Question of God

The Question of God, by Armand Nicholi Jr., is a fascinating book that forced me to process, analyze, and question my current beliefs of my Divine Creator.

Using the powerful Sigmund Freud and prominent C.S. Lewis as the spokesmen for both sides of the debate, Nicholi was able to present strong, influential arguments for believers and non-believers. With this approach, readers are able to evaluate and strengthen their belief without being pushed one way or the other.I, as a reader, was strengthened by the book and movie because I learned the reason behind why I believed that Sigmund Freud is wrong and C.

S. Lewis is right.The Question of God reinforced my understanding that believing in God ought to make a difference in the way a person lives, increased my comprehension that people who believe in God are happier than those who do not, and raised thoughts on how my upbringing impacted my belief in God.Having a belief in God undoubtedly should impact the way a person lives their life. Believing that humans were created by a divine God for a divine reason should completely affect a person’s purpose, drive, and motivation for life.

C.S. Lewis explains that having a Christian worldview influences how we perceive ourselves, how we relate to each other, how we adjust to adversity, our destiny, values, ethics, morals, and our view on universal order and life meaning (7).It changes our cultural instinct form living for ourselves, pursuing riches, power, and fame, to living for our God and His people. Without a belief in God, people learn to live by the standards that were set forth by their parents, friends, and culture.Before I came to know Christ on a personal level, my reasoning for the actions I took were shaped by the teachings of those around me.

There was no standard of how to live that I knew of. However, with a somewhat recent change in beliefs, I now attempt to live by the standards set forth in the Bible, following God’s teachings as closely as possible.Having a belief in God also greatly affects how we relate to each other on a daily basis. Believing in God gives people a greater understanding that their purpose, drive, and motivation for life is to love their God with all their heart and to love others as He loved us.A very wise man once told me that life is all about relationships; forming new ones, building current ones, reconciling broken ones, and most importantly, strengthening the relationship with your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Knowing and believing that God loved us so much that He sent His only son to die for us, gives us a standard of love to live by."Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). Therefore, to believe in God means to believe in love. Ultimately, to believe in God means to know that our time on earth is short compared to the eternal rest God has in store for us and to live in a way that reflects the standards that He has set.People who believe in God not only live differently, but are also happier as well. Freud relates happiness with pleasure, specifically from the pleasure which is satisfied by our sexual needs (100).

I believe that to an extent, Freud’s statement is true.There can be short term and maybe even long term satisfaction in various earthly things including riches, power, fame, and sexual actions. However, I believe there is a significant difference between satisfaction and true happiness. Lewis counters Freud’s argument by stating “God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there… We were meant to establish a relationship with the person who placed us here.Until that relationship is established all of our attempts to attain happiness – our quest for recognition, for money, for power, for the perfect marriage or the ideal friendship, for all that we spend our lives seeking – will always fall short, will never quite satisfy the longing, fill the void, quell the restlessness, or make us happy……” (104,105).

I think what Lewis is trying to say is that a person’s quest to find true happiness can never be found in earthly satisfaction, but can only be found in a close relationship with God.Having a never ending, loving relationship with the one who is always there and will never let us down, the one who gave up His son’s life so that we may live, and the one who created us in His own image is the only way to find true happiness.Happiness is not a feeling, but a state of being, knowing that whatever sad or hurtful things thrown in the way, there is always hope. Hope that at the end of our lives on earth we will be united with our Maker and Savior in perfect rest. People who do not know God will never reach the happiness state of being because it is impossible. They attempt to fill their emptiness with earthly satisfactions, but never will be completely fulfilled.

This is the reason why there are stories about people who are extremely rich and powerful, but cheat on their wives, are deeply depressed, and even commit suicide. God’s people long for a deep relationship with Him, even though most of them do not know it. It is in this relationship that people are truly happy, regardless of their riches, power, and fame. My answers to the questions of God were hugely impacted by my upbringing and mentors.

I was raised in the church, but was never taught the meaning behind Christianity. I viewed God as a law maker and enforcer and thought the qualifications to be a Christian meant I had to follow all these ridiculous rules and not have fun. When I was a child, my parents never really stressed the real meaning of what it is to believe and follow God.Even though they lived a great life and were great role models, they seemed to miss out on a few key points in my upbringing. Because of this, my view of God was not one of eternal love, forgiveness, and grace, but of discipline, hard work, and obedience.

Other factors during my upbringing that altered my view of God were my close friends and extended family.In the early years of my life, my dad would drop my brother, my sister, and I off at my Grandma’s for the day. There, I remember always praying before every meal and watching cartoon stories of Jesus and his disciples. This was where my very first questions of God were answered and where I first learned who Jesus was. On the other hand, most of my close friends either did not believe in God or went to church, but lived a two face life like myself.Because of this, the only Christian influence on me was one day a week when my parents forced me to go to church.

However, now that I have been at Spring Arbor for a year and half, I have been blessed with amazing friends and mentors that have taught me more than they could ever know. Meeting with a mentor weekly, sometimes even daily, taught me what it means to love somebody, what it means to love God, and who God really is. They showed me what it means to live of life of integrity and of purpose.They evolved my past view of God as a disciplinary figure to a father who is loving, forgiving, gracious, patient, jealous, and much more. Most importantly, God is always by my side, always there when I am in need, and always forgiving when I have done wrong.

C.S. Lewis writes, “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him…The real labor is to remember to attend. In fact to come awake.

Still more to remain awake.” I am so thankful these people are in my life and pray that their discipleship will help me to disciple others that are still in a constant mindless sleep as I once was.The Question of God, by Nicholi Jr., and the DVD, helped me to strengthen my faith.

Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis forced me to question what I already thought was true in order for myself to better reason and support the beliefs I have. After analyzing my beliefs, I realized there are many factors, both positive and negative, that shaped and molded my view of God.

Thanks to my family, friends, and mentors, I now live a life of purpose and direction, of happiness and hope, and of love and forgiveness. I now have a stronger, more outspoken faith that I can back with reason. Having a faith centered on God completely changes a person’s perspective, direction, and enjoyment of life.