Does God exist? Interview with an Alien.

Does God exist? This is a strange question. The believers will tell you he exists. The label "believer" is a dead giveaway. And the non-believers will, well, that label is another dead giveaway. The bias is as rock solid as cinder block. So, who is right? Maybe we should ask an alien, someone who is unbiased. He may be able to give us an objective answer. Or maybe not. But if you ever find an alien untainted by the countless of wars fought since the birth of religion, you can
 expect the discussion to go something like this:

Me    : Excuse me, are you an alien?


Alien: Yes, I am.


Me   : Do you know anything about man's religion?


Alien: Nope. What's that?


Me   : Perfect. Now can you tell us whether God exist?

Alien : What's that?


Me   : Oh, sorry, jumped the gun...let me explain. The God that men worship is the one who created the heavens and the
 earth. He made man in his wonderful image. He created everything in short.


Alien: Awesome. He seems believable.


Me   : Yes, that’s the one. Does he exist?


Alien: Well, since he created everything, wouldn't it be silly for him not to exist? Isn’t his existence the pre-condition of yours? Wait, is this a trick question?


Me   : No...no. I am serious. 


Alien: Where do you find this God?


Me  : You don't actually find him. He finds you. 


Alien: Interesting guy. He's a guy right?


Me   : Erm...the believers call him father God. So, yes, he's a guy. So does he exist?


Alien: Wait, how many believers are we talking about?


Me  : ...the figures are fuzzy. But for a really rough estimate, maybe more than half of the world population subscribe to some kind of godlike being or a spiritual, creative force out there.


Alien: Half of six billion? Wow, that's a lot. This includes really smart people?


Me   : Erm...yes, yes. Smart people believe him too. 


Alien: So, doesn't that answer
 your question?


Me   : That god exists you mean?


Alien: (nods with glaring eyes).
 By the sheer force of numbers...

Me   : Yes...but there is this one thing I didn't tell you.


Alien: (pause, glaring)


Me  : This God that believers believe rarely makes a physical appearance. And to most people, never.


Alien: You mean appearances like an annual world tour to meet the fans? Performing at sellout-concert-like global stage? Setting up fan clubs and offices everywhere? An all-powerful
 person like him doesn't do all that?


Me   : Well, not in the way you've put it. There are organized religion and home-based small groups coming together to worship him, sing praises and offer their services, physical and financial, but he doesn't exactly show up in the flesh in the way rock stars and itinerary preachers do. He's just not that media-hogging. 


Alien: Then, how do the believers know he exists? And...is this why there are people out there who
 don't believe he exists?


Me   : Well, yes. They think he's a figment of the believers' imagination. They think believers made him up to fill in the gap of their unsettling ignorance.


Alien: Wait...so he never came to earth ever before?
 Never made even one earthly grandstanding?

Me   : Actually he did, quite vicariously in fact. He sent his son to die for his believers in a personal sacrifice. 


Alien: On earth? And he's married? 
There’s a mother to all this?

Me   : Well...two thousand years ago he came and let’s leave the marriage thingy aside. It’s more complicated than that.


Alien: Ok fine, and who killed him, I mean,
 his son?


Me   : ...erm...us in ancient past, his creation.


Alien: Wow...no wonder you guys have so much issues. You murdered your creator's son! That would take thousands of years of therapy to fully recover.


Me   : Erm...it’s actually an act of love that he sent his son. It is really a big big thing for believers. But the son miraculously overcame the sacrifice and he is now with his father, safe.


Alien: Oh, for a second you had me there. The son lives I see. That should be a win-win for 
both of them.


Me   : Right...so, going back to that question, does God exist then?


Alien: Well, that's the part I don't really understand. He created everything and therefore he is all powerful I presume. And he loves you guys enough to offer his son as a sacrifice but then, he didn't die as in dead. It is like telling everyone you are going away for good and then returning the next day, surprise! Then, you guys have never seen him in the flesh before, except many many years 
ago when he sent his son and not him. And non-believers are saying that you guys are imagining him up to fill in the gaps. After all that, you still have the cheek to tell me earlier that this is not a trick question! 


Me   : Well sorry for not being candid with you alien. Now you know, can you answer?


Alien: You mean whether he exists?


Me   : (nods eagerly)


Alien: Mm...last question, how does a believer know he exist? How does he know that he even came many years ago, so-called died and so-called lives? 
How does he know this God created everything? And we’re talking about more than 3 billion people here who believe right?

Me   : Mm...you know how blurry statistics are right? Ok, they know it  by what they call faith. 
He actually lives in their heart. He changes them from within. And these feelings and changes by faith demonstrate his existence to them without a doubt. 


Alien: That’s it? They know because they know because they know…

Me   : That's roughly it…

Alien: …that seems quite reasonable. But you do know that there are groups of seemingly normal people out there who still believe that the world is flat, that Elvis is not dead, and that dead Korean preacher is some eternal spirit. I guess somewhere in their delusion, faith in whatever form features quite prominently too right?


Me  : (nods uncomfortably) It's
 really subjective actually...


Alien: That’s my point.

Me  : I see…(silent)

Alien: Anyhow...and I thought this is going to be a walk in the park here. (scans me) Your existence is far less controversial than his if I may say so. Now, going back to your question…does this god exist? Maybe. Maybe not. He seems quite a recluse for an all-powerful being. I trust he is purposeful about it. I guess going by numerical votes, he exists hands down. Going by appearances, it may be a tad dicey here. Going by feelings, or what you people call subjective faith, the evidence of his existence is
 overwhelming. And going by scientifically testable ones, I guess the truth is still out there. So, I hope I have answered your question in the best way I know how with whatever information you have fed me in this short time we have together?


Me  : Thanks. Appreciate your most unbiased opinion. 
Alien: You want a lift home in my really cool spaceship?
Me   : No thanks. I'll stick to my grounded vehicle. Cheerz.

* Image from "www.webweaver.nu."