God and the Vacuum Cleaner

In a previous note, I discussed the role of the observer and the observed in the context of the philosophy of science.

In that note I affirm that, in the context of a scientific observation, the observer has a higher ontological status than the the observed, and that we can escape the state of desperation induced by the event-self, only by admitting an act of creation for the whole reality.

One of the implicit assumptions that were not explicitly stated in that note, is that when we formulate a theory, we are necessarily making a judgment on the object of our observation. Our brains are hard-wired in this type of thinking and we constantly use in our interpersonal relations. Let me explain my point with an example of daily life.

Adam comes back home from work and finds that Eve has perfectly vacuumed the carpet, but forgot to put back the vacuum cleaner in the closet. Adam perceives the out of place vacuum cleaner as a phenomenon in the sense indicated by my previous considerations. Adam finds himself disturbed by the presence of the vacuum cleaner and asks Eve to please put it away. The situation repeats for many days on end: Eve diligently keep on her duties, but forgets to put the vacuum cleaner away. Adam needs to make sense of the situation, needs to create a theory to explain what is happening, and finally concludes scientifically that: "I have told Eve many times to put the vacuum cleaner away: either she does not listen to me, or she does it on purpose. In either case: she does not love me."

The consequences of such an event (viz., the product of the theory) are clear even to most unexperienced newly weds. The comic in this situation also evidences that there is something wrong somewhere, and this can be found in the fact that Adam's theory implies first a judgment, and then a displacement of the object of the observation from the vacuum cleaner to Eve that is using it. Obviously, Eve is not at a lower ontological level than the observer (Adam), as it was previously the case for the misplaced vacuum cleaner. Adam's judgment breaks the unity, and as such represents a negative attitude.

We note here that this type of behavior, is also common in our personal theology. If we happen to assist to the unfortunate event of a heavy stone rolling down a cliff towards a car, crashing the vehicle and killing the passengers, we hardly jump to an objective judgment on the theory of cliffs stability, and/or the theory of gravity that caused the movement of the rock. More often, instead,we displace the object of our judgment towards God, who is at a completely different ontological level with respect to the stone, and we respect to us. Like Adam, we formulate the same theory: "I have told God many times I do not want to see anymore suffering, God does not listen to me, hence God does not love me."

The movement from man to God is therefore impossible. We cannot access the infinity of God, by starting from the analysis of our human condition. Note that we know that God is there because every human being is born with an innate tendency to find the Creator.

The original sin is the visible sign of our broken unity with God. Hence the only possible movement is from God towards man, and this is the essence of the redemptive message of Jesus Christ.

1. Does this mean that we cannot relate ourselves to God? On the contrary, I believe that we can relate ourselves in a personal way to God, right at the moment that we leave out our misplaced judgments, and we accept the will of God in our life.
   
   
2. Does this mean that we do not have to take any action against the public administration that did not take care of the stability of the cliff? On the contrary, we can definitely make a judgment on their actions, and act accordingly to the law of the land against the responsible.
   
   
3. Does this mean that it is not our duty to change the world for better? On the contrary, this is our imperative duty, a duty that needs to be carried out though without a pre-judgmental attitude. I believe this has profound consequences on the foundations of the sociological, economical, and historical sciences.