A Practical God

I don't mean to pick on atheist; I used to be one. From that experience I know that many atheists still cares about a god deep down inside, they are just mad at him for the shape the world is in. Actually, they get very emotional about it and wonder what kind of god would create a world like this with the wars, murders, earthquakes, corruption, etc etc etc. Their response is to pretend He doesn't exist--kind of like that is going to hurt His feelings or something.

What finally turned me around was finding a God to which I could relate. Not some holy-roller God who requires daily adoration, but a more practical, executive-minded Being who works with a purpose and enlists attuned thinkers to formulate a plan and then create the programs to carry it out. If interviewed by a Fox News reporter, let's say tough-talking Bill O'Reilly, about the current state of worldly affairs, this CEO God would respond calmly and with great insight into and loving understanding of the human plight.

O'Reilly: "So, God, we've only got a couple of minutes. But, tell me, how did we get in this mess anyway? You know there are some folks who think it's time you get ousted. They'd rather have no god then this."

God: "The trend of our modern civilization, in spite of all its mistakes and errors, is to produce thinkers. Education, books, travel, in its many and varied forms, enunciation of science and of philosophy, and the driving inner urge which we call religious, but which is, in fact, the drive toward truth and its mental verification--all these factors have one objective, and this is to produce thinkers. Given a real thinker, you have an incipient creator and (unconsciously at first, but consciously later on) one who will wield power in order to "precipitate" or cause to emerge objective forms. These forms will either be in line with Divine purpose and plan and, consequently, will further the cause of evolution, or they will be animated by personal intent, characterized by separated, selfish purpose, and constitute, therefore, part of the work of retro-active forces and the material element."

O'Reilly: "Then, what you are saying is WE are responsible for all this, not you? I find that hard to believe and don't think those in favor of your demise will buy it. But, God, that's all the time we have today. Maybe we can have you back again some other time to develop this further. Thank you for joining us."

God: "Thank you for having me, Bill, and be sure to watch closely the world unfolding before you. It will certainly be full of surprises as more thinkers come on-board to my plan over the next twenty years or so."

(Unusually, Bill decided to let God have the last word, and, because of that courtesy, God smiled knowing that O'Reilly might become a thinker in his next lifetime or two.)

God's excerpt is taken from A Treatise on White Magic, A. Bailey, pp. 551 - 52.