'Fill your heart with this, great as it is and when this
feeling grants you perfect bliss, then call it what you will, happiness, heart,
love, God, I have no name for it, feeling is all; name is mere sound and reek
clouding perfection’s light.' Faust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This short talk I have entitled ‘God & Elvis’ for reasons that shall become apparent. I am very appreciative to have the opportunity to give a few minutes of time on this important topic, namely our future happiness.
This short talk I have entitled ‘God & Elvis’ for reasons that shall become apparent. I am very appreciative to have the opportunity to give a few minutes of time on this important topic, namely our future happiness.
Ok all, simple question, is Elvis
alive and well on planet Earth?
Clamour of voices in unison
Those of you who did not answer
'no' emphatically, instead giggled and these verbal ruptures spoke volumes to me.
Now if I asked you the same
question of whether there is a God or not, I’m sure my answers and observed
emotions would be similar and you know what, I wouldn’t blame you as this is to
be expected of students of evolutionary theory such as yourselves.
The problem is however ladies and
gentlemen, there is very much a God, just as Elvis is very much alive and well on
planet Earth too!
Loud laughter
So, your guffaws are now reaching
levels that can only be described as hysteria, but I shall explain, you see,
approximately three years ago I went to my local RSPCA hospice and purchased a
small kitten I duly named Elvis and I have fallen in love with this little
beast.
When I asked you the question of
whether Elvis was alive and well on planet Earth, I was thinking of my beloved
cat as this is the Elvis which means something to me and I can assure you he is
alive and well, probably scratching away at my equally beloved lounge as I
speak (smile).
And so I must come to the point
and that is in regard to the topic of God. You see, when I think of God I think
of the existence of future hope for my being, because this is what I would
suggest matters most to me and I can’t help thinking this just like I can’t
help loving my wee Elvis.
If I had asked you the God question, I would have expected you to say 'no' as I would have done so too, for just as I
think Elvis Presley is dead and this is
backed up with a coroner’s report into his demise, I also think there is not a
God in the traditional sense, because the coroner’s report in the traditional
God example is the truth of evolution.
But I don’t care for this God
debate, just as I don’t care for the Elvis Presley-being-alive debate also. Of
course, anyone of any sense knows these debates are now over.
I can’t help hurting though when
I hear people saying there is no God. I
think about what I want and the debate I really care about is what evolution
can’t prove and that is the metaphysical potential for reincarnation into a new
evolutionary reality, as this is a means to future happiness.
When I asked whether Elvis was
alive on Earth, you should have checked with me whether I meant Elvis Presley or something
else. Likewise, if I asked whether there was a God you should seek a
clearer definition of what I am in fact asking.
You may think I have tricked you
and there is no need to define God in this way, but the problem is absolute
hope needs a name and this name has to be God. Why? Because before we had language our ancestors had
absolute hope burning deep within their cores and the word ‘God’ was born from this
hope. Is it their fault that as language has developed the word ‘God’ has
manifested into its classical definition of the creator that grants this hope?
Absolute hope exists and I think
it is rude to lie that it doesn’t, just as it is rude and lying to state my cat is dead
when it isn’t.
And so I hope you’ve all learnt today
there is a God and let’s be thankful there is. I hope you have also learnt that
all other definitions of God are pointless as they are ultimately not as important to
discuss.
Finally, remember folks, the word
‘God’ can never be eradicated from our language because it is symbolic of
evolution’s strongest desire, to exist for an eternal duration.
Thanks again for all listening guys, I’m now
going to go home to feed Elvis (smile).
Goodnight.
