Regarding “Faith Less”
Dear ER:
I’m joining this thread sort of late, but I’d sure like to add my two cents worth [regarding 11-year old J.E. Morris’ argument against God in the 8/8/13 ER Writing Contest]. If young J. E. Morris had not come forward himself [ER 8/26], I would have chided Richard Smith’s rebuttal [ER 8/15] for claiming an 11-year-old could not know about the Higgs Boson. First of all this young man probably reads at several grade levels above (presumably) 5th grade, and Googling it results in a whole bunch of timely references. Interestingly, some have even dubbed it the “God particle” as it seems to confirm a missing piece of the Unified Field theory. However I agree with Mr. Smith that religions may be based on “beautiful and wholesome” concepts, but since all religions are man-made they become corrupted and cluttered over time with self-serving embellishments and rituals and run by pius users. Too bad because at a local level churches are an asset to a community, provide moral support in times of tragedy and perform charitable deeds. Good folks.
Mark Tucker [ER 8/22] is right. Indeed religious bullying did contribute to both the fading of the Arab “Golden Era” and the onset of the “Dark Ages” in Europe.
Why are there so many stars with Arabic names? Why do we use Arabic numerals? Why do we have zero? Because from about the eighth through the thirteenth century CE the Abbasid Arabs had transcribed and preserved much of the astronomy, mathematics, medical knowledge of ancient Greece, China and India into Arabic and had subsequently built upon it and contributed their own findings. Note that Islam was founded around 700, but did not interfere with scientific studies until after the sacking of Baghdad by the Mongols, who destroyed irreplaceable records. Subsequently the Asherites, a fundamentalist Islamic sect (fore-runners of the Taliban) claimed that God had all the answers and harshly repressed knowledge that didn’t come from the Q’uran. Arabs have yet to recover their former glory.
The “Dark” or Middle ages followed the fall of the Roman Empire around 500CE. Over the next two hundred or so years the western part of the empire fragmented into small regions ruled by local kings and such, but remained largely intact religious-wise and loyal to the Pope. Thus as a common serf, the king owned your body and the church owned your soul. History of this period is sparse as freedom of expression was considered heresy punishable by flogging or being burnt at the stake. So unless you had asbestos underwear and/or a fast horse, you kept quiet. Incidentally, the Crusades were launched during this period for theo-political reasons by the church partly to reunite people against a foreign enemy, provide something useful for knights to do, plunder treasuries – oh yeah – and to rescue the Holy Lands from the Muslims. All in all there were nine crusades over the next several hundred years – even one led by children and blessed by the Pope.
So, J.E., you come across as a bit jaded, though. Too bad at such an early age. Here are some suggestions for things to ponder – or not – your call: What if God and the Universe are one and the same? An identity (Google “Pantheism” which is an alternative paradigm to main stream thinking). Wouldn’t that make God’s laws the physical laws (e.g., the three Laws of Thermodynamics, Newton’s and Einstein’s principles of gravity, etc.) of the Universe? Wouldn’t that make scientists and philosophers laboring to uncover the secrets of the Universe the true prophets?
What if the Universe is actually composed of boundless energy and matter (mass) is a special form of energy? (M=E/c**2) (Here is where your Higgs-Boson—or more specifically the Higgs field– comes in, by the way, as it supposedly gives mass to matter.)
What if instead of things, God created processes which led to things rather than things themselves? Processes abound in the Universe, many of which are asymmetric such that they can reinforce or cancel each other at various times leading to new things and new processes.
What if Homo Sapien is not the ultimate version of man? Einstein once said that “God doesn’t roll dice,” but I would disagree with him on one point. Most natural processes are stochastic, meaning that their results are in the form of a probability array rather than one, and only one, result. Thus there are opportunities for changes or mutations, which if successful, survive and reproduce and lead to even more things and processes. God is dynamic. Change is the norm in the Universe. What do you suppose the new version of man would be like? Are there some fore-runners amongst us already?
Hope this helps.
Phil Reimert
Manhattan Beach
More words for J.E.
Dear ER:
The heart beats, the lungs breath, the brain thinks. Man can direct his thoughts with a part of himself which can oversee his automatic function. This causes the phenomena of the ability of man to question his own existence. Logic would tell me that if nature equipped man with the ability to ask, then there must be an answer. If there is an answer, then it must be the truth. Herein lies the problem. The answer is not known.
Knowledge of theories that are not proven is not knowledge. Knowledge is what we know as fact. The existence of a supreme being is not proven, nor disproved.
Brains, hearts, lungs, and kidneys are “forms”. “God” is not described as a “life form”, but as formless. Science has proven the existence of physical and non-physical reality. Much of the physical reality we can experience through our five senses. Most of the non-physical reality we cannot experience, but science proves that it exists. No one has yet been able to explain the breadth and depth of existence, nor its origin.
My young scholar, your thoughts are impressive, your “faith” in science is admirable! I too questioned information when I was your age. I am grateful to still question today. People have erroneously attempted to explain that which is inexplicable since the origin of human communication. This has caused many to be conditioned to beliefs which have obscured the path towards truth, created opposition and closed minded obstinacy.
My hope is that young minds such as yours continue to question, as nature in its intelligence has intended, all information, including your sources. Many scientific theories come and go as they are disproved. I too love science. Here is a great quote from the highly acclaimed physicist, Max Planck as he accepted the Nobel Prize for his studies of the atom. He stated in his acceptance speech, “As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you of the result of my research this much. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particles of an atom to vibration and holds this minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.” This is coming from a world renowned and respected, lifelong scientific effort. With all due respect, young scholar, I lean towards these assumptions.
The mysterious “something” that humans have accessed and benefited from since the beginning of time that causes inexplicable results, exists. Science knows of it, people of all walks of life have experienced and witnessed it, yet it remains a mystery, inexplicable, unfathomable. It is largely unknown except by faith. Faith, such as yours in science, is a personal experience. It is as individual as each being. “God” is only a word used to describe something that cannot be described in words.
May all those who seek, continue willingly to seek, maintain honesty and integrity as to their findings, and remain open minded in the pursuit of truth.
Gregg Wietstock
Hermosa Beach
To Master Morris
Dear ER:
I had a bet with skeptics who did not believe that you are only 11 years old; I must admit I too had my doubts, but were it not for my three grandsons who though very gifted into the far reaches of knowledge, yet who are also in need of developing adequate wisdom. I knew than that I was betting correctly that you’re a 11-year old with a magnificent mind master Morris.
Retrieving back to the central attraction which made your essay, “Faithless” of such paramount interest was your headliner (if God is real than he is a jerk) letters excited from emotional point-of-views were all about you and your qualifications and your age. But no more mention about God, just religion. So what religion does God belong to?
My many years experience is that man continues to successfully discover the never-ending blossoming genius of creation as he realizes the increasing inadequacies of religion.
Religious leaders purposely stifle the idea of God’s omnipotent freedom, for their controlling obsession of physical wealth.
Dora Perez-Meyer
Torrance
Sartre weighs in
Dear ER:
I found the essay by J.E. Morris interesting & the responses as expected fell in two camps.
I certainly do not dismiss his age. Bonhoeffer was 21 when he completed his doctoral dissertation & after a second dissertation, accepted a coveted academic appointment to faculty of University of Berlin. Shakespeare was only 52 when he died.
I was taken back by the young man’s adamant defense of his opinion. Pascal’s wager is still true today, “God is or He is not.” But to which side do we incline? …weigh the gain or loss ..gain all; lose nothing.
Faith, not religion, holds the key. There are multitudes of religions & cults, but to the believers God is there & He is not silent. He speaks through His creation & His word. Of course you can believe in nothing – no energy, no mass, no motion & no personality. Or possibly time & chance hold the answer. There has to be a beginning & we all know there is an end. Both theories (&many others) leave us without reason, purpose or meaning to life. They are impersonal.
Jean Paul Sartre said, if a finite point, does not have an infinite reference point, it is meaningless & absurd. Man is finite. He is noble & cruel. He is born selfish. He needs language to communicate. He needs a reference point (morals) to live successfully in this ever changing world. Without realizing it he describes God’s perfect plan in his essay – the Trinity.
Lois B.
Hermosa Beach
Measure B
Dear ER:
Last weeks Hermosa section contained a box summarizing the upcoming election. It should have mentioned that there will also be Measure B, which will reduce downtown late night business hours. More info is available at www.quietnights.org.
Jim Lissner
Hermosa Beach
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