CONVERSATIONS IN THE PANTHEON - The Truth about God and Religion

Three People in a Coffee Shop and the Start of a Long Conversation

Most people take the existence of god on faith: something not to be questioned. They are called the faithful. Some people think about it and decide that god's existence is unknowable. They're labelled agnostics. Others study the facts and determine that god doesn't exist. They are known as atheists.

Meet Mary, Mathew and Thomas, three friends who meet regularly at the Pantheon, a coffee shop in their area of town, where they routinely gather for an authentic Italian coffee experience. Mathew is a devoted faithful. Mary is an agnostic and Thomas is an atheist.

Mary has been a school teacher for more years than she likes to admit. She teaches science at the local high-school and has taught both Mathew's and Thomas's children. Mathew is the manager of the local food bank, a person who is loved by one and all for his generosity and kindness; and Thomas is a newspaper reporter. He has received many awards for his investigative work. He works assiduously to keep politicians and government officials accountable. He also has a very strong sense of community and does a lot of volunteer work.

Their conversations range all over the map as they enjoy their company while sipping cappuccinos. However, this book is about their conversations on god and religion. They espouse their deeply-held views passionately, but their friendship allows them to discuss them without coming to blows over them. They approach the discussions with an open mind and try to understand each other's arguments using the power of reason. And as good friends, they each respect each other's viewpoint.

I have listened to their conversations as a passive observer and I report them here not verbatim, but their essence is preserved. I too frequent the Pantheon for its good coffee and ambiance.

Before I pass you onto them, it's important to recognize that all three were raised in north America and received a Western upbringing. That's to say that whether or not religion and god is important to them, they share a christian bias. The simple fact is that Western culture is steeped in christianity. For example, while they all celebrate Christmas, to Mathew it is a birthday celebration, whereas to Mary and Thomas it's just a family holiday, a festive tradition handed down from generation to generation.

While christianity is one of the world's largest religion, it is followed by only a minority of the world's people. Non-christians make up the bulk of it. They include Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, Shintoists and others. The others are too many to list them all here.

Different religions worship different gods, but who is the true god? Who is the one and only creator of everything that we see? Moreover, who is qualified to answer that question without prejudice?

Furthermore, is god male or female? Is it white or black? Given that god doesn't manifest itself to humans, how will we ever know? Why did the authors of the Old Testament choose god to be a white male?

No one has ever seen god, yet religions profess to know all about him or her. Is god just a human concept, embellished by religious traditions and rituals, which takes on different features and characteristics, depending in which part of the world one lives?

What about our stone-age ancestors, who lived hundreds of thousand years ago, did they have gods?

These questions, and many more, will be answered in the following chapters. Does science have any answers? You may be surprised!