Who Believes in G‑d?

Answer:

Everyone has a god. There is not a sane person on earth who doesn't believe in one. The question is only which one...

Your "god" is the thing that you believe to be infallible: you trust in its power despite any evidence to the contrary; you believe it will always be there, cannot be defeated, is all-powerful and omnipresent. It's the thing you can fall back on no matter what. The bedrock of your life - whatever that may be - that is your god.

Everyone has a god. The question is only which one. If you think science has all the answers, and that something is only true if it is scientifically proven, then science is your god. And belief in science can be as irrational as any religious conviction. Its adherents blindly accept the most outlandish theory, as long as it was presented by an expert in the field.

Science is only one common god. Another one is love. Believers in love make lofty statements about its divine qualities: "Love conquers all", "Love is forever", "All you need is love", "Love is the only thing worth dying for." Even though experience has shown that love is not all you need, and it certainly doesn't conquer all, their faith is not shaken.

Others worship money. "Everything has a price" is their creed. And no matter how many miserable millionaires they meet, their god remains infallible, and they continue to have faith in money as the source of all goodness and happiness.

A very popular modern god is self. "Believe in yourself. You are capable of anything. If you put your mind to it, there's nothing you can't do." Nothing you can't do? Sounds pretty divine. A pity it's not true. We have limitations. There are things that are simply beyond our capability. But to the believer, no evidence will move his faith in himself.

It is such a relief to just let G‑d be G‑d. If G‑d is G‑d, I can be human. I am not G‑d. Nothing about me is infallible -- not my feelings, not my intelligence and certainly not my bank balance. I don't have to be perfect. G‑d does a good job of that.

Science, love, money and self are all very important. But they are also fickle, ever-changing, and unpredictable. The G‑d of Israel hasn't changed. If anyone or anything should be god, it's G‑d.