God - a valid or invalid concept ?

Positive Lifeskills

The concept of a supreme God, as is popularly understood, is self-contradictory, invalid and more harmful than helpful.

Theoretically and ideally, prayer is a means of thanksgiving to a supreme being. However, I have seen it mostly as a submission of a wish list seeking health, money, promotion etc or other such forms of happiness.

That in itself negates the all-knowing concept of God. My logic goes like this -

1. We ask God for help because what he has given to us is different than what we want.

2. If we still want what he did not intend to give us means that we know better than him as to what is good or deserving for us.

3. Hence, praying to God for help negates his supremacy as an all-knowing entity.

Seems logical enough, however unpalatable it may seem to many.

I have placed this logic tree of mine at an excellent free web-discussion site. Do visit it today.
Once there, you will be able to comment on the premises of the arguement I have placed there.It also allows you to uncover the inherent assumptions in the arguement, if any. I find this site to be an excellent tool for checking the logic of any arguement. I urge you to visit it once. Place your logic here. Give it the test of masses.

Don't just hate me for saying such things about God. Prove me wrong. An unexamined life is not worth living.

I have an objection to another typical feature of praying. In most cases, there is a quid-pro-quo statement attached to the wish list. Usually it is in the form of ' If you grant me this wish, I will offer sweets, re-visit to the temple, have a grand celebration etc in return' . To me, it is the absolute nadir of relationships. Is this the right way to approach your father? A biological father, being essentially human, may change his decision based on what you are offering in return, but not the supreme father. I suspect he knows what we deserve and does not take biased decisions.

So, are there no benefits in a belief about a supreme God? Oh yes, there are. To the conditioned minds of most, God provides a necessary device for grievance handling and a source of succour when all else fails. The need is so great at times that is is aptly said - If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.

We need to objectively analyse whether the concept has more advantages or disadvantages? As long as you use it as a psychological device necessary for survival, it is OK. It helps in some cases. But then - so does drinking in some cases. Does that make drinking a good thing, a recommended solution?

I did say that God provides a source of succor. It does, but only temporarily. Quite like drinking. There is temporary respite, but soon the reality confronts us again.

I think the concept of God would make a good umbrella but a poor roof.

I did say that this is my radical blog. You had been warned.