Where Do We Come From? Where Do We Go?

Gregory~

INTRODUCTION

(A COLLEGE THESIS WRITTEN BY A YOUNG KEITH MORGAN)

Where do we come from? Where do we go?

I’m not sure if I was the first to pen those 9 words. Maybe I was. Maybe I wasn’t. Perhaps I’d heard them from someone or they’d come to me in a dream…or a nightmare. It really doesn’t matter. What matters is that the poser helps to encourage a fair airing regarding the concept of theodicy and, quite possibly, the rationale for religion itself.

The couplet, asking a guileless question about life and death, is a puzzler without a solution. At first blush it appears solvable, but then that turns out not to be the case. After careful scrutiny it becomes obvious that there are no easy answers…or quite possibly no answers at all.

It’s true that over the ages man has tried to solve the mystery regarding the human experience, particularly the life and death aspect of it. Through a variety of devotional dictates, religious leaders in ancient times said that the first question, where do we come from, is readily answered by understanding human reproduction and its relationship between man, woman…and God.

Divine participation in human procreation has never been established as a factor in the creation of life. On the other hand, the union between a man and a woman has unimpeachably been determined as having everything to do with the reproduction of human beings.

The second part of the enigma is even harder to credit religion as having a plausible link with the question, where do we go? Only a dead person, bound in immutable finality, would be able to answer that part of the probe. But, the dearly departed have never told us what happens in death, most likely because they are unable to do so.

A famous Welsh professor of philosophy once said, Death has to be the loneliest moment in our journey because there is never a living soul with whom to share the experience.

Still, the ancients pushed forward and declared that the answers to the questions, where do we come from, where do we go, could be understood by individuals who accepted the existence of an omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful) and an omnibenevolent (all-loving) deity. They promised that such a powerful and loving spirit would one day return to earth to confirm to believers that they were blessedly prescient in accepting His existence based on faith alone.

Early prophets came from diverse cultures and often held conflicting perspectives. Be that as it may, there was one viewpoint where just about all the diviners shared common ground; their flocks were required to accept, without question, the belief in an otherworldly creator. Consequently, people were given no choice but to glorify the existence of a God if they aspired to a higher understanding and an eternal afterlife.

People were told that some Gods were able to part oceans, feed multitudes of impoverished citizenry with a handful of fish heads, breathe life into the dead and perform hosts of other remarkable feats. Not surprisingly, tales of such powerful exploits subsided when man emerged from the dark caves of dependency and became less controlled by unsubstantiated narrative.

It is reasonable to question why such colossal wonders no longer occur in this day and age. If the argument is that miracles still occur it then must be conceded that today’s miracles fall far short of those described in antediluvian homilies.

Regrettably, before the age of enlightenment and the passage of time, the controversial edicts demanded by early prophets had set the stage for massive devastation to untold numbers of people. Simply stated, the intemperate fiats of nascent religious leaders called upon the faithful to eliminate the faithless. Without consideration for diversity of thought, believers were conscripted to vanquish non-believers.

To validate that such enormous misery had indeed been triggered by spiritual dogma, one only has to consider a number of historical events.

There were the crusades, human sacrificing, the Spanish Inquisition, Roman wars, Norman Conquest of England, the burning of heretics bound at stakes and the tumultuous years of the Reconquista when Christian Kingdoms fought savagely to reclaim the Muslim held Iberian Peninsula. These occurrences confirm that religious extremism existed on a massive scale in its infancy and, in fact, still exists today in many parts of the world.

The horrific behaviors fueled by harsh numinous precepts were caused by misguided devoutness. Still, these lethal encounters are fitting examples of what happens when blind faith prevails over enlightened judgment.

Another powerful inducement to pious submission is the promise of eternal life. This is primarily made available to those willing to commit to spiritual authority during the here and now. Therefore, according to such doctrine, the prospect of a glorious afterlife is more likely obtainable by those willing to exchange established knowledge for faith-based ideology.

These creeds, over the top miracles, promises of everlasting life and the threat of eternal damnation are the cornerstones of most major religions. None of this means that there are not untold numbers of passionate believers in the world, people who find comfort in trusting that eternal life is possible. On the other hand, it must be acknowledged that there are millions of non-believers, possibly a great deal more if it wasn’t so societally unacceptable to admit to such a conviction.

It also must be recognized that much of humanity finds it difficult to embrace philosophies steeped in mystical supposition rather than favor viewpoints fueled by logic and experience.

People might not be believers because they are unable to wrap their minds around faith-based claims that the universe was crafted by a single transcendent entity. This and similar religious assertions demand that accepted likelihoods must defer to devotional viewpoints regardless the believability of the given proposition.

The theory of theodicy is also enormously difficult to accept. The question is why suffering hasn’t been eradicated by all-powerful and all-loving intervention, if indeed such authority exists.

Religious reasoning asserts that Godly intercession doesn’t happen because certain conditions have never been met and likely never will be. Still, the overwhelming dark evidence of human travail begs the question: when is enough….enough? This of course goes to the heart of theodicy.

Under the concept of theodicy, the common justification for a benevolent God failing to oppose evil is because He gifted humanity freewill. Freewill supposedly is a state wherein people have the ability to choose between right and wrong. Invariably humanity fails to choose rectitude. This then begs the question, why had freewill been extended to man in the first place? If freewill is humanly impossible to abide, according to scriptural expectations that is, then it is a futile condition that was nothing more than an untenable gift in the first place.

Another excuse given for God’s avoidance to act is that He has a grand design for humankind and, unfortunately, ordinary mortals would not be capable of understanding the plan. Or, could it be that Satan, evil incarnate, is wielding greater power in our world than we thought?

Are these thin explanations meant to justify God’s non-intervention in the wake of such overwhelming wickedness? Is theodicy worthy of being acknowledged, let alone taken seriously?

For the purpose of complete disclosure, I admit to having a form of sensitivity that some might suggest links itself to spirituality. Whatever it is attributed to, it’s probably an emotion inherent in most of us who have loved, been loved or experienced those wonderful heart-beating moments of happiness; however, my sensitivity does not require fealty to organizations that demand attachment to unsupported assumptions.

The concept I subscribe to allows individuals to seek their own resolve regarding man’s place in the world; however, this notion does not require buying into any one of the countless religious philosophies that market the planet.

Most religions assert that their doctrine is the right one, the true and unquestionable one. Regrettably, such unbending fidelity to a singular concept hinders harmonious consensus and, by extension, contributes to a deep divide that often becomes a recipe for conflict.

Added to the difficulty in our failure to objectively discuss various belief or non-belief options is the impulse by many religious advocates to bury their heads inside intellectual safe-places…where only likeminded thinking prevails. Unfortunately, such practice impedes academic dialogue between contrasting opinions, as well as stunting any hope of reasonable discourse between laymen believers and laymen non-believers.

Though people may choose which belief or non-belief system is right for them, nurturing and environment are, more often than not, the determining factors in an individual’s spiritual commitment…or lack thereof.

I offer these observations to provide a peek into my thought process for a time when I plan to engage in certain acts. That having been said, I want you to know what I do believe. I believe that many of the powers attributed to supernatural spirits actually exist within people here on this earth, including me.

Those of us with this intrinsic predisposition are mandated to intercede when necessary. We must act boldly and not allow sentiment to obstruct objectivity. That’s my belief and one day I hope to use the unique quality for the good of my fellowman. It’s not that I care that much about people in general. It’s just something I know I’ll be good at engaging in and therefore feel obligated to take up the cause.

I’m sure at times I’ll talk myself into believing that I give a damn. This self-deception will allow me to feel normal. During these moments, maybe I’ll actually think I’m like everyone around me; however, in reality that never will be the case.

Incidentally, there is an additional line of 8 words that I think should be added to the rhythmic probe regarding life and death. Yes, the additional line needs to be included.

"Where do we come from? Where do we go?

The answer is simple. We do not know."

~Keith Morgan

Class of ‘55–Wisconsin University

PRELUDE

THE EARLY DAYS…

This is the beginning of an odyssey

I was born into a solid middleclass family. My father was a successful insurance agent and a popular man in the community. My dad and I were never particularly close, but we lived together without acrimony. Mom, dad and I were not the warm-touchy-feely type; however, the dearth of demonstrative contact apparently suited the three of us just fine.

I didn’t go without much of anything growing up. On the other hand, I don’t remember asking for much of anything either.

When a child in the neighborhood got a new bike, I wasn’t inclined to think I should also have one. It was my mind and unbridled imagination plus book reading that were the significant items in my life.

I didn’t need ‘things’ just as I didn’t need people. I had only one friend growing up, but for the life of me I can’t recall his name.

I know that he was fat and, well, not very bright. He was also quite easy to influence. He helped me every day with my newspaper route, unbundling papers, running them up long driveways and taking over the deliveries when I was occupied with other matters. My only friend certainly made life easy for me.

Dad was a gregarious man at work, which surely was an asset in the business of selling insurance; however, at home I remember him being quiet and contemplative. He was also, like my mother, an avid reader.

My parents enjoyed the theater and attended church regularly. I can still hear dad saying that being seen at church was good for business. When I reached my teens they stopped insisting that I attend religious services with them. That was something for which I was most grateful.

Like many women in those days, my mother didn’t hold down a job outside of the house. On that score though, I heard the ladies in the neighborhood credit her with keeping, ‘a nice home.’

I had an older sister whom I’d never met. She passed away one week after my parents brought her home from the hospital. The attending physician determined that a leakage in her underdeveloped heart was responsible for her death. I heard the news about the critical event when my mother and father decided I was old enough to be told about it.

I was five years old when they informed me that I had had a sibling who’d passed away. Later, mother told a neighbor lady