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I had a call from God this week

The phone rang and I answered it.

At the other end was a pleasant female voice inviting me to learn more about God.

To be honest, I think I've done all the research I need to on "God" and thus see little point in listening to any more prothletising from well-intentioned God-followers.

However, I would never criticise anyone who honestly believes in such a deity and simply wishes to share their belief with others. Let's face it, freedom of speech is something that must be exercised and protected if it is to survive in an era of increasing totalitarianism.

So I had a conversation with this messenger of God.

As is so often the case these days, this young woman was talking about the version of God that is embraced by the Jehova's Witnesses.

Now I did my due dilligence on the JWs and their teachings many decades ago and unfortunately, like all the others, it simply didn't past muster.

This group have some interesting differences from most traditional Christian faiths, insomuch as they don't believe that hell is a real place and they seem to constantly predict that these are the "end days". In fact, they have been predicting the end days quite regularly for more than half a century but each time their predictions fail to eventuate, they push the date out just a little further.

I don't know whether to feel happy or sad for those who have "found God" via the JWs.

On the one hand, many people do need a psychological and spiritual crutch to make their life meaningful and provide support. Religions are good for this purpose. It doesn't really matter whether God is real or not in such cases because it's more about the coming together of people with the goal of helping each other.

On the other hand however, virtually all churches become commercial and political entities over time, even if that's not why they were formed.

The worst religions are those which seek to build mechanisms such as tything into their structural frameworks. This is a road to riches for those well placed within such organisations and as they say "money is at the root of all evil".

I've heard some horror stories about the way the JWs treat former congregation members who deviate from the defined ways of the church and that is unacceptable to me. Either you have unqualified love for your fellow man or you don't. Once you start imposing conditions then you are simply trying to control others -- usually for your own gain or benefit.

So I chatted for a few minutes with the woman on the other end of the phone and politely explained that I don't need a god to make me feel important, useful or whole. I pointed out that although some mysteries remain, we no longer need a sun god, a fertility god or a myriad of other gods to explain away the things we don't understand - science has taken care of that for us.

I also pointed out that if, as is claimed, God loves us all as his children then unconditional worship should not be a condition for receipt of that love and favour. At no time have I, nor would I, expect my own children to worship me simply because they are my creation. The need for servitude and worship is not the attitude of a superior being.

So we agreed to disagree and she went on her way -- no doubt calling the next number on her list.

I am just a little saddened that in the third decade of the 21st century we still have members of our society who need to believe in a superior deity in order to give their own lives a purpose.

What about you? Does science to a good enough job of explaining things or do you still hold on to the belief that there must be some higher power responsible for our creation, our welfare or our purpose?

Maybe, as predicted in countless scifi novels, we are simply a crop that has been planted for later harvesting! Good God, no! :-D

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