wax museum

let us, for a moment, indulge the creationists that the universe and earth was created by a deity. this concept has been cleverly made politically correct through terms such as "intelligent design." suppose we ignore all evidence of evolution; we ignore tooth and claw, immunizations, and halibut (a fish that was clearly distorted quite pathetically not by beautiful design but through environment.)

does this even begin to suggest that we know anything about god? from simply a scientific perspective, god would appear either comedic or cruel. lions have claws and teeth, and antelopes have legs in which to flee. which does god prefer? perhaps neither, but simply a great violent spectacle such as the romans enjoyed at the colosseum.

it's also been within our inventiveness to conceive of thousands of gods, and intricate soap operas where supernatural deities defend egos amongst themselves, often times using humans like chess pieces within their celestial games. is it fair to say that our concepts of god are merely based upon time and place?

take the judeo-christian god. in our earliest concepts of this god, there was no mention of microscopic organisms. adam was presented with lions and tigers (and to some, dinosaurs) in which to preside over. why not bacteria? why not yersinia pestis (otherwise known as the bubonic plague)? could it be that we humans could not conceive of such a thing as disease at this time and place?

surely--for it wasn't holymen telling the europeans to wash their hands and avoid rodents. the black plague was punishment by god for sin. now we know quite different. but it simply was the best gauge for the situation as we were able to conceive...a supernatural bridge between humanity and understanding the natural world.

it is even more fascinating (and disappointing) that even today, pastors will claim that HIV is god's punishment for homosexuality, with as much as we know about microbiology. this religious theory does not explain, however, that lesbians rarely, if at all, contract HIV through sexual intercourse. earthquakes and tsunamis represent the great anger of a vigilant god, but in reality are simply the scientific result of a cooling planet.

the truth remains that even if we accept a creationist point of view, we still have to deal with evidence. the fact is, no evidence leads us to conclude that any one god, or gods, are correct. so then we're still reliant on faith--the belief in something where there is no supporting evidence.

the chaos as result would be incredible. even now, i think most believers do have doubt about their beliefs, and consider that they might be (gasp) mistaken about their religion. this doubt, for all purposes, might be the last shred of reason and rationality that keeps them sane and functioning in a civilized world.

if we all were absolute true believers in any single god, much would have to change. we could, without reservation, sacrifice our children to our deity. we could pass theocratic laws supporting the systematic genocide of adulterers, thieves, homosexuals, and the college student with a sunday evening shift at the laundromat.

the perseverance of those who promote intelligent design would hopefully conclude that jesus is the son of god, but it will not. instead, the possibility of all gods that ever existed in our minds and history are fair game.

and if that day should come, i think i'd be a Thor worshipper.