared to the determined and limited (although already many) number of gods of ancient polytheism, have more gods. The problem though, is that modern polytheists are often self-conceited in thinking that they are not polytheists simply because they do not worship the gods of ancient religions. Contrary, therefore, to claim that Islam is the fastest growing religion today, it is actually polytheism. This sounds ironic at first sight, considering what sociologists refer to as the increasing secularization of the world. (I have written about the secularization and re-sacralization of the world here.) But actually, is it not that polytheism is but the expected child of secularization?

Atheist who state “I do not believe in gods” are telling the truth, but this does not mean that they are not a worshipper of something else. Everyone is a worshipper of someone or something. Atheist may not believe in the existence of both ancient and modern gods, and may not be committed to ancient gods, but they are definitely committed to a modern god or more. By virtue of the fact that they repudiate the existence of “mythical” creatures (the modern mind thinks of divine beings as mythical), they existentially commit themselves to naturalism and its gods. Thus, ironically, they are as religious – perhaps even more religious – than what they think they are. Scientology, which celebrities like John Travolta and Tom Cruise promote, is an example of a naturalistic religion.

Thus, these are the facts about the world’s religions today:

(1)   Christians believe in the existence of many gods, but are committed to only One.

(2)   Polytheists believe in the existence of many gods, and are committed to many.

(3)   Atheists do not believe in the existence of gods, but are committed to many.