The Search for God Page 3.2.5
Ramifications of “What”
Suppose I learned anything from philosophy and science; definitions matter! So when I ask what is God? I must define this term, but what concept do I hold in my mind?
When I ask what is God, as opposed to Who is God, this is my attempt to not personify this power, this force. The idea of what implies a philosophical or scientific explanation, some dispassionate analysis that we can quantify and measure. Asking who God is, is instead suggesting a being I can meet and develop a relationship with.
“Who” implies a bias toward personhood, whereas “what” suggests a thing’s nature. Do the very questions we ask imply or suggest a bias.
What is God?
Still, asking what God is, is crucial. During the quest for God and evidence for how the universe came into existence, all questions should be considered. Just because this question has a dispassionate critical bent, I approached it without assumption.
Central to the question “what is God?” suggests we are looking for the substance or characteristics of this thing we call God. What is God made of? What attributes define him/it/her?
God is the Creative Power of the Universe
There is no contention over the fact that the universe is an astonishing and complex place. It is full of endless wonders that continue to stun us, even after centuries of study.
What if the universe itself wasn’t responsible for its spectacularness? What if there was an even more amazing power at work, behind the scenes?
Many people believe that God is the creative power of the universe. This means that God is responsible for creating and sustaining everything that exists. They believe that God is all-powerful and all-knowing, and that He created the universe for a purpose.
Mind and Relationship
First I want to know “Does God, the creative power of the universe, have a mind? That is, does God think? Does it have intelligence?”
The second characteristic is “Does God care? Does God desire a relationship? Can God have a relationship with us?
Therefore we must ask does the creative power of the universe have a mind. Does this power have the ability to plan and communicate?
Ability and Desire
Integral to the concepts of mind and relationship are the two characteristics of ability and desire. If God does not have the ability to do something like creating, then obviously he cannot create.
For humans, if we do not have seeds to plant we cannot grow a crop.
If God has no mind, then he cannot have a relationship in a manner we would understand. This situation would be like a person with brain damage or trying to talk to a snake, our minds cannot communicate and understand one another.
If God has no desire to communicate, then he will not have a relationship with humans. We, as humans!
If God has no desire to communicate, then he will not have a relationship with humans. We, as humans, could search and search, but the universe is massive; realistically we would never find God. However, if God’s desire changed, he could find us.
This situation is like the absent father, who impregnates a woman and then leaves for another country never to be seen again.
Let me put this in a grid, and we will explore the possibilities. On the left side we plot, does God have a mind? Yes or No. Across the top, Does God desire a relationship with humankind? Yes or No.
Then within the chart, I have included the characteristics of ability and desire. A (+) means God has that characteristic. A (-) means God does not have that characteristic.
| Ability vs Desire | Relationship Desire | Relationship Desire |
|---|---|---|
| MIND | Yes | No |
| Yes | World Religions, Father God +Ability/ +Desire | Absent Clock Maker, derelict +Ability/-Desire |
| No | Gaia, we are all the universe -Ability/+Desire | Force, Probability, Universe engine -Ability/-Desire |
We can see each of these competing theories playing out in the world today. Each of these ideas are discussed and explored in other articles. Here I want to delve into the idea of how do we know what God is? How can we determine the difference between these four essential ideas?
Of course, this is a simplified breakdown, and each category will have additional features and added complexity to our search for God.
Mind
This is the first essential step in understanding what is God. What we want to know is what is the creative impetus behind our universe and our existence. Why is there something rather than nothing? Is the reason we exist because of a mind?
Did someone, some being, decide this universe, not necessarily us, but just matter and time should exist and thus create the physical universe.
The first step in my quest for truth was to answer this question.
Did a mind create the universe?
Design and creation are both characteristics of intelligence. That intelligence can be the result of someone else or be intrinsic. For example, in a computer or robot, when does the thinking and intelligence move beyond programming and lines of code to creativity.
This idea of a mind and true intelligence is the ability to design something, plan its construction, and then build it. A factory designed and built to manufacture cars does not suddenly change and start manufacturing airplanes without creative intelligence.
So we have to differentiate between programmed intelligence and creative intelligence.
This creative intelligence is what I term a mind.
Either the impetus for the universe’s existence is because of a mind or no mind. Those are the only two options. And a mind suggests being.
I believe there are numerous reasons for this position. If you are unsure whether existence is because of a being who decided matter and time should exist, please stop the article here and read other articles.
Does the universe exist because of a being with a mind? Did a mind create life on earth? Does the universe exhibit signs of intelligent design?
After studying science in college and medical school, I could confidently say
God is a being with creative intelligence (mind) who designed and built the universe.
This affirmation took me about 6 years of study. I tried to rid myself of preconceived notions but only wanted the truth. So before I became a Christian, I decided a being with a mind created this universe. A Being, who I term God, is the intelligent designer of not only the universe but living creatures as well.
This idea of a mind that creates only tells us what God is, but not who God is. Still, this is the first step on a journey.
If you struggle or disagree with this current definition of God:
- Did God (a mind) create the universe?
- Did God (a mind) create humans?
- How do we know God created the universe?
- Did God allow evolution to create humans?
Whenever I struggle with a concept, I find it helps to formulate a proposition using the law of non-contradiction and/or the law of the excluded middle. An example would be “A mind created humans or a mind did not create humans.”
By using this process, I formulated a decision tree to help me navigate this challenging study. Why is this so important?
If God did not create the universe, he is not God.
Implications of a Creator God with a Mind – Purpose
As soon as we determine a being with a mind, created the universe, numerous other issues become apparent. What does it mean to have a mind?
- What is His relationship to us?
- Did God create humans too?
- Does God see what is happening on our planet?
- Why is there evil?
- What is evil?
- Does the creator care?
God is a being with intelligence (mind) and a purpose (creative) who created the universe and humankind
How did I make the leap from God creating to God having a purpose? Well, why do you create something? Why does an artist paint? Why does an author write a book? If we have a mind and create something, that item has a purpose.
Now refer back to the above chart. A being with a mind has the ability for a relationship. The question becomes does God want one with human beings or are we so far beneath him or he is so far above us in power that he does not even notice us.
We could be like an ant to humans, he walks around the universe and does not even notice us. The only way to answer these questions is to find out if God has tried to communicate with mankind.
Does God’s purpose include communication with humankind?
What Next?
- What is the crucial concept?
- How do I find God?
- What characteristics would communication from God demonstrate?
- How do I determine which religion is correct?
- Why is that significant?
- Does God have a purpose for my life?
- If you think evil rules out God’s existence, please start with – What is evil?
- If you agree, the next steps
- If you disagree, please consider reading
References and Links
- Christian Answers – What is God?
- Christian International – If God has no desire to communicate
- The Dinner Table – Why is there something rather than nothing?
- Compelling Truth – Intelligent design