WHERE WAS GOD?

 

December 12, 2012 in Newtown, CT a twenty year old male entered an elementary school and shot and killed twenty first grade children and an additional 6 adults before taking his own life.  The intentional targeting of children has left many bewildered and asking the question

 "Where was God?"

     God was where he always is.... in the stands devouring an green pepper and onion smothered bratwurst chased down by a cold one in the local teams commemorative cup.  Humanities biggest fan..... never misses an event.
      There is nothing quite as frail as the blind faith of the Christian faithful.  Where could their God have been?  Playing Halo?  Texting while flying?  Watching Honey Boo Boo?  No, He was right there.... it's part of the whole omnipresence thing.  It is part of the Master Plan..... or ...... of course.... we could blame it on the devil.  Give it a few more days.... and we will get there. 
     This is the next step in the evolution of our "personal responsibility" culture.  It can't be poor parenting, a gun-happy citizenry, a violent society, a selfish attitude, or overall apathy.  It can't be us.... it has to be our God.  We do our part.  We attend church on Sundays.... sometimes.  We pray for people by liking a post on FaceBook.  We wear some-colored ribbon for some-sort of cause. Hell, we even texted a $5 donation to Sandy relief and we didn't even know Sandy.  We have done our part.  It is our God who has failed us. Our God has become unreliable and inattentive.  Our God suffers from ADD.  He can't be left alone or all hell breaks loose.  
     Or just maybe.... we, while lowering our self expectations, have raised our expectations for our God.  A couple of thousand years (if we accept the notion that God created the universe the week prior to secretly hooking up with Mary) of mixed messages, excuse-making, and responsibility-dodging we have now decided we want our God to be, at least, a little more compassionate and intelligent than the bully who rides the short bus to school.   
     Just maybe, we have grown tired of defending a God who is indefensible.  We have ignored our doubts for thousands of years.  We ignore our God, the greatest mass murderer of all time, demands... we not murder.  We have been forced to suspend rational thought.  God, the being who knows the past, present and future, was not only surprised but angered when humanity disappointed him and in a rage flooded the Earth as a punishment.  We must accept the fact that we, as parents, attempt to raise our children in a more loving and positive manner than our God of the Old Testament when he chose to threaten his children with eternal damnation.  Generation after generation, we have watched as our God "calls home" the young and innocent yet the evil and undeserving outlive many of us.  Our God, and his book, have taught us women are secondary citizens and a man who loves a man could not have been made in His image, despite His previous documented statements.   It isn't any wonder more Americans than ever are claiming to be atheists?  It seems Atheism is the new Christianity Zero.... more rationality and less evil per calorie. 
     We have looked around for other Gods to worship but it seems each of them were cut from the same stone age cloth.  Each prospective insecure God wants us to deny the existence of all other Gods as if he is fully aware one of our previous Gods carried a bigger staff.  Each wants us to battle other Gods both figuratively and literally.  Worst yet, the two major religions and their God's promise us material possessions (pearly gates, mansion, streets paved with gold) or an eternal supply of ass (72 virgins).  Another of religion's classic mixed messages... spend a lifetime avoiding such temptation and spend eternity enjoying them.  If religion is expecting to increase their membership they will need to create more secure, compassionate, forgiving, attractive Gods.   Religion needs a more marketable God.  A God that appeals to each of the holy demographics.  No doubt this God would have to have the comforting voice of Morgan Freeman.  A God with the eyes of Justin Bieber for the kids. The brooding sexuality of Brad Pitt for the ladies.  And of course, the cleavage of Scarlett Johanson and the skin tone of Halle Berry.  This God could be gay married to him/herself.  Okay, okay...... maybe that's not gonna work, too much, too fast.... baby steps.
     Do we really need a God?  Can we have a religion without a God?  Isn't the point the process and not the person?  It's just a matter of branding.  Americans religiously follow brands without human representation.  We worship at the altar of Walmart and Nintendo and they have no human face.  Why not a religion which has no specific face?  Each member could mentally photoshop their desired face on their own personalized God.  Each God could be a limited edition of one.  Each member would have a special relationship with their God because they created him, much like a Wii Mii.
     That brings us to the final question, do we need a belief system?  It seems most of us have a belief system to some degree, although it may not be a religious in nature.  We may believe in honor, honesty, service or what have you.  Honestly, I find it very difficult to trust someone who does not "believe" in something.  I have always found my self uncomfortable in the company of someone who pursues a hedonistic existence.  I have a perpetual suspicion of anyone who lives to serve themselves.  
     I believe we can come to an agreement on a generalized belief system.  Specific lessons we should teach our children.  Lessons we should practice and role model as adults.  We don't need a person to lead or be labeled as a God.  We need a religion which does not abandon intelligence or responsibility.  We need a religion, a set of beliefs, which will appreciate it's followers ability to reason and think rationally.  We need a religion that holds us to a reasonable and adult standard.  We don't need a God who is to apathetic to get out of his recliner when the phone rings.  We need to know, in both times of tragedy and triumph, when asked "where is our God" we can assuredly answer "our God is here and it is us."