Because I said so!

Okay, that’s not the real reason. While that answer might temporarily quiet kids, it leaves their fundamental question unanswered. “Because I said so” certainly doesn’t work in spirituality or religion either.

Sometimes we just aren’t prepared through knowledge and experience to understand the answer. Sometimes understanding is light years away.

Essentially, the “why” of God and our expectations of the divine are experiential. These questions aren’t explained by science, which thrives on empirical data and quantifiable outcomes. They aren’t fully explained by logic, with its focus on true or untrue propositions.

God isn’t “proven” by testing to see if the divine responds in a specific, desired way.

Why is there God? Hopefully, this article will provide a path to some answers.

Podcast show links with added content: Substack, YouTube video, Spotify, and Apple podcasts. These appear a day after blog-article posts.

Ref. verses

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” – Matthew 6:26-27

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are….” – 1 John 3:1

Testing God is a path to failure

No, it isn’t that God is perverse. There are, indeed, ways to know God.

The methods we employ to understand or interact with God are varied, but many are ineffective, and some are particularly misguided. For instance, directly testing God in a demanding way is generally a bad idea. You wouldn’t ask God for a new sports car when you don’t even have a driver’s license and then expect it to miraculously appear on your lawn the next day, as if God were some sort of magic lamp. Putting God to the test in this manner invariably yields negative answers.

We believe God knows the plan for our lives and provides what we need, when we need it. It’s quite possible that our spiritual growth is intrinsically linked to our future needs, requiring us to reach a certain level of understanding or maturity first.

On a more fundamental level, we trust that we will find the provisions necessary to sustain life. Just as the birds of the field nest, mate, raise their young, and discover food, so too do we. While we may sometimes experience a little hunger and need to “peck the ground for seed,” we generally find what we need if we diligently seek it. Expecting God to hand everything to us on a silver platter simply by waiting rarely yields results. We must actively work towards our goals.

I n a profound sense, however, we all test God through experience. Faith in God is inherently experiential—a lived journey unfolding over time. As we live according to God’s guidance, acting out of love for others, we generally receive positive affirmations that confirm our faith.

Why doesn’t it always work perfectly? The unpredictable nature of other human beings means we won’t always receive ideal outcomes. But, for the most part, we do. Unlike scientific experiments, where controlled variables lead to repeatable results, the vast complexity of humanity, with its thousands of variables, reduces such “testing” to the realm of statistical probability, not mathematical certainty.

In this distinction, we find our first clue to understanding God: we are not all the same, and therefore, we are not treated identically. Each of us seems to have unique objectives in life, distinct lessons to learn, and different types of people to love. There are simply too many variables in individual lives for there to be a single, universal solution for everyone.

I often use the analogy of parents and children. Our eldest, in her teens, was given considerable freedom because her judgment had earned our trust. Our middle child required clearer rules because we felt her “safety rails” needed to be stronger. Our youngest, on the other hand, needed close supervision; he was always finding mischief when out of sight. None of our children could be treated the same way.

Just as we are children of God, none of us are treated identically. Instead, we are all treated precisely in the way we individually need.

As the saying goes, “the proof is in the pudding.” Just as science rigorously tests real-world phenomena, faith also tests real-world experience, but in ways that are uniquely meaningful for human purposes. We may not comprehend all the variables or parameters at play in our lives and faith, but what we do know is that God is a consistent source of help.

Is there a God?

This profound question has various facets. Let’s explore a few:

First Cause (Cosmological debate)

The cosmological “first cause” debate centers on the intuitive idea that something cannot come from nothing. If everything has a cause, the universe itself must have had a beginning, which must require a God that is outside the universe and perhaps part of it.

This answer immediately prompts the question: what created God? Or is the spiritual realm, where God is often conceived as pure spirit, inherently beyond our ability to fully imagine or understand? How would a non-physical spirit even create something of substance? The ultimate first cause remains a question that stretches the limits of our comprehension.

What can science explain if not creation? Science has more limitations than we like to believe. Even the Big Bang, while describing the universe’s rapid expansion, doesn’t reveal its ultimate origin – unless it’s merely a cyclical pattern of collapse and explosion. But what initiated even that cycle? Science, as yet, doesn’t know.

Science often criticizes what it can explain without looking under its own hood at its own problems. For example, science currently lacks a way to identify and measure most of the energy and mass in the universe, though it continues to postulate their existence based on some observed evidence. But science keeps believing it’s there because it sees some evidence.

Intelligent design (Teleological Argument)

This argument notes that life requires a highly specific set of conditions to exist, which Earth fortuitously possesses. While millions of other planets may also have these conditions, the argument posits that some intelligence must be behind the creation of such ideal circumstances, as pure randomness can’t adequately account for the universe’s intricate order. This intelligence, so the argument goes, must be God.

Order, complexity, purpose, and fine-tuning are strikingly evident throughout nature. How could such intricate systems arise spontaneously? Chaos theory is a bit weak on answering this.

Nature itself doesn’t create everything. For example, a clock, with all its precisely assembled components, isn’t a product of nature but of human intelligence—an intelligence that some argue might reflect a divine source. This perspective sometimes leads to the critique that we attribute to God whatever we don’t yet understand, only for science to later “pull back the curtain” and reveal a natural explanation. Perhaps.

Some have said we blame God for things we don’t understand, but then science pulls back the curtain and we do understand. Perhaps.

The source of morality debate

Many believe God is the author of morals, providing humanity with an objective standard of acceptable behavior. But why do we think this? Aren’t people capable of establishing moral rules independently? Can’t we see the tragic things that occur because of injurious behavior?

History repeatedly showcases humanity’s inhumanity: people have been sacrificed in volcanoes to appease gods, and individuals find endless reasons to steal, cheat, abuse, wage war, and commit murder. Even those who identify as religious aren’t immune to such actions.

Can humanity truly rise above this moral depravity on its own? History offers a grim prognosis. The first Greek laws, attributed to Draco, famously prescribed death as the punishment for virtually every infraction, leaving no room for mercy, forgiveness, compassion, or tolerance.

Where are kindness and compassion in some of today’s darkest chapters? The atrocities of the Holocaust, where Nazis conducted medical experiments on Jews and sent millions to their gas chambers, serve as a stark reminder. Or consider the lack of compassion when husbands are ripped from their wives and families—families who are here legally—and deported as undocumented individuals, leaving their loved ones without financial or emotional support.

Such actions are not supported by teachings in the Bible, which is a very often cited framework of moral code. History paints a sobering picture of humanity’s inherent moral compass.

Are there not good examples of people? Humanism, for instance, a broad ethical and philosophical stance, champions human reason, compassion, ethics, and the pursuit of human flourishing. It emphasizes empathy, peaceful conflict resolution, a focus on consequences and well-being, reasoned non-retaliation, and universal human dignity.

This leads us to a crucial question: where did these profound humanist ideals originate? Did they arise from thousands of years of human cultural experience, perhaps influenced by an innate understanding of a divine code of behavior—ideas such as law, mercy, forgiveness, tolerance, treating others with love, and even showing kindness to enemies? As I explore in my book, Appease the Volcano: The voices of the ancients speak about what God asks of us, many of these ideals demonstrably developed across various religions prior to Jesus. Or are they spiritual ideas, inherent from a God who is within us and available to all?

Are harmful actions perhaps primarily the result of corrupt rulers? Possibly. While human nature might not ordinarily incline individuals to inflict harm, this can easily be derailed by dire need, unchecked greed, and the powerful influence of manipulative leaders and persuasive individuals.

In such a complex world, having an objective standard of conduct from God, whether expressed as divine law or divine love, can only be beneficial.

Religious experience debate

Many individuals report deep religious experiences with God. These encounters are often profoundly comforting, bringing immense peace or strength, or compel people into action or belief. Such experiences are not easily explained away by neuroscience or psychology alone.

Some have even reported coherent visions, sometimes shared by groups, that convey clear messages. Others claim to experience miracles, such as spontaneous recovery from severe diseases.

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are another compelling phenomenon. Individuals who have been clinically brain-dead for minutes often recount coherent and deeply compelling contact with “the other side” that profoundly changes their lives. Some report seeing God, Jesus, or other major religious figures. The nature of these experiences, particularly their coherence during periods of brain inactivity, appears to transcend mere random brain activity typical of during death and currently defies scientific explanation.

Many find profound spiritual growth and communion with God through consistently following the teachings and practices of their religion throughout their lives.

Religious experience is fundamentally a lived, experiential phenomenon. It operates differently from science and philosophy, which rely on empirical, repeatable data or logical, yes-or-no propositions.

A YouTube video, Does God Exist? AI debates (Atheist vs Believer), offers an AI-created debate on common arguments surrounding this issue. While I found it somewhat superficial and full of holes, it does provide an adequate overview of both sides.

Ultimately, deep feelings of peace and strength, mystical experiences, transformative visions, attested miracles, profound recoveries from disease, life-changing Near-Death Experiences, and the consistent path of spiritual growth—all collectively attest to a force beyond the purely physical realm.

This force, in its essence, is what we come to understand as God. Spiritual and religious experiences, more than logical proofs, often serve as the primary way individuals come to believe in God’s reality.

Is God a “He” or a “She?”

This brings up a big question: do personal pronouns even apply to God? In English, and many other languages, we assign pronouns to almost everything—people, animals, even objects. There’s often no neutral option when talking about a living being. The pronoun “it,” for example, refers to an inanimate object, which certainly wouldn’t fit God. So, our language essentially gives us “he” or “she” when talking about a living entity, and not many other choices.

While we’ve traditionally favored “he” when referring to God, it’s worth remembering that many ancient societies acknowledged God’s creative aspects as akin to giving birth to humanity, and thus conceived of God as a “mother.” Today, embracing “she” for God can be a powerful way to acknowledge the feminine divine and elevate the profile of women, which is absolutely right.

This maternal understanding is a truly important aspect of our creator God. These divine mother figures beautifully reflect a deep reverence for the feminine principle in creation, sustenance, and the mysteries of life itself. Go femme!

God in early religions

The earliest written accounts about the divine realm come from the Sumerians. Their ideas about God likely date back as far as 3500 BCE. The Sumerian pantheon included many gods and goddesses who governed various aspects of life and the natural world. Worshiping or appealing to a specific deity through prayer and sacrifice was believed to improve that particular aspect of one’s life.

The ancient Greeks imagined a divine realm quite similar to a human family. Their beliefs seem to have emerged around 3000 BCE, with more formal development occurring after 800 BCE, notably with the widespread use of writing. The Greeks really leaned into this familial concept, portraying Zeus as the father figure, presiding over a complex family of gods. These deities were responsible for different aspects of the world but often displayed very human traits like jealousy and other less desirable characteristics.

In Egyptian understandings of the divine, Ma’at was a powerful female figure representing order, truth, justice, and balance. Unlike more anthropomorphic gods like Ra or Osiris, Ma’at was primarily a concept—a fundamental principle of cosmic order and morality. She played a central role in ethics, justice, and the judgment of souls, which involved weighing a person’s good and bad deeds.

The gods of ancient India date back to between 2300 and 1500 BCE. These early deities often represented powerful aspects of nature, such as thunder, the sun, and fire. As Hinduism developed later, the main gods became responsible for the overall order and workings of the universe.

Other deities were associated with wealth, knowledge, music and art, love and fertility, and war. Modern Hindu traditions are known for their numerous representations of God, often functioning much like saints in Catholicism, to whom people can pray to for different needs.

We often apply human characteristics to God as a way of trying to understand the divine. It’s important to remember that God isn’t like humans in most ways, beyond perhaps a shared spiritual essence. God is spirit. But there’s a good reason why we tend to humanize God.

Why we humanize God

Most religions, stretching all the way up through the time of Jesus, share the idea of a “Most High, all-powerful, Creator God.” It generally wasn’t considered wise to get too close to such a divine being; it was like flying too close to the sun and getting your wings singed.

For example, the Canaanite god Ba’al, while a powerful deity, was often understood through various local manifestations, making it complicated to approach the ultimate, transcendent divine. It was taboo to even say the name Ba’al. This general reverence for the ultimate, sometimes remote, led to the need for more relatable figures or intermediaries, so Ba’al had a son named …. Wait for it: Ba’al. Later, the name “Ba’al” would even evolve into “Beelzebub,” often associated with evil in later traditions.

This tradition of not calling God by name, or getting too familiar with God, is similarly reflected in the Israelite religion which became Judaism. While Judaism’s official God is Yahweh (YHWH, which is often pronounced in Latin as Jehovah or Yehovah), many Jews today won’t mention the name itself out of deep respect for its sacredness. In Hebrew, YHWH was often replaced with “Adonai,” meaning “Lord”. It’s about staying on God’s “safe side,” so to speak.

“Yahweh” is considered a more accurate pronunciation based on ancient Hebrew linguistic analysis and usage. Even the word “God” commonly used in English isn’t exactly a personal name, but more of a title or a proper noun which can refer to a specific, unique entity.

The Hebrew letters YHWH, often translated as “I Am,” are famously used in the Biblical book of Exodus by Moses. However, some scholarly evidence suggests that the Midianites, a group living in the northwestern Arabian Desert, may have worshipped a deity associated with YHWH long before Moses’s time. Scholars debate the exact origin of the name, but inscriptions that resemble YHWH have been found on ancient iron smelters in that region, potentially predating the traditional Exodus narrative.

It’s theorized that Moses likely adopted this deity during his time living with the Midianites, and the Israelites then adopted this same deity during their journey with him through the desert.

YHWH was, of course, believed to be the God of Abraham, much earlier than Moses, revered as the father of both Judaism and Islam. The words Abraham used for God were El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty), El Elyon (The Most High God), and Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah). Abraham brought sacrifices to Melchizedek, priest of the God Most High.

The columns of smoke cited in Exodus are reminiscent of iron smelters in the region and could possibly have been used for wandering Hebrews (later called Israelites or Jews) for navigation to civilized areas.

Ultimately, a name is just a name. What a name (or symbol) points to is what truly matters. We can call God by any name. Jesus himself famously referred to God as “Daddy” (“Abba”), indicating closeness and familiarity. But there is only one “Most High, Creator God.” When you get down to it, we all worship that same ultimate God. Why would we worship a lesser one except to make God more familiar?

What do people need from God?

We need a money tree, guaranteed good health, freedom from risk, and the ability to jump off cliffs like birds without a scratch? Eh, maybe not. �

Instead of a distant, abstract God, people often crave a more human interface with the divine. A god that is more personable. This is why we seek or even create human-like representations—avatars—that embody different aspects of God.

Jesus, for instance, known as both Son of God and Son of Man (meaning fully human), came as a person, representing God in a very relatable form. He suffered and faced temptation just like the rest of us, which means he can truly understand our struggles.

Jesus embodied God’s profound caring, forgiveness, and the closely linked security of eternal salvation. These divine qualities release us from the crushing burden of guilt and accompanying shame—emotions that can destroy our relationships with others and affect us for a lifetime, and perhaps even beyond.

We need to feel that God has empathy for us, understands our situations and needs, and is tolerant of our imperfections as we grow spiritually. Love often brings powerful lessons that are both wonderful and, at times, painful. To learn and grow, we need space (time) for guidance, tolerance, forgiveness, and unconditional love. This, truly, is what people need from God.

Conclusion

Ultimately, each person is responsible for their own well-being and must find their own answers to such deep questions. For some, the example of others’ faith is enough to inspire their belief in God.

At the other end of the spectrum, some people struggle to believe in a benevolent God when faced with the universe’s harsh realities—like devastating earthquakes, murderous dictators, and widespread human cruelty. For these individuals, spiritual growth remains vital, whether or not they arrive at a belief in God. After all, God can work through anything.

Whether a person believes in God or not, a lack of belief doesn’t have to be a “knockout punch” to a meaningful life. We can still aspire to higher ideals, strive to advance, and learn profoundly from our life experiences, which is something we all do regardless. There’s no need to let disbelief in God become an obstacle to personal growth or purpose. God judges the heart, not the brain.

In our next blog article, we’ll dive into: What do we expect from God? Is there a divine council of powerful figures in Heaven? What lessons could we possibly learn from a perfect life in a perfect environment where no one and nothing could cause harm? Why are we truly here? These questions, and more, await us in the next installment of this series.

Above all, keep in mind these thoughts:

“With hate, we have more to lose than gain – break the cycle.” – Dorian Scott Cole

“Our answer is God. God’s answer is us. Together we make the world better.” – Dorian Scott Cole

Probability Space

What probability spaces can we open in our minds to more deeply understand God?

(A probability space is where all of the elements necessary for something to happen are present, the moment is pregnant with possibility, and a new something is almost inevitable. All it takes is intention.)

Potential Space

If you think creatively and allow your mind to wander and explore, can we really understand the mind of God? Should we make the rules of existence to learn about science, human nature, and love of others? Or would our house of cards come tumbling down?

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This helps me improve my work.
Please subscribe to my Patheos Newsletter.

Below is information for church planning to minister to new generations, building a community of action, service opportunities, education opportunities for new generations, and descriptions of the author’s nonfiction books.

Some things that you might love

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This helps me improve my work.

Please subscribe to my Patheos Newsletter.

Below is information for creating change in my new book, Unleash Movements that Matter: Break Through Barriers to Change.

My new book. Unleash Movements that Matter: Break Through Barriers to Change.

My new book, Unleash Movements that Matter: Break Through Barriers to Change, which I wrote for new generations, I research and explain in great detail what it takes to create change in our world. (An audio presentation is in progress.)

Ministering to New Generations – strong impact course

How can churches minister to new generations if they won’t come to church? The church has been losing people at 1% a year, and now most of new generations won’t come.

I developed and presented a course on understanding and working with new generations. I would like to say I had rave reviews, but on a scale of 1 to 5 it averaged 4.5. Well, some people were raving.

The course helps people understand new generations, their values, and their differences. It helps people understand how to build a bridge to them and minister to them. The old worn-out things we used to do don’t work, and for good reason. This solutions focused course enables people to find new ways, appropriate ways, to minister to these generations in their local circumstances. It’s for church groups and generates deep discussion.

Free video preview of the course

Course on Udemy: Understanding and Working with New Generations

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–           Dorian

Our answer is God. God’s answer is us. Together we make the world better.

Restore and recreate. Take time to celebrate life. Laugh, sing, and dance regularly, even every day. Happy. This is why we dance to celebrate life: Reindeer actually running and dancing.

Building a Community of Action

New Way Forward community

Can we make positive change in our world and end a lot of suffering?

Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, said: “Although the world is full of suffering, it’s also full of the overcoming of it.”

The human spirit yearns for a world without suffering, but it’s through facing challenges that we progress. The world isn’t perfect, but together we can create a future with less hardship. Famine, discrimination, gun violence, and injurious economic and educational disparities are complex problems, yet understanding their root causes empowers us to find solutions.

Launching in first quarter 2025, the New Way Forward community will connect individuals seeking practical solutions and creating lasting change. We’ll focus on understanding problems and their solutions, and how to effectively create change.

Join us in building a brighter tomorrow! New Way Forward on Facebook.

Civic service opportunities

Do Unto Others Kindness Campaign, and civic engagement.

UCC service opportunities.

PC USA programs and services.

United Methodist Church Volunteer Opportunities.

Join or support Zero Hour and amplify the voices of youth organizing for climate action.

Peoples Hub. Resistance, Resilience, Restoration, Re-imagination. Online Popular Education. For movement workers to learn, connect, collaborate, and strategize – in and across the disability justice and solidarity economy movements.

Stakeholder Capitalism – a video podcast series from the World Economic Forum. Can capitalism be made to work for all of us – and to improve rather than destroy the state of the planet?

General service and aid opportunities (on One Spirit Resources Website). To add your service opportunity to the One Spirit Resources list, contact the author (me) through Facebook Messenger. Note that I only friend people I know.

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Education Opportunities for new generations

Becoming an Entrepreneur – MITx online

Evaluating Social Programs – MITx online

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Bible scripture verses are New American Standard Version (NASB), unless noted.

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Author and books

New Generations Walk with Jesus: Newer generations feel unloved, alone, lost, stressed, and are searching for a deeper spiritual connection that they don’t find in the church. This book draws on fifty years of the author’s quest to understand people, religion, and spirituality, and his work with many denominations. It provides a deep analysis of pressing questions these generations have, without denominational baggage.

Appease the Volcano: What does God require from people? The voices of the ancients from many religions echo much of the same things: It starts with law, then mercy and forgiveness, then love. Love is a major emphasis in all major religions and replaces law.

The Prophetic Pattern: Ancient and Modern Prophecy: How to distinguish the intent of various types of prophecies and oracles, both ancient and modern.

Preparing For the Future Of Work and Education: Analysis of the kinds of jobs that AI and Robotics will displace, and the educational requirements for them. AI will replace or augment thirty percent of jobs. This is an in-depth analysis citing many authoritative sources.

Author Website: Dorian Scott Cole