Making God

I've found that there are lots of opinions out there about God and whether we can know Him or not (or her or it as some refer to God). I believe that, in order to know or accept that there is a God, there must be an agreement upon who exactly God is.

First of all, if there is a God, is this God all-powerful or not? This is important because it answers many questions about His essence and His character and abilities. If God isn't all-powerful then He probably can't be the one responsible for creating the universe. And if that's the God that you believe in, then exactly what abilities and power does He have? If He's limited, what purpose does He serve?

Another point we have to consider is what role God plays in our lives. Is He active in our lives, weaving Himself in and out of our daily affairs? Or, is He a God that just steps back and lets things be as they are, refusing to intervene or even pay much attention to what is going on in our world today? If He's that kind of God then I have to ask again, what purpose does He serve?

You see, by very definition, God is the greatest possible being that we can imagine. If you can imagine a being that's less than the greatest, then you need to name that being something besides "God" because God owns that title. But, if you claim that God does exist, then you are obligated to believe that He is at least the most powerful being in the universe.

All that being said, it irks me somewhat when people claim that there is a God yet continue to define Him as they wish so that they can fit Him into their mode of thinking and belief. They blame Him for the bad or for refusing to help or for not being able to do anything. Yet by blaming Him at all they acknowledge that not only does He exist but that He actually has the ability to help or to make things good or to do things greater than they can do.

Do you see the dilemma here? Either God is or He isn't. None of us have the luxury of tailor-making God as we want Him to be. Maybe if we realize that then we will start seeing Him as He really is and stop blaming Him for things in this world that, although not beyond His control, happen for very good reasons (i.e., we make bad choices, bad things happen, etc.). And while we're on it, maybe we can start blaming Him for the good and the incredible that we see around us all the time, too.