Pondering divinity: a good way to spend time

For the bunch of “intellectuals” we supposedly are,
our lives as college students revolve around the darndest
things.

Guys spend too much time talking about sports and cars, and
girls spend too much time talking about clothes and hair.

So, I want to suggest something new and meaningful for you to do
with your free time. I want you to put a significant amount of
effort into answering a particular question … “Does G-d
exist?”

It is an important question, and students can certainly afford
to shift their current focus. Subconsciously, we’ve allowed
for our consumer-driven society to determine our interests. In
turn, society determines how we spend our free time and what we
choose to talk about. Don’t get me wrong, many materialistic,
superficial or pop-culture topics do have their respective
significance. However when put into the context of our entire
lives, do they really mean anything?

According to a recent study, college students average 11 hours
of “free time” (i.e. not sleeping, working or studying)
per day. Some of the most popular ways to spend that time are
web-surfing and talking on the phone.

At the same time, however, our four years in college are some of
the most influential years of our lives. It is here that we will
come to conclusions on what we want out of life.

The agnosticism that prevails among college students is not an
intellectually honest approach to the question. Objective reality
tells us that there are only two possible answers: Either there is
a G-d, or there isn’t. But what makes this question such an
important one? Why should you invest time and research into finding
its answer?

It must be acknowledged that whether He exists or not, this
concept called G-d has been the most powerful influence on Western
culture. Many people have lived and died in the name of G-d.
The idea of G-d has had an enormous impact on our government, as
many of our lawmakers (including the president) believe in Him and
make decisions based on those beliefs.

The effect a belief in God has had (and continues to have) on
our history, government, and people makes investigating His claimed
existence worthwhile.

When you want to know something, you need to go to the source of
that information. For example, when I want to know about physics, I
go to my physics professor. Since everyone wants to know how to
maximize their pleasure in life, they must go to the source of
knowledge about life. If G-d ““ the alleged “creator of
life” ““ exists, He would be the supreme source of such
information. So anyone who cares about maximizing their pleasure
should try to determine whether or not this infinitely
knowledgeable source exists.

Many religions claim the reward of Heaven, or an idea like it,
in exchange for a certain observance of G-d. You owe it to yourself
to investigate their claims.

As stated before, every person wants to maximize their pleasure.
What could gratify and delight someone more than “infinite
bliss?” If someone claimed you would undoubtedly become a
millionaire by entering a certain business proposition, it would be
worth some investigation. By the same logic, you should investigate
the claim of possible “infinite bliss.”

I’m not saying there is a G-d, and I’m definitely
not saying there isn’t. But I am saying it is a question that
is worth more thought than just about any other ““ much more
thought than many of us have given it.

This question is worth your free time. In the long run, whether
or not G-d exists is definitely more important than whether the new
BMW looks better than the new Lexus.

Levy is a fourth-year computer science and engineering student.
E-mail him your comments at [email protected].