The New York City subway system is currently in the midst of a one month long ad campaign that says to subway riders, "A million New Yorkers are good without God." , and then enquires, "Are You? "
I encountered an online story about these ads that quoted a reader’s reaction to the ad claiming that, everyone needs G-d. ( I read this at an online site [ amNY.com ] in its Tuesday, October 20, 2009 // ISSUE 203 // VOLUME 7 edition.]
Such ads, religious or "none" in nature are certainly not uncommon these days and diaries posted by non believers are certainly not new news in recently published blogs.
eg.;(Can Bus posted "free speech ads" serve a truly educational purpose? by kleinem, Tue Aug 11, 2009 on www.streetprophets.com )
What was of interest to me here was the comment that a reader of the N.Y subway ad offered to the author of that "amNY" article, in regard to the ad reader’s personal take on the ad, which was to the effect that, "Everyone Needs God".
Please follow below the fold:
"Most of us assume that when you ask (talk) about God, you're asking about the person/principle who/that is the "ultimate concern" of daily existence. This isn't necessarily the case. To Aristotle, for instance, God was important, though pretty much an afterthought compared to the much more pressing matters of politics, ecology, and rhetoric." Ref.: Beautiful Dreamers: A Documentary Asks "What is God"?
By Nathan Schneider posted in "religion dispatches" November 5, 2009
I, as a Secular Humanist, have arrived at a stage in my living process wherein I not only find a G-d Concept to NOT be an "ultimate concern" of my daily existence but rather that the concept of G-d(s) play(s) no part in my life other than as a source of idle interest as to a G-d(s) assumed position in the lives of those who claim to so believe. Hence my interest in that ad readers "Everyone needs God" opinion.
Brian McGrath Davis writing in a "religion dispatches" blog on November 3, 2009 on his topic, " Religion is Not about Belief: Karen Armstrong’s The Case for God " claims that: Armstrong ( a popular author and ex Nun ) makes a point to remind the reader that "religion, especially for doctrine-centered Christians, should be about cultivating the art of courageous, compassionate, and kenotic living in the face of life’s difficulties." (kenosis: is a tradition of self-emptying rather than ego-boosting.)
My reflection on that point is that: I don’t see how such a recommended life style differs from the life that I as a Secular Humanists choose to lead without my having a need to introduce the G-d Concept into my daily life?
This raised the question for me then , Why does anyone need a G-d?
My response, if I were directly asked that question, would be to say 'perhaps it is to seek after a way to deal with an individual’s existential fears’. Admittedly though, that is a one sided response so I turned to the Copernic Search Agent to help me to explore other takes on the subject.
At: www.biblequestions.org/archives/BQAR074.htm
I was told that, " Man needs God to provide meaning and purpose to life and also that Man needs God to provide hope after death."
Further, as if this site were expecting me to visit, it advised that, "Godless evolution, humanism, and philosophy cannot satisfy man's basic needs".
Well, I am of the opinion that it is up to me personally to provide purpose in my life and since I expect that I will no longer be a "me" after brain death ensues for me I have no need for any after death hope.
Then, from a Bill Champion, writing at NewsWithViews.com on November 5, 2006, I encountered his opinion that "Man’s need( for G-d ) is due to: "Human proclivities that cause self destruction and corrupt society and , "If we fail to heed the serious signals that are crying for our attention and to change our behavior, we are not going to survive as a free republic!!! " Further, Bill pointed out: "The Bible, God’s manual for man’s survival, instructs us in Jeremiah 17: 5, 9, "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart departs from the Lord. "
So, while I am of course a smidgeon chastened by having been told that I am "cursed", I am still undaunted in my search for the supposed why behind the "Everyone Needs God" opinion so I searching onward, found out at: http://www.faithinwriting.com/... that a Dr. James MacLeod of the Neill Macaulay Foundation is of the opinion that, " God is inside of people and He will come out regardless, because the need for God is a proved and necessary part of the rhythm of a normal life.
Dr. MacLeod then proceeds to claim, "Religion has proved God is needed by mankind from the beginning of man’s existence and he further says: The need for God has not been stopped nor will it now. It will continue." Further: The good doctor adds "Believe me, I grow tired, as I am sure you do also, of the number of non-spiritual, materialistic and unbalanced grotesques in character rolled out by this largely low grace, decadent, values disaster that is our society and nation. "
Gosh, cursed & now this! Thus, at this juncture then I am left with wondering about the good doctors failure to give any details regarding his claim that, " Religion has proved that a God is needed ."
Forging on, I discovered a Patrick M. Morley’s writing in "A look in the Mirror" , a Christian newsletter for men, who quoted Billy Graham as having said," that people attend his crusades for one or more of four unmet needs:loneliness, emptiness, guilt , and a fear of death.. People are hurting, and they need God, because apart from God life has no meaning.
A recent Pew Foundation Religious Study detailed the finding that "92 percent of Americans believe in God or a universal spirit." Ref; www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/.../ST2008062300818.html
Are there really so many G-d believers then who believe because of a need
based on one or all of the reasons enumerated above?
If you are a believer because your belief is based in need rather than, say, in a love based concept please consider sharing your personal take on your need for a G-d as you understand that words meaning.
thank you.