Babu (or rather, D),
I liked the distinction you drew between God and Truth. I also agree that the distinction between the two--for those who care about such things--is a little more than artificial.
In my humble but studied opinion, there are obvious problems with the popular notion of God.
Consider the following.
God, as the lore goes, is supposed to be this all-around good guy who, in spite of loving us to death, still somehow manages to be slightly vindictive and a tad insecure. His overarching message in a lot of holy books seems to be: "Rub me wrong way and all your base are belong to us."
Most empiricists, after a cursory glance at the world around them, find this notion of a basically good God to be cognitively dissonant.
Just one example of the inconsistency of the God-concept should serve: God, some maintain, is both Omnibenevolent and Omnipotent. Among other similarly grand things.
Omnibenevolence demands that God should display zero tolerance towards Evil and Suffering. Further, since God is also Omnipotent, enforcement of this zero-tolerance policy should be a snap for Him. God can either pre-empt Evil, or magically wink it out of existence if it does happen. No sweat.
Yet, even basic empirical observation tells us that there is tremendous Evil and Suffering in the world. Ergo, God cannot be simultaneously Omnibenevolent and Omnipotent. Evil could not exist if that were so.
The notion of a tri-omni God is problematic.
In stark contrast, the notion of the search for a Truth--whatever the attributes of this Truth--is a more pragmatic effort. IMHO. Indeed, science does this very thing, i.e. look for Truth by filling in the gaps in our knowledge. That is an easier train to get on, at least for me.
God is supposed to be all sugar and spice. He is painted as a prop-ah gentlemanly sort, and he is also supposed to be a touch concerned about us.
The Truth (TM) may not be any of those things.
The Truth (or Truths) may be a disinterested, barenaked, incurious force that gives two fucks about what attributes we assign to it.
It will likely not give a toss about whether we go to Church/Temple/Mosque regularly like a bunch of tranquilized, brainfucked zombies. Or whether we write pretty prose about It. Or what kind of meat we avoid eating in It's name.
Sougata.
Tom,
You have always had kind words to say about my posts/responses. Just wanted to acknowledge that.
Sougata.
The Truth (or Truths) may be a disinterested, barenaked, incurious force that gives two fucks about what attributes we assign to it.
It will likely not give a toss about whether we go to Church/Temple/Mosque regularly like a bunch of tranquilized, brainfucked zombies. Or whether we write pretty prose about It. Or what kind of meat we avoid eating in It's name.
Sougata.
Tom,
You have always had kind words to say about my posts/responses. Just wanted to acknowledge that.
Sougata.
2 comments:
I liked what Khushwant Singh once said. I am not sure whether it's an original quote. He said: "God is the sum total of our ignorance."
I am out of here, have a train to catch :)
and all they have to say is He moves in mysterious ways - a quintessential piece of religious humbug.
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