A God-Shaped Vacuum in Our Hearts
Pascal in Pensees #425 (via Jeremy):
What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.
I think this is an interesting idea. There’s no doubt that people do better with some fundamental sense of meaning and, for many, that is filled with a belief in God. Yet I wonder if our primitive, pre-civilization ancestors had the same hole in their psyches? Perhaps avoiding lions, chasing smaller animals, and warring with neighboring tribes was enough to fill the void. Maybe the void we feel is just a natural result of having our basic needs met almost without effort. I think this hypothesis is bolstered by those who find meaning in extreme sports, by building a company from the ground up, or through art. Maybe God is just a placeholder if you can’t find something else to chase after?
Comment by JewishAtheist — May 22, 2006 @ 9:30 pm
That our “primitive pre-civilization ancestors” may not have experienced this void is besides the point. You’re right that such basic needs as hunger trump all others. I think Pascal’s primary observation is that the “abyss” is infinite and thus must be filled with “an infinite and immutable object”.
Obviously, this is not a “proof” in any sense of the word but I think it puts belief in God in better perspective. Those who argue that faith is irrational tend to forget the very rational role it plays in the human psyche.
Comment by sagoboulevard — May 23, 2006 @ 5:54 pm