it strikes me that the reason so many people, myself included, consider themselves to be either atheistic or agnostic is the strict, anthropomorphic definition of God typically espoused by organized religion. we simply don't believe there is a Being responsible for the universe. when i went on my hike two days ago with my friend steve, we spent a little bit of time discussing God, ritual, and thankfulness. steve performs daily rituals of connectedness with and gratitude towards nature (or God, if you can understand the term without all of its culturally ingrained connotations). ritual is not in my nature. i connect by touch. while steve was burning sage and singing and whatever else he does on the adjacent peak, i was lying on the rock, first on my back, then on my breast, looking more closely at everything than i normally do. i walked around, touching plants and cactus, feeling their energy and sharing mine. whenever i hike i touch a lot.
i believe that as a species, humans are drawn to patterns in the world around us. we notice and take pleasure in recognizeable connections between disparate things. we look for images in clouds or in stars or in abstract paintings. we learn about the world by finding the patterns within its structures.
for me, God is The Pattern, incomprehensible, made up of all the smaller patterns.
