http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/samheath/22031 While “Amadeus” was a beautiful Oscar winning film, and quite deservedly so academics do not credit Salieri actually hating and plotting against Mozart; some antipathy yes, but not hatred. However, the point is well taken, that those like Salieri have a real problem trying to understand why God would gift someone like Mozart with such genius, even causing some to hate those like Mozart who do not fit the mold of those that produce works of such sensitive, beautifully artistic greatness. And this kind of hatred for Mozart as an example portrayed by Shaffer is not overdrawn in some cases; but the fact it can even turn into hatred for God is something else. In “The Apostle” Robert Duvall rails against God and Jesus, and he gave a pretty accurate performance of what some of us have done at times in our lives, especially in view of the ongoing wars and injustices, the monsters preying on women and children, the many things that are not a comforting view of God being in control of things and people, and raising the legitimate question of whether there is a God. For my part I’ve experienced enough of evil in the world to find no fault with atheists, and was it not easier for me to believe than not I could gladly join my atheist friends in their unbelief. As it is, I find the atheist position many times to be more comforting than my beliefs. How can so many things go wrong if there is a God? Well, some years ago I began to entertain the heretical thought that God makes mistakes. The basis for my thinking this was my many failures as a parent. I find one of the most honest statements in the Bible concerning God is in Genesis where we read he was actually sorry for creating humankind, and decided to shuck the whole species; a fairly human response that some parents have experienced when cursed with a poster child in favor of abortion. Then there are the many disappointments God had in his selection of various people throughout the Bible, people like David and Solomon for example. One of the most serious problems with many religions is expecting perfection of their deities, but at least those like the Greeks were not held in bondage to such gods. Greek mythology made room for Mozart, but Christian theology has a problem with him. The ways of the deities seem not always in accord with what many people expect, and it makes no sense why evil should always triumph over good, though this remains the rule rather than the exception throughout the history of our species. Perhaps if I had a mind capable of analyzing some great cosmic purpose to all the suffering and misery of humankind I would be of a different opinion. But like poor Tevye I do not see such a “big picture;” I can only view things from the human perspective. And from my mortal perspective, God makes mistakes. Dreams remain a mystery to me as do the Giza Pyramids, which to me are quite literally alien structures. It is a mystery how some of the ancients appear to have possessed knowledge and technology seemingly not possible for them. The Mayan Calendar, celestial maps made before the invention of the telescope and other such things are genuine mysteries at odds with what we know of ancient people and civilizations; which is one reason I credit the Bible as a source book for knowledge of some mysteries. Sometimes it does seem to me “The Mummy” film of 1999 makes more sense than the science of today, and I find myself almost wishing for things of the supernatural in attempts to make sense of our world. I want a solution as simple as “Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, and save the world,” a solution that has the Winston Havelock’s at the ready to do battle against impossible odds because they have heroic natures and will settle for nothing less than going down in flaming glory! But in large part it is the mysteries that keep me going, that keep my mind active trying to find the various pieces of a puzzle that fit in hope the picture will finally begin to emerge and make sense. It is within this context it seems more probable to me God makes mistakes rather than being omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Perhaps God delegates authority to angels, and maybe these messengers don’t always perform according to instructions and expectations. Whatever the case may be, we do know there are mysteries a’ plenty to challenge the most agile minds, and many of them defy our present science to explain. And some like Mozart might even elicit anger if not downright hatred for God. This, to my mind, is where the Devil might play a key role. It was the Devil telling God that if Job did not enjoy the favor of God he could cause Job to curse God. The Devil may not have won that round, but it might explain a world given over to evil, one where the Devil takes care of his own. And here is an attendant mystery; why is Barack Obama running for President? It was a given he would make himself a target, that some James Earl Ray would quite literally be gunning for him. Can such a bizarre thing make any sense apart from the supernatural? The man surely knew he would be hated and despised by many just for his campaigning for President; he surely knew he wasn’t bulletproof. Then why do it? Even now, who in their right mind would want to expose themselves to the wrath of the Clintons given the many dark acts they may well have perpetrated? It doesn’t make any sense, and that is why I am more than willing to accept there are things of the supernatural at work in the world. On the face of it Obama might not survive the campaign, and if he does what are the odds he would last long as President if elected? Not good. And so, Obama remains a mystery. Adding not a little to the mystery is how those with money supporting his candidacy could ever be persuaded to back him? A possible answer for me is the Devil’s work. Obama’s candidacy provides ample opportunity for the Evil One to do all kinds of damage to America. If ever there was a candidate that could lose by winning, Barack Obama epitomizes such a one. It doesn’t take much imagination to realize what the assassination of Obama as either a candidate or the President would do to America. And who but the Devil (or Dr. Frankenstein) some might say would resurrect Ralph Nader? Well, life and death remain the ultimate mysteries they have ever been. And sometimes even the lesser mysteries take center stage when brilliant people make stupid blunders, and God seems to gift an undeserving Mozart causing some to even entertain the notion of Job’s wife to “curse God, and die” being preferable to some of the suffering this poor old world has seen and continues to be subject to. I admit some of the evil I have experienced in my own life gives me not a little sympathy for the point of view of Job’s wife, and as I have said some appreciation for the point of view held by atheists. But, so long as there remain mysteries so long will I continue to want to make some sense of them though oftentimes the search leads down some dark and threatening alleys of the mind including God not being the “perfect parent,” and like earthly parents perhaps needing the help and cooperation of the child if they are not to bring grief to both themselves and their parents. And I hope you understand my wondering at times if God isn’t asking for our cooperation because he not only wants but actually needs our cooperation. But I go a step further in my heterodoxy by asking God at times if he won’t please speak a little louder so I can hear him.   While “Amadeus” was a beautiful Oscar winning film, and quite deservedly so academics do not credit Salieri actually hating and plotting against Mozart; some antipathy yes, but not hatred. However, the point is well taken, that those like Salieri have a real problem trying to understand why God would gift someone like Mozart with such genius, even causing some to hate those like Mozart who do not fit the mold of those that produce works of such sensitive, beautifully artistic greatness. And this kind of hatred for Mozart as an example portrayed by Shaffer is not overdrawn in some cases; but the fact it can even turn into hatred for God is something else. In “The Apostle” Robert Duvall rails against God and Jesus, and he gave a pretty accurate performance of what some of us have done at times in our lives, especially in view of the ongoing wars and injustices, the monsters preying on women and children, the many things that are not a comforting view of God being in control of things and people, and raising the legitimate question of whether there is a God. For my part I’ve experienced enough of evil in the world to find no fault with atheists, and was it not easier for me to believe than not I could gladly join my atheist friends in their unbelief. As it is, I find the atheist position many times to be more comforting than my beliefs. How can so many things go wrong if there is a God? Well, some years ago I began to entertain the heretical thought that God makes mistakes. The basis for my thinking this was my many failures as a parent. I find one of the most honest statements in the Bible concerning God is in Genesis where we read he was actually sorry for creating humankind, and decided to shuck the whole species; a fairly human response that some parents have experienced when cursed with a poster child in favor of abortion. Then there are the many disappointments God had in his selection of various people throughout the Bible, people like David and Solomon for example. One of the most serious problems with many religions is expecting perfection of their deities, but at least those like the Greeks were not held in bondage to such gods. Greek mythology made room for Mozart, but Christian theology has a problem with him. The ways of the deities seem not always in accord with what many people expect, and it makes no sense why evil should always triumph over good, though this remains the rule rather than the exception throughout the history of our species. Perhaps if I had a mind capable of analyzing some great cosmic purpose to all the suffering and misery of humankind I would be of a different opinion. But like poor Tevye I do not see such a “big picture;” I can only view things from the human perspective. And from my mortal perspective, God makes mistakes. Dreams remain a mystery to me as do the Giza Pyramids, which to me are quite literally alien structures. It is a mystery how some of the ancients appear to have possessed knowledge and technology seemingly not possible for them. The Mayan Calendar, celestial maps made before the invention of the telescope and other such things are genuine mysteries at odds with what we know of ancient people and civilizations; which is one reason I credit the Bible as a source book for knowledge of some mysteries. Sometimes it does seem to me “The Mummy” film of 1999 makes more sense than the science of today, and I find myself almost wishing for things of the supernatural in attempts to make sense of our world. I want a solution as simple as “Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, and save the world,” a solution that has the Winston Havelock’s at the ready to do battle against impossible odds because they have heroic natures and will settle for nothing less than going down in flaming glory! But in large part it is the mysteries that keep me going, that keep my mind active trying to find the various pieces of a puzzle that fit in hope the picture will finally begin to emerge and make sense. It is within this context it seems more probable to me God makes mistakes rather than being omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Perhaps God delegates authority to angels, and maybe these messengers don’t always perform according to instructions and expectations. Whatever the case may be, we do know there are mysteries a’ plenty to challenge the most agile minds, and many of them defy our present science to explain. And some like Mozart might even elicit anger if not downright hatred for God. This, to my mind, is where the Devil might play a key role. It was the Devil telling God that if Job did not enjoy the favor of God he could cause Job to curse God. The Devil may not have won that round, but it might explain a world given over to evil, one where the Devil takes care of his own. And here is an attendant mystery; why is Barack Obama running for President? It was a given he would make himself a target, that some James Earl Ray would quite literally be gunning for him. Can such a bizarre thing make any sense apart from the supernatural? The man surely knew he would be hated and despised by many just for his campaigning for President; he surely knew he wasn’t bulletproof. Then why do it? Even now, who in their right mind would want to expose themselves to the wrath of the Clintons given the many dark acts they may well have perpetrated? It doesn’t make any sense, and that is why I am more than willing to accept there are things of the supernatural at work in the world. On the face of it Obama might not survive the campaign, and if he does what are the odds he would last long as President if elected? Not good. And so, Obama remains a mystery. Adding not a little to the mystery is how those with money supporting his candidacy could ever be persuaded to back him? A possible answer for me is the Devil’s work. Obama’s candidacy provides ample opportunity for the Evil One to do all kinds of damage to America. If ever there was a candidate that could lose by winning, Barack Obama epitomizes such a one. It doesn’t take much imagination to realize what the assassination of Obama as either a candidate or the President would do to America. And who but the Devil (or Dr. Frankenstein) some might say would resurrect Ralph Nader? Well, life and death remain the ultimate mysteries they have ever been. And sometimes even the lesser mysteries take center stage when brilliant people make stupid blunders, and God seems to gift an undeserving Mozart causing some to even entertain the notion of Job’s wife to “curse God, and die” being preferable to some of the suffering this poor old world has seen and continues to be subject to. I admit some of the evil I have experienced in my own life gives me not a little sympathy for the point of view of Job’s wife, and as I have said some appreciation for the point of view held by atheists. But, so long as there remain mysteries so long will I continue to want to make some sense of them though oftentimes the search leads down some dark and threatening alleys of the mind including God not being the “perfect parent,” and like earthly parents perhaps needing the help and cooperation of the child if they are not to bring grief to both themselves and their parents. And I hope you understand my wondering at times if God isn’t asking for our cooperation because he not only wants but actually needs our cooperation. But I go a step further in my heterodoxy by asking God at times if he won’t please speak a little louder so I can hear him.   en-us