Are Humans God? — or can we be?

Part 1

Let us begin with the popular story of a certain creator, the ultimate creator. The story goes that this creator is so mighty that he created the heavens and the universe. Amongst other creatures, he also found time to create humans, a creature who some regard as the ultimate creation — sound familiar?

You might or might not have heard this story, or maybe you’ve heard a slightly different version of this story. No matter the version you’ve heard, no matter your religious affiliation and the contraption they believe in as it regards the creation story, it always circles back to an almighty creator, generally called God. In every version of this story, God is special, superior and set apart from his human creation. However, these stories emphasize or at least try to find a common ground between God and his human creation. Wisdom, kindness, jealousy, judgement — these are a few common-ground characteristics, features that God and humans share. But don’t these characteristics make God more human? Or is it the other way round?

An individual and closer look at some of these characteristics might give us a clearer view of the common nature of God and Humans. Let’s start with a popular one, Kindness.

1. Kindness:

2 Sam 9:3 — — “And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?” ………(KJV)

Nehemiah 9:17 — — “……. but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not” (KJV)

The month is February, and the year is 2020. February marks the beginning of a year that will unfold in unimaginable ways, going on to test the limits of human kindness. This year is like none other and the novel Coronavirus is wreaking havoc globally. Hospitals are being overwhelmed and nursing homes are in shambles. In an ironic juxtaposition, the streets are desolate, eerily reminiscent of the kind of apocalypse depicted in the 2011 movie Contagion, starring Matt Damon and Laurence Fishburne, amongst others. But even out of so much sadness and chaos, our acts of kindness as humans towards each other shine out bright. These acts provide confidence and highlight the good of humanity.

I am torn on where to begin. Do I start with the story of Dr Kaushik Barua who worked on the front lines of the fight against the novel Coronavirus. Returning from work, he was always bleary and exhausted after multiple hours of anxiety and stress at work. His landlord Rohit Suri keenly observed this and started cooking hot meals for him every day. This gesture meant that Dr Kaushik always came home with a smile on his face, and never had to worry about the stress of making dinner nor sleep with an empty stomach. How about the countless stories of people coming together to offer food and care to elderly people and those who are most vulnerable. Thousands of people selfishly carrying out random acts of kindness towards total strangers just to put a smile on a stranger’s face or be the shoulder they lean on to carry them through these trying times.

Research and observation has actually shown that even in this harsh and competitive environment we have created, humans are generally more compassionate, tolerant, kinder, and behave less self-centeredly than anthropologists and models about capitalism would predict. A study by Jim Logen, published in the Online Psychology Journal testifies that human benevolence is noticed even when they have less. In their condition of lack and scarcity, people are still eager to share the little they have even with complete strangers.

2. Jealousy and Judgement:

Exodus 34: 14 — — “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God….” (KJV)

Deuteronomy 32:36 — — “For the Lord shall judge his people….” (KJV)

The attributes of Jealousy and Judgement need no introduction. Jealousy is a feeling one gets when they suspect they have a rival, or when something they think or assume should be their exclusive right is being shared with another party, especially if they consider the rival party unworthy or inferior.

It is no secret that the human mind breeds jealousy, as a result of psychological and emotional processes that are natural to human biology. One non-human (or even non-organic) entity that has been explicitly described as capable of feeling jealous is God. On numerous occasions, he was so much overcome by this feeling of jealousy that he moved to punish humans for entertaining a rival. One can’t help but wonder the biological and emotional processes that take place in God’s brain that produce a totally human emotion. It is common refrain that God is a supernatural being. Could it be that this supernatural being has a brain that functions within the confines of natural law?

3. Wisdom:

Job 36:5 — — Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any, he is mighty in strength and wisdom (KJV)

When it comes to the issue of wisdom, the scores speak for itself. If wisdom is a function of accumulated knowledge, then the many advances in the world in the areas of medicine, science, technology, the arts, and others, are a testament to the divine wisdom of the human race. If wisdom lies in deciphering the abstract questions of life and existence, then our philosophical didacticism since the time of the ancient philosophers stand as a witness to the ability of humans to tackle life’s greatest questions.

Part 2

While part one of this article explores the commonalities, in this part, we must recognize that as well as finding common ground, these creation stories also put immense effort into trying to differentiate God and Man. Yes, they might share a few common traits, but because God is way above in superiority, there are numerous powers and characteristics that he possesses that humans cannot begin to fathom, never mind possessing.

Omniscience, Omnipresence, Omnipotence, are some really popular attributes of God. In some circles, they are considered the major attributes that demonstrate God’s divinity. However, as humans progress with scientific and technological discoveries, it becomes increasingly difficult to make the argument for this divinity. Since omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence are some of major yardsticks for this divinity, it’s only fair we consider them.

1. Omniscience:

1 John 3:20 — For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things (KJV)

Describing a being as omniscient implies that they have complete knowledge. God’s omniscience therefore means that he knows everything there is to know. Of course, this idea of total omniscience contradicts the essence of freewill and the dignity of God’s creatures, but that is a topic for another day.

The point here is this; every year, there is an increasing compendium of knowledge. We discover new things, explore new fields of knowledge, and conquer new frontiers. The history of the world and especially the history of science is a history of continuous progress. A hundred years ago, we knew more about ourselves and the world than we knew a thousand years ago. Today, the knowledge we possess surpasses the wealth of knowledge we possessed at any point in the world history.

Looking back at the last century, humans have made a phenomenal leap in the amount of knowledge we are able to acquire. With our dexterity in its application, this knowledge has translated into a better life for humans, and an increased ability to acquire more knowledge. With the assumption that knowledge is finite, then at this rate of progress in knowledge discovery and accumulation, we will get to a point in the not-too-distant future where omniscient is synonymous to the word human.

Some people might also define omniscience from the angle of knowing everything about your fellow beings; what and how they think, their choices, and their favorite subjects. According to this school, omniscience is knowing what every other person is doing or wants at any particular point. Even when one considers omniscience from this angle, the evidence lines up in favor of humans. Have you ever been surfing the web and noticed an advert for the exact same rice cooker you have been looking for all along? Or sometimes it’s the friend suggestions on social media. You open the app and to your surprise your friend suggestion is someone you knew from high school but have lost contact with.

The future of omniscience lies not just in knowing what an individual wants now, but also being able to tell what they would want in future. If this niche definition of omniscience is valid, then it is safe to say that the future is with us today. The algorithms we have built today are powerful enough to be able to predict what a person might want or find favorable. It is not unusual to log on Netflix and find movie suggestions that are tailored to your preference. The social platforms of today pride themselves in being able to curate their products to your taste. To do this, they have to know your likes, dislikes, moods, and whatever makes you tick. If this isn’t a streak of omniscience, then I wonder what is!

2. Omnipresence:

Jeremiah 23: 24 — Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the LORD (KJV)

Proverbs 15:3 — — The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good (KJV)

Can something or someone be everywhere at once? Can you be present in all places at all times? This is the basic tenet of omnipresence, and a pillar underpinning the very nature of God.

In this era of social media and round-the-clock news cycle, it has become possible for humans to be everywhere at once. One can receive news and follow live events unfolding on the streets of California, while seated on their couch in the suburbs of Seoul. Technology has also given us digital maps, GPS (Global Positioning Systems), and other tools. With these tools, one can be anywhere in the world in real time, and everywhere at the same time.

Our improved transportation networks have facilitated a boon in human colonization on virtually every part of the earth. Humans, with the help of science and technology, have been able to create an efficient means for moving between two parts of the earth in record time. The result of this is that one can be in Abidjan today, in Amsterdam by evening, and in Beirut by tomorrow morning. This ability for efficient travel accounts for why we have humans present and active in the North Pole, Antarctica, and every other place imaginable — talk about omnipresence!

Human presence extends even beyond her home planet; earth. We have conquered the moon and sent probes to other planets. Man-made satellites roam earth and circulate other planets, gathering information that adds to our increasing stack of knowledge. These satellites and probes go places that we are not yet able to go physically. Physically or virtually, one thing is sure; the hallmarks of human presence are present everywhere you look.

3. Omnipotence:

Matthew 19:26 — — But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. (KJV)

Omnipotence simply translates as being able to do anything. A being that is said to be omnipotent has unlimited powers and is not constrained by possibilities. Looking at what humans have been able to achieve through the application of science, one can make an argument for human omnipotence or at the very least, potential omnipotence.

In the past centuries, we have scaled the highest mountains and explored the depths of the ocean. And then you might say to yourself; humans can explore the oceans but can they create for basic pillars of life, for example; water? — only God can. Well, I hate to break it to you but we have created artificial waterways, and tamed the world’s greatest waters with dams. Humans have gotten so good at this that we are able to use chemistry to decipher what makes up water, and then go ahead to create water itself.

Life they say, is sacred, arguably the most sacred thing on earth. It is therefore no mean feat that humans have been able to create life in the laboratory and produce whole animals. Dolly the sheep is prime example of this. Born on July 5th 1996, Dolly was created by cloning a cell taken from the mammary gland of a Finn Dorset. The cell from a mammary gland is a somatic adult cell. For Dolly to be created, the scientists had to work backwards to create a complete a new individual animal from a specific differentiated part of the body. It is easier to appreciate the enormity of this feat if one is conversant with biology.

It doesn’t stop at sheep. We are also able to fertilize and grow human life in the laboratory, producing the so called ‘test-tube babies’, putting smiles on the faces of the many families that wouldn’t have babies otherwise. What a miracle! These days, one no longer only has to hope and pray for a miracle when they are sick; all they need to do is go to their doctor. With the use of modern medicine, doctors can extend a life, treat and heal the sick, alter your brain activity, and even give you a new heart.

Allow me engage you, yes you my reader, in a challenge. Take a minute to think of something that humans cannot do. Anything so mighty and powerful, complex or so sophisticated that humans cannot be able to decipher it or make it possible. Can you think of anything?

Now take a deep breath and take another second to consider this; can you actually beat your chest and say of a surety that these powerful, impossible and complex things you thought of, that humans will still not be able to achieve or do them in the coming decades and centuries? Can you sincerely bet that in the coming years, these seemingly impossible feats will still be alien to or beyond human capability?

Summary

In conclusion, it is important to point out that all the many attributes of God can be streamlined into two main categories. The first category concerns the Personality Attributes, including but not limited to his love, goodness, and kindness. These attributes make God who he is, and explains his superiority over any mortal being. The second category deals with the Infinite Powers of God. Attributes like God’s omnipresence, omniscience, and so on, fall into this category.

So, I look at humans and what do I see? You don’t need much observation to see goodness, graciousness, kindness, wisdom, and judgement. Furthermore, the keys to omnipotence are dangling from the fingers of humans. When the search for the elixir of life is completed and the eternity of life is assured, then the argument for the total divinity of humankind would have been won.

Considering all these, it becomes obvious that humans share the same characteristics as God. The lingering question now is; what is the difference? Is it safe to say that God is human? Conversely, in view of the collective achievements of the human race, and the immense power we wield when we act in unison, does it lend a voice to the argument that you are God, I am God, and that we all as humans are God? When we come together as a force, are we not the Almighty?

References

1. Logan J (2016). Believe It Or Not, Humans Are Kind, According To Study. Psych.Org. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/phys.org/news/2016-08-humans-kind.amp

2. Wikipedia(2020). Attributes of God in Christianity. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attributes_of_God_in_Christianity