God: The Oldest Question -William J. O’Malley, S.J.

By: Lauren Cook, Morgan May,Eileen Torpy, & Julie Van Dyn Hoven

Biography of William O’Malley

• Born August 18, 1931• American Jesuit Priest

• Ordained June 19, 1963• Author: of 37 books• Actor: Played Fr. Dyer in

Exorcist• Professor: at Fordham

University • Catholic School in New York

Chapter Summaries 1. To the Seeker.

• O’Malley argues humans are unique in their constant search for something more.

• People achieve their full humanity through their search and those who have not struggled with the larger questions are incomplete.

2. The Path To God Through Atheism—By examining the theories regarding a lack of God’s existence, people can grow in their

understanding of belief and unbelief. The four major cases for Atheism are:

• “Problem of Pain” How can a good, knowing, all-competent God allow the anguish innocents.

• “Occam’s razor” Beings are not to be postulated unless they are inescapable; to be truthful, we don’t need a God.

• “Meaningless of the term God” which denotes an objectively invalidated entity like unicorn or Santa

• “Negative consequences of belief” If we can cure ourselves of the illusion of God, we can take back our human dignity and autonomy from the hands of a tyrannical Bogeyman and an arrogant clergy

3. A Suspicion of Transcendence—“If there is Bach, there must be God” Two sides of the brain need to work together to lead to

“Mysterium Tremendum” “Vulnerability is an absolute prerequisite”44.

4. Nubale and Neutrinos, Quasars and Quarks—Scientific pursuit is not foreign to the pursuit of God. “Seekers for God can learn from the practitioners of science, especially in their expectations—and

their demands for evidence.”

5. Crossing the Abyss• “Give one argument against this statement: God does not exist.”

Many people don’t challenge their faith until some large event forces them to. The abyss is the commonality of struggles that all

religions face, no matter the backgrounds or viewpoints.

6. & 7. The Eastern and Western Faces

• These sections look at different prominent

philosophies and religions as a way to continue

exploration of God and how each person identifies

his/her faith.

• Judaism, Christianity, Islam• Buddhism, Hinduism,

Taosim, Confucianism

8. If Only God Would Show Us How• Through Jesus’s words, actions, and teachings we can make

peace with the idea that ‘God is God and we are not’

9. The Everyday God• Rather than just

finding out about God, we should try to find God. Trying to define

God (though important) is not

as crucial as making a

connection with God.

God reveals himself in our

every day lives.• Can you be fully human without

seeking?

People don’t question their faith until something calls it

into question. • Give one argument that proves that God exists.

Faith as a calculated risk or faith as a blind leap.

• What calculations or leaps have you had to make?• What allows to believe or not believe in God?

Religion encompasses God. • How would you describe religion?• How would you describe God?

God is a father. • Why do we feel the need to make God tangible?

God the Father by Cima da Conegliano, c. 1515

God in the Media • Jesus Christ Super Star• Godspell• The Last Temptation of Christ• Jesus of Nazareth