The Search for God Page 3.2.4
We started with a problem to solve. What happens after death? We then looked at “laws” that apply to all humans, and from those concepts, we began to develop an outline of a being who could tell us the truth about death; then, we added finding the truth about ultimate reality.
What happens after death
What happens after death?
When we search for ultimate reality and absolute truth, bound in that search is not only knowledge and information, but truth, belief, and certainty. For we could have some being describe ultimate reality but be lying or we might think they are telling the truth but are actually false.
The question I want to be answered is, “What happens after death?” Someone else might ask why is there evil? Another, why X, Y, or Z? This is akin to the journey to some distant mountaintop, seeking a guru for enlightenment. Only this time, the being we are seeking has all-knowledge.
Since we want the absolute truth, this being has to have all-knowledge. Any being who tells the truth with all knowledge should therefore be righteous and good. For the all-knowing, righteous truth bearer, this being would also need to possess transcendence into the realm of death and future time.
We don’t know if this being truly exists but we are developing a sketch of this being. So we have taken what we know about logic, our experience, and human attributes and have applied them to each law to derive our expectations.
Then we asked the questions: what is ultimate reality and absolute truth and what qualities would a being need to answer these questions?
Ultimate reality and absolute truth
When we consider ultimate reality and absolute truth, what we find is a list of characteristics very similar to the list of attributes needed to meet the demands of the laws of logic and experience.
Before we summarize this list, let me say that we are developing a theory of what attributes this greatest conceivable being should possess and we have used the place-holder name of god; we could just as well say “the being” or “el.” The name at this point doesn’t really matter.
What matters is the theory of the greatest conceivable being we are looking for. Why are we looking for this being? To answer our questions. Humans have all this knowledge, yet we still lack so much.
That is our purpose. There are many questions we can answer, but some we cannot. What is the implication if this being does not exist? We will never know answers to questions of ultimate reality. We will continue to be mice on a wheel, always running, never getting anywhere.
Right and Wrong
All the questions we ask refer back to the laws of logic, the laws of experience, and the laws of humanity. So, if your question is, “Why does evil exist?” this leads us back to the law of morality, which prompts discussion of questions such as:
“Where do we get a sense of right and wrong?” “Is there true justice?” Without the greatest conceivable being existing, the question of why evil exists will never be answered, everything becomes speculation.
Therefore, I theorize that this being, god, exists, and God should exhibit the following attributes:
- Have all knowledge
- Be eternal
- Be non-caused
- Possess transcendence
- Be all-Powerful
- Be unchanging
- Exist outside of time
- Be non-dependent
- Judge evil for righteousness
- Communicate with humankind for us to know him
- Desire a relationship with humankind (based on his effort to communicate)
God exists or God does not exist. These attributes are high expectations to meet. How can we ever prove this theory? Well, if I am correct, then God will have spoken to humankind and we should examine the “fingerprint” evidence of supposed communication from God.
What if a single point is proven false? Then this theory is false and either this being does not exist or I have a faulty definition and must reevaluate my theory.
However, with my limited knowledge, atheism would still not be a viable resting position, but I must return to my agnosticism and seek more clues and evidence. Maybe I will die never obtaining an answer.
However, if this theory proves correct, what are the implications? How should humans, especially me, respond?
What Next?
- What is the crucial concept?
- Based on human knowledge, I theorize that God exists with a set of attributes.
- Why is that significant?
- Without confronting the confusing world of religion, reason and my senses have helped determine who and what I am searching for.
- If you agree, the next steps.
- If you disagree, please consider reading.
References and Links
- Bible Study Tools – What happens after death.
- 123 Help Me – The theory of the greatest conceivable being.