Who is this person we call God ? Where did he come from? What exactly does he stand for ? And, what is he trying to tell us? All good questions, each with a possible kaleidoscope of answers.

Variable, yet neither fickle nor inconstant he appears different to each one of us. To those whose needs are met, he is a reality. To those whose needs are not, he is an impossibility!

Is religion truly 'the opiate of the masses', and if so, does God then become a phantom causing hallucinogenic visions and mass delusion? Perhaps all of these things are true to a degree. Perhaps they are not. The author thinks they might be. Each point changes as it is contemplated more fully.

What if, and I hold this out to you as only a possibility, God can only exist if we allow him to? What if it is only our thoughts and feelings that give him life and make the so called miracles happen? What if, and again I only suggest, good and evil do not need God or Satan to exist but stem from what lies within our brain or the energies of our bodies? Has God then been 'created' to castigate and control those around us?

If one were to make the assumption that God does indeed exist and all creation is contingent upon him, would it not follow that he has the ability to change any situation? And if this is true, why then are children brutalized, raped and murdered every day of our lives? If children are the most precious thing in God's sight, why does he allow the suffering of the most innocent?

Assuming you have bought into this whole 'God' thing, you may well have jumped ahead to the brutal beating and death of his own son, and are now feeling quite smug in whatever knowledge you have of the situation and the reasons for it. You are also probably saying, "He allowed the suffering of that innocent because he loved us so much," etc. But let us look at these things again, in perhaps a different light. Was not the death of one innocent enough atonement? Are those following meant to be grisly reminders or something else entirely?

When Herod slaughtered the children of Bethlehem was God not watching? Did he just not care? Was it just to fulfil a prophecy? If the latter is the case, the deaths were predestined and therefore in this author's opinion, brutal beyond anything humans have yet done. To create something so gentle and innocent for the specific purpose of murder is one concept I cannot grasp! The fact that it was done by a 'loving' God is another!

It's a conundrum as old as time. Only one of the many facets of this supreme being I do not understand. Do I believe? Yes, I do. Without a doubt. Do I understand his reasoning? No, I do not. Nor do I have the answers to the questions put forth in this article. I may never have them. Be that as it may, I cannot doubt his existence.