Lauren believes that American society is collapsing due to their faith in a supernatural being; God (Butler). I believe that her views hold truth as many people do not try to change their circumstances as they believe that it is the will of God or that He will change their lives for the better if they prayed hard enough. The circumstances can only be changed if appropriate action is taken, inaction never leads to change. The existence of God is supposed to be a ray of hope in difficult times, not an excuse to justify one’s miserable situation. Lauren believes that God is changing and this belief is the core of her new religion. Her belief that God can be shaped according to the views of each individual makes God a more accepting being as in many religions if you do not follow a certain way of living then you are doomed and no longer worthy of God’s grace. This seems utter, non-sensicle as God is also said to be Merciful, so how is it possible that He would not accept the people that believe in Him in a slightly different way?
In simple words, God is accepting but humans are not so if a person does something different from the set beliefs then God will accept his actions but the humans would not. A simple example of this would be that a community goes to church every Sunday, however; one man does not. This community will judge him for not being devout but they will never ask him about his absence from the church. Interestingly, God who is said to be all-knowing would know his circumstances and would not hold it against him but the same cannot be said about his community. This community has deemed him a sinner for not attending Church, ironically; going to a certain place to pray is also a human construct. People can pray anywhere and it would still be heard. Instead of defining God in one way, people should be allowed to find Him in the way that they find easy to understand. Religions take the concept of God very seriously to the point which can make other followers leave the religion.
Lauren’s belief that God is what each individual perceives Him to be, makes more sense than the God that allows suffering. One cannot just accept their situation as the will of God as that is a lazy way of saying, “I would rather sit here and blame God than go out and make a change”. The existence of God has become an excuse for the people to not leave their comfort zones and waste away in the same place that they were born in. Accepting things as is; has led to the rise in crime and drug abuse. If a person is born into a poor family then working hard to get out of that situation should be the priority of this person. However; it has been observed time and time again that these people either accept their fates or turn towards the life of crime, very few take initiative to make their lives better. This view is very dangerous as it is slowly destroying American society, leading to higher crime rates, drug addiction, and various mental illnesses. This view is crippling the people by crippling them mentally, making them believe that they were supposed to live this way as it is the will of God. They do not challenge those people that have made them believe that they were destined to lead this life and keep on destroying their lives and the future of their children. So yes, Lauren is right and we are headed towards a very dangerous future if we do not change our beliefs.
Works Cited
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower. Warner Books ed, Warner Books, 2000.
