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Beware of an Anthropomorphic God!
by T. SHER SINGH
One of the many traps that language holds for us humans is the knee-jerk tendency to anthropomorphize - ascribe human-like qualities - to things and concepts which are neither human nor human-like.
Thus, we talk about "Our nation wants our sacrifice!" - "We need to defend our flag!" - "Nature will make us pay for this good weather!"
It gets worse when we turn to our respective concepts of "God".
"God will be angry ..."
"God wants us to ..."
"We are God's chosen ones ..."
"God is on our side ..."
"We are God's soldiers ..."
This ascribing of human attributes to the God we have created ("in our own image") then turns dangerous when we take our own distortions of the language and then begin to act on them.
But let's assume that we are correct in our vision of an anthropomorphic God.
And if we do, then we should be ready to accept that God is not stupid. And that he also has a sense of humour ... and that it might even be finely honed!
Remember the Titanic?
When it was first launched and ready to sail, the British Press hailed it as Man's greatest achievement. One English newspaper headline screamed: "EVEN GOD CANNOT SINK THIS SHIP!"
Well, God did. Right on it's maiden voyage, so that there was no doubt left in the British mind as to who was in charge!
We need to remember loud and clear that if we insist on believing that God is saddled with human-like emotions and likes and dislikes, then he can also think for himself and, from time to time, want to flex his muscles.
So, if we want to believe that we are the Pure Ones, then he might have had good reason to inflict Indro the Evil Witch of the East on us!
If some of us want to believe that it was God that made America great, then surely we should be prepared to accept that it was the same God that saw it fit to inflict George W. Bush ... and, oh yes, Sarah Palin! ... on America!
If God made Canada a White Man's Country - as some good souls still believe - then remember, he was saying something when he threw Brian Mulroney and Mike Harris, Vander Zalm and Preston Manning, at you.
If it was God that spoke to some of us and declared us his chosen people and promised us exclusive suzerainty over a particular piece of land, then we should quickly try and figure out why he created Hitler in our midst.
Let's not forgive the miserable Indians of the subcontinent! God must have his reasons, in his infinite wisdom, for having given them, and confined them to, incredible India!
And God isn't retired yet ... surely, like us, he is no longer expected to observe a retirement age. Here's his latest antic ... and I rely on CNN and other news agencies on this one:
Some fellas in Ohio, U.S.A. decided that God must have not been very serious when he said "Thou shalt not worship graven images!" and decided to build a colossal statue of Jesus ... right outside the front door of the evangelical "Solid Rock" church along the Interstate 75 Highway in Monroe, just North of Cincinnati.
Height - 62 feet.
Width - 40 feet.
Weight - 16,000 lbs.
"The sculpture ... showed the figure of Jesus from the torso up ... "
They built it as strong as the Titanic. That is, "over a steel framework anchored in concrete." It took well over "8000 man-hours in development and installation".
The six-storey statue was then christened "King of Kings", and given the nickname of "Touchdown Jesus" - 'because of the way the arms were raised, similar to a referee
signalling a touchdown in American football.'
Some have described it as the largest statue of Jesus in America.
Well, I don't know why but God seems to have his own thoughts on this ‘graven image‘.
On Monday, June 14, 2010, lightning struck the statue. And burnt it to the ground.
No, it wasn't burnt down by an arsonist, as some Sikh places of worship have in different parts of America recently.
This time, authorities have confirmed, it was an "act of God".
That's frightening. Truly.
All I can say, most humbly, is that if we are sure that God gets happy and sad, pleased and angry, that he takes sides in football games and wars - and the World Cup! Notice how often the players on each team turn to the heavens and invoke God? - that he favours the Republicans in America and the Hindu fundamentalist nuts in India ... then we better get a little bit more careful in how we behave.
Maybe, we should all be a little bit more wary of the infinite wisdom of that very God!
June 17, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Himal Banerji (Jamshedpur, India), June 17, 2010, 12:53 PM.
There's a heaven and there's a hell right here on earth. Each one of us, according to our actions, gets our fair share of each ... sooner or later. Call it poetic justice ... blame it on God ... or luck ... or anything else you like! But it will surely be meted out. There is no escape. Thank God! Oops ...!
2: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), June 17, 2010, 3:04 PM.
Do I have to go to a law school to become as smart as you? I love the wit; and I actually got it this time. Fantastic read!
3: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), June 17, 2010, 5:38 PM.
What a wonderful piece, Sher Singh ji. My admiration for you goes up a notch every time I read your offerings. We have a most wonderful word: 'Bhana', Thy Will - an all purpose adjunct that would fit anytime. After trying like hell and exhausting all permutations and combinations, and if nothing works, then we fit in these wonderful words, "Ehe Waheguru da bhana hai, ji' This was Waheguru's Will! A perfect escape clause.
4: Irvinder Singh Babra (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), June 17, 2010, 11:24 PM.
T. Sher Singh, you still write this beautifully! Now who are you, faithful or faithless? Do you believe in God? Anthropomorphism, the very attribution of human form to god, etc., continues to sweep across the world. Good, great, keep writing ... what form do you get of God, when you close your eyes? May God with you. Thank you.
5: Dr..Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), June 18, 2010, 7:18 AM.
Extremely enjoyable read! Can we print some copies and send it to the (world) Leaders attending the G8 and G20 summits in Toronto later this month? - maybe I'll do just that.
6: Dr. Devinder Singh Chahal (Laval, Quebec, Canada), June 18, 2010, 11:06 AM.
Dear T Sher Singh: You have spoken the truth. Guru Nanak says God does not come in an anthropomorphic form ('ajuni'). And God is agumm, agocchar, nirankaar and apaar. Albert Einstein said exactly the same words: God does not come in an anthropomorphic form! But still, most people - including many Sikhs - pray for intervention and/ or interference in the Laws of Nature to turn them in their favor. There is need to understand bani in its real import.
7: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), June 18, 2010, 3:27 PM.
All said in one line: "Kaho Nanak kartay kee-aa baatan jo kichh karnaa so kar rahi-aa [GGS:469.12] - "Nanak speaks te stories of the Creator Lord: Whatever He is to do, He does". Or, if it pleases you: "Khael khael akhael kha-lan anth ko phir aek" (Jaap Sahib) - "When, afer playsing the play of creation, He ends it. Everything goes back unto Him, and again He becomes One." Who could improve on this one?
8: Kanwarjeet Singh (Franklin Park, New Jersey, U.S.A.), June 18, 2010, 11:59 PM.
Ha-ha! - awesome wit. Then we also have to agree that God in his infinite wisdom created and thrust upon us one T. Lion Lion (a.k.a. Sher Singh). For all those serious types, get your sense of hammer replaced with a sense of humor, for that too was created by God.
9: Harmandeep Singh Deol (Melbourne, Australia), June 27, 2010, 9:55 PM.
This is in regards to Dr. Devinder Singh's remarks above. I really couldn't understand when you said: "But still, most people - including many Sikhs - pray for intervention and/ or interference in the Laws of Nature to turn them in their favor." Is it wrong to pray? Or is it wrong to pray for his intervention into something which is beyond human means? And remember, "Prabh bhave bin saas ke raakhe" - (Sukhmani Sahib). So I guess if it suits him, then he can bend the laws of Nature too. Also, Albert Einstein didn't knew Gurbani but you do or you can, if you don't. Again, when everything's said and done, it's a Sikh's individual faith that ultimately matters.
10: Tarlochan Singh Kular (London, U.K.), July 06, 2010, 3:39 AM.
Brilliantly written. A person's interpretation of God is somewhat limited to his or her feelings. What one feels is again limited to their experiences. Guru Nanak: Waheguru let the whole of humanity be happy, it does not matter if one is bowing to the east or west. Sikhs in this world should remember we are here to serve the human race without taking sides. It is one's own actions which will bear fruit, be it sweet or sour.
11: Nav (The Navigator) Dugal (Gaithersburg, Maryland), July 29, 2010, 11:27 AM.
I haven't had the time to read the article. I have saved it on favorites. I make a list of PO words and that's how I happened on it (anthroPOmorphize).
12: Deb (San Jose, California, U.S.A.), August 14, 2010, 3:33 PM.
This was brilliantly put together! My biggest problem with the building of this statue was the amount of money that went into the construction. Some $300,000! As I recall, the teachings of Christ were about being a "Servant to Humanity" and funds raised in the name of Christ should be used to support that key principal in his teachings. It is not a matter of "It is what God would want" - it is simply the difference between upholding the principles of Christ vs using him as a marketing tool.