On the Existence of God: On John Haught’s What is God

posterior Haughts What is deity aims to provide a simple mystagogy an introduction to brain-teaser (116). The importance of whodunit to Haughts work may be traced to his important assumption that the valetkind of divinity is evident in the reality of a cognitive feeling of inexhaustibility that an respective(prenominal) accepts in relation to the mother of depth, future, relievedom, dish, and integrity (115).He states, The notion of mystery is indispens commensurate to our discourse intimately the godlyTo say that God is ultimately mystery is the final give voice in any proper thinking roughly the noblemanin army to accentuate the utter inadequacy of any thoughts we may formulate about God (Haught 115). Haught argues that within a world controlled by technological advancements, serviceman continuously opts to contain the mysterious flavors of life (117).In order to foreclose the continuous repression of the mysterious outlooks of life, Haught argues that it is necessary to consider certain experiences which when examined potbelly solely be understood within the context of the assumption that God exists. These experiences ar those of depth, future, beauty, and truth. In rootage with this, what follows is an analysis of John Haughts argument regarding the gentle mankinds of God as it is presented in his harbour What is God. Initially, it is interesting to take note that the book addresses the question What is God? as opposed to Who is God? . By addressing the aspect of deity in a carriage that cannot be represented by personal imagery, the succeeding chapters of the book discusses the main problem of Gods absence. This problem however is addressed in a similar manner within each chapter as Haught specifies the implications of this absence to the religious life of this period. The distinguish satisfactory implications of the absence of God in the various aspects of valet life atomic number 18 further discussed within the text finished five themes for thinking about God.These themes refer to depth, future, freedom, beauty, and truth which function in the imagination as the thought or lure for the acceptance of the human beings of a mysterious and manufacturer being that being God. in spite of appearance each theme, Haught places tenseness that these themes and concepts take a pattern of letting go in order to be able to freely step into the terrain where an item-by-itemistic is truly addressed by the Other. Within the context of the theme of depth, for example, Haught adheres to Paul Tillichs discussion regarding the the depth of earthly concern.Within the aforementi unrivalledd work, Tillich argues that there are various depths to human initiation. For Tillich, although the aspects of human existence differ by the degree to which an individual is subsumed within a particular experience, the manner in which hotshot experiences and seeks the experience of the distinct aspects of experience in di fferent depths ensures that there exists a ingrained aspect of existence which each individual opts for due to its cleverness to provide meaning to an individuals life.Haught quotes Tillich, who states, The name of this infinite and inexhaustible depthis God. The depth is what the word God meansFor you cannot think or say Life has no depth Life itself is shallow. Being itself is surface only. If you could say this in fire seriousness, you would not be an atheist but otherwise you are not. He who knows depth knows about God. (14-15)Tillich, within this context, argues that to dissemble that existence has various meanings and to assume that existence has no meaning both involves the assumption of the depth of existence since even if an individual guiltlessly back ups that being is surface only, that individual as well assumes that there is an aspect of existence which involves the lack of being and this lack of being in itself may be considered as an aspect of the depth of exis tence. In line with this, Haught argues that the experience of depth ensures the existence of God since God refers to the aspect of existence which all individuals experience.He states, God is a name for the dimension of depth that all of us experience to maven degree or another, even if only in the mode of leak from it (Haught 15). Haught further argues that depth is an example of bingle of the experiences in the pur moot of our experiences that one recognizes the existence of God (Haught 15). Haughts emphasis on the metaphor of the horizon in which one experiences God repeats itself in his discussion of the other experiences which ensures the existence of God such as the future, freedom, and beauty.Haught argues that in the same manner that to tarry in depth involves the acceptance of the experience of the different degrees of understanding ones life, to live in future withal requires living with the unbalance and messiness of historical existence and with the changing image s of God which these historical events imply (Haught 28). In the same manner, to live in freedom involves living bravely in the face of non-being wherein non-being refers to the face which absolute freedom presents upon the individual as it invites us to embrace it (Haught 49).To live in beauty, on the other hand, involves the ability to endure the breakdown of ones own restrictive biography in favour of the wider novelty and contrast of the divine narrative presented through the various images relayed by temperament (Haught 71). Finally, to live in truth also involves moving beyond the security of the limited approval of others as one trusts in the unconditional acceptance which alone makes truthful living come-at-able (Haught 111).It is important to note at this point that as Haughts explanation for the existence of God places emphasis on the identifiable and universal aspects of human experience which may imply the existence of God, Haughts method follows a deductive method which involves the assuming that since certain aspects of human experience cover universally mysterious to man, these experiences may be attributed to the existence of a divine being. This is in accordance to his conception of God which is not based on a gender-specific image since it allows his conception of God to explore both the theistical and non-theistic arguments for Gods existence.In the final part of the book, Haught concludes that the aforementioned experiences affirm the existence of God as a mystery since if God is experiences as an ultimate mystery human experience of God is ensured in the different depths of reality. This however does not necessarily imply that to speak of God as a mystery involves speaking of God as an entity which is not practical for the human mind to recognize or have knowledge of. match to Haught, this merely implies that God exists as an entity which allows the human experience of boundlessness.He states, It is our fundamental openness to mys tery that sets us apart from the animal and grounds the self-transcendent nature of our lives. It is our openness to mystery that constitutes the foundation of our freedom and liberates us from the slavery of mere morality. It is because of our capacity for mystery that we experience the uneasiness and anxiety that provoke us to move beyond the status quo and seek more intense beauty and more depth of truth.In short, mystery is what makes a truly human life possible in the first place. (Haught 124) For Haught, the importance of the recognition of the existence of God to human life lies in its ability to allow the individual to transcend the ordinary barriers of life. The function of religion within this context is to modify the individual to recognize the manner in which he may overturn into the mystery of God in order to transcend the barriers set to the individual within social reality i. . the barriers of sex and social status. In line with this, it is important to note that Ha ughts discussion does not place emphasis on the role of God within one particular religion. On the other hand, his discussion is veered towards the justification of the necessity of Gods existence within any form of religion. For Haught, within all these religions, the similarity among them lies in their conception of the experience of God as an experience of mystery.To compare God with mystery enables the function of God within these religious institutions to free the concept God from the narrow ideas of ultimacy. In summary, John Haughts What is God equates God to the experience of mystery since the experience of mystery as can be seen in the experience of depth, the future, freedom, beauty, and truth, allows the continuous phylogeny of humanitys experience of God and hence in the process does not fit to the limitation of God as an anthropomorphic figure.One may note that such a view is in accordance to John Haughts evolutionary theology as it places emphasis on the role of th e evolution of human consciousness in the discovery of God. Since the mysterious events are forever in accordance to what is known and what is not known by man, the evolution or evolutions of mans consciousness and man himself may be equated with mans drive towards the discovery of God.By equating God with the experience of mysterious events, events which go beyond an individuals understanding, Haught was able to allow the synthesis of the view that man stands as an entity that is continually evolving and the view that mans evolution is in line with the discovery of mystery however God continues to stand as a bigger entity as opposed to man as his existence is continuously affirmed by the experience of mysterious or unknown events as is the case with the experience of depth, future freedom, beauty, and truth stated in John Haughts What is God.