A short essay on seeking truth, Is God a Relative Thinker?
by Chris Astefanous
There are many questions that a person asks in the course of life which are left ostensibly unanswered. Often, these questions have to do with the essence of life itself. Take for instance this question, is God a relative thinker? In other words, does God think by comparing between different things? For example: his faith is greater than hers or the sky is bluer than the ocean. This question is indicative of a specific genre of questions about existence. It poses a problem of great complexity which can seemingly be simply answered by a yes or no. In seeking an answer to this question, as well as any question, one must also ask how the answer will be of personal aid. When the second question is satisfied then the type of question must be examined: Is the question theological or philosophical? In understanding the nature of a question, it is then that the beginnings of the path to an answer may be obtained.
Philosophy does not provide distinctive analytical solutions to a question. The word philosophy literally means the study of knowledge. The study of knowledge can be looked at in several ways. The view which this writer believes to most adequately model philosophy is one where new knowledge is synthesized based on previously acquired knowledge. This knowledge is not necessarily regarded as truth. In answering the question at hand, it is logical to try to find an answer through what is previously known. Yet, what do we really know about the nature of God?
This is a difficult question to answer based simply on the foundations of human knowledge. If truth is desired then the knowledge through which we synthesize a new answer must be truthful. We can’t describe God in a simple mathematical expression or a series of words. If that was even possible, one would inevitably ask where this information could be attained. The source would have to be perfect in order for the answer to be meaningful and truthful. Therefore, questions about God can’t truly fall into the philosophical category unless we can accept that knowledge about God has been previously obtained without error. Human beings are incredibly prone to error.
Often, when asked about our knowledge of God we bring him down into our own human condition. This is faulty reasoning. God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to show us that he truly understands human suffering and that he loves us, not that God is necessarily completely humanistic – Jesus was, after all, part man and part god. No matter your beliefs it would not be possible for God to be completely human. That would imply God is man and thus rob God of his divinity. Even in a belief system, such as Buddhism, that seek ultimate enlightenment (i.e. the truth of it all) there is acknowledgement of something beyond man. Consequently, questions pertaining to the realm of the divine must always be theological in nature. In other words they are based on the study of the divine, whereas, philosophy does not acknowledge divinity.
Truth is something with a quality such that there is nothing that holds more truth to it. In theology we take a series of truths together to create our understanding. These truths encompass ideas that define the relationship between God and humankind. This definition of truth is not one which surpasses all other definitions of truth but it is one which will work well in answering the question we started with: is God a relative thinker? The intersection of theology and faith seems to form a contradiction. Theology is the study of the divine and it is based upon truths about the divine. Yet, faith asks of us to believe in God with little or no evidence.
Though it may be another discussion in and of itself, it is often believed that God is omnipotent. Omnipotence is a state of being at once everything and knowing all things. To truly know something is to know the truth of that something. God, in a sense, is the embodiment of truth. Therefore, the former statement that theology asks believers to have faith in God becomes "…to have faith in truth". This statement is a contradiction of terms. How can we have faith in truth, is not truth factual? How can we resolve this in our humanness? How can we know the answer to our questions? The answer is divine revelation. All religions share that God has communicated to the believers of the faith. It takes faith in these revelations to come closer to God. It may sound simple to say: if one wants to know God, one must desire to know God. Yet, truly trying to find God is not an easy thing to do. It requires diligence, prayer, meditation, and thought.
God is omnipotent. Faith states that we accept what is and hope for more. Faith in God becomes knowledge of God. Believers have faith in God. Believers come to know the truth. A large part of life is to know truth. It is a process which requires much devotion in meditation, prayer, and the grace of God. In the end, I have not provided much of a solid answer to the question posed at the beginning of this essay. Yet, I hopefully have defined the beginning of a journey in seeking truth. God may think relatively or he may not. Does it matter in the infinite plan of the universe? Why? The answer to the question posed may be different between people. I could give you my answer and you may disagree completely. However, I believe if you meditated about why our answers are different you may find a very brief and simple answer. A good place to start understanding the truth is the encyclicals of the Popes, the Bible, and writings of prominent theologians such as Augustine of Hippo. I mention prominent theologians because they have had the largest audience of review and can be accepted based on the faith of others. It is unreasonable to think that many people blindly believe in something without criticism. Humankind by its very nature criticizes and dissects everything. This is especially true in our present day world.
Seek God with an open heart and mind. Do not judge. Do not assume. The road to truth is not easy but perseverance and faith in God make it attainable.
