Life is hard, yes even difficult beyond measure sometimes. As adults we scramble ferociously trying to eke out a living and make do with all of our family, personal, and other obligations. Of course, I am referring to the experiences of the average citizen, not the ones I read about on the AOL headlines that flash on my computer screen; you know, the ones that are super rich and live in eight million dollar mansions, or the celebrities and music artists that made it big in their twenties and never really knew what is was like to struggle to pay bills.

 

This does not imply that such persons do not experience their own particular share of earthly problems, but their realm of existence is quite different from that of the typical person. For the average Joe, the great cares of the world often force him into a quagmire of problems and challenges, and consequently, he never really has time to contemplate, bemuse, or even consider more spiritual things. As reinforced by the work of the famous humanist and psychologist Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of needs, man cannot self-actualize and enter the realm of so-called metaneeds (needs such as spiritual truth which are sought and pursued after the basic needs like hunger are satisfied) until he has achieved a minimum level of personal security. That most men cannot pursue this higher level of need is unfortunate since as a civilization this is where we all need to be.

 

In some of my previous articles, I talk about the interconnections among faith, God, and yes—that bugbear of a subject—mathematics. I do this to show that it is no more improbable that God exists than that there exist such strange worlds and entities within the realm of mathematics. Man is an unusual creature in that he is skeptical by nature; yet when presented with certain evidences, he changes his tune quite quickly. Faith germinates to belief and belief sprouts self-actualization.

Without such a germination process, we suffer radically—both individually, and on a larger scale, as a society. It is not so unobvious that moral values in society are decaying and that society is splitting into two camps: the strong God-proponent faction, and the non-spiritual or secularly driven one. Although our nation was founded on a God and a strong belief in One, in the past few hundred years we have seen this idea corrode steadily. In my circles, I rarely hear the mention of God, unless I broach the subject. How sad! And mind you, my position in this matter is one which developed out of a true sense of doubt and even a long period of agnostic questioning as to the nature of the Almighty. The author himself was not an easy convert. For this reason, I understand the doubt and bridge of skepticism that I am attempting to cross.

 

In some upcoming articles, I will talk more specifically about the interconnections mentioned in a previous paragraph. I will present some very strange realities that should—at the very least—get some thinking about this question of God’s existence. My purpose, if not apparent by now, is to start a following which will help make a positive impact on society and lead many to a new level of self-actualization. Stay tuned.

Joe Pagano