{"id":11112,"date":"2024-07-11T07:25:37","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T12:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/?p=11112"},"modified":"2024-07-11T07:25:37","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T12:25:37","slug":"can-the-universe-have-intentions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/2024\/07\/can-the-universe-have-intentions\/","title":{"rendered":"Can \u201cThe Universe\u201d Have Intentions?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Can \u201cThe Universe\u201d Have Intentions?<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Recently I have heard or read an almost avalanche of references to \u201cthe universe\u201d (or \u201cfate\u201d) as if it were God. If you watch American television, movies, read (or listen to) novels, short stories, etc. You should know what I mean.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe universe brought us together.\u201d \u201cThe universe is punishing me.\u201d \u201cThe universe planned this.\u201d \u201cThe universe is telling me.\u201d Substitute \u201cfate\u201d for \u201cthe universe\u201d and the same kinds of statements can be heard and read in popular culture. Often. Very often.<\/p>\n

I am struck by how, in the not-too-distant past, \u201cGod\u201d would have OFTEN (I\u2019m not saying always) been in place of \u201cthe universe\u201d or \u201cfate.\u201d In the last two to three decades, however, God has been banished from discourse, except in specifically religious discourse, of course, but \u201cthe universe\u201d has been\/is being treated as if it has intentional agency.<\/p>\n

I understand why this is happening\/has happened. Makers of popular culture do not want to be labeled as \u201creligious\u201d or \u201cChristian,\u201d the universe forbid! And secularism has risen in popular culture. And makers of popular culture think mentioning God might offend some readers, viewers. And they don\u2019t want to deal with the avalanche of emails, letters, phone calls protesting mention of God\u2014as if God is necessarily only an idea of fanatical religious people or people of a specific religion.<\/p>\n

But what strikes me is that characters in novels, movies, and television shows still can\u2019t get away from SOME idea of a transcendent power that has intentions and person-like agency and meddles in their lives. (Of course, I know it is not really the characters or actors but the writers who cannot do this.)<\/p>\n

But, in that case, WHY \u201cthe universe\u201d and not \u201cGod?\u201d In that case, those cases, don\u2019t they mean pretty much the same thing? Can an atheist or totally secular person really think that the universe had person-like intentional agency? Or that fate has it? Aren\u2019t the writers having their characters say something religious? To invest \u201cthe universe\u201d or \u201cfate\u201d with person-like intentional agency amounts to saying there is a god? Even if that god is NOT the god of any particular religion? Saying \u201cGod brought us together\u201d does not have to affirm or assume any particular religion. So why this aversion to god-talk in popular media and culture?<\/p>\n

I suspect that people are, on this point, anyway, just being stupid. Or duped. Or both.<\/p>\n

I know. Someone will say here that \u201cThe universe brought us together\u201d is just a figure of speech. But is it? Doesn\u2019t it reveal an implicit belief in some person-like agency that transcends nature? It does.<\/p>\n

My mind is captivated by this, especially recently. In the past few weeks, months, I have heard many examples of this on television, in movies, in books I listen to on Audible. (I listen to novels when I\u2019m exercising, driving alone or with my wife long-distances, etc.) I have noticed and cringed numerous times when characters have said \u201cThe universe\u2026\u201d when speaking about some event that is surprising. They mean \u201cThis couldn\u2019t have just happened by accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

I want to jump into the book or television program or movie and ask the character (or better, the writers!) \u201cWhat are you saying? Do you really believe \u2018the universe\u2019 has person-like, intentional agency?\u201d Or do you MEAN \u2018God?\u2019 If the latter, why don\u2019t you say it (or have your character say it)? You obviously don\u2019t mind offending some people.\u201d I could rant on.<\/p>\n

No, I don\u2019t believe \u201cThe universe brought us together\u201d is only a figure of speech. Or it is, but one that reveals some underlying belief in God.<\/p>\n

Put bluntly, \u201cthe universe\u201d cannot have person-like intentional agency. Unless, I suppose, the universe is believed to be person-like which, then, would make the universe God or a god. How is it less offensive to atheists or secularists to utter \u201cthe universe brought us together\u201d than \u201cGod brought us together?\u201d I\u2019m offended by the prevalence of \u201cthe universe brought us together\u201d when I KNOW it is an attempt to cleanse God out of culture which has the effect of marginalizing believers in God.<\/p>\n

But, to me, \u201cthe universe brought us together\u201d (and similar statements that express belief in the universe as having person-like intentional agency), is tantamount to saying \u201cGod brought us together\u201d except the latter makes sense while the former does not. Unless \u201cthe universe\u201d is a cipher for \u201cGod\u201d but then why? Why use a cipher? Especially one that cannot really function?<\/p>\n

*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can \u201cThe Universe\u201d Have Intentions? Recently I have heard or read an almost avalanche of references to \u201cthe universe\u201d (or \u201cfate\u201d) as if it were God. If you watch American television, movies, read (or listen to) novels, short stories, etc. You should know what I mean. \u201cThe universe brought us together.\u201d \u201cThe universe is punishing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":11118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nCan \u201cThe Universe\u201d Have Intentions?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can \u201cThe Universe\u201d Have Intentions? 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