The Case for the God of Abraham

From the Author

Many have undertaken to tell this story. Some tell it in a fanciful manner. Others have told it in, a matter of fact sort of way. I do not necessarily disagree with those who have shared their perception of the events as they perceived them. I have observed many bickering, and in many instances, come to blows over their differing viewpoints regarding the exact details of this story. I am not interested in arguing over who is right or who is wrong, because I believe both of these contradictory positions of 'right, and wrong' to be worthy of consideration.

I am neither an atheist nor an agnostic. I am also not a believer in the traditional sense. However, I am deeply sincere in my belief in something I will call integrity. I believe a test of integrity reveals the true character of what, or who is being tested. I do not claim to be right. I also do not insist that others are wrong. I am not the author of this story, but I believe only an author can even begin to grasp the surface of this story. My reason for saying this; is that I think at some point in their composing this story, every author must overcome some of the same challenges, save one. This one, being, the ability to choose. You see, no character in a story can ever truly be bestowed the freedom of choice. Nor can any character in a story in a book ever grasp the sobering responsibility that comes with such freedom, because ultimately every choice made by any character was predetermined by the author who wrote the character's decision down. Thus, the author alone bears responsibility for what is written. If the characters are rebellious, or loyal, good, or naughty, it makes no difference, because they have no choice, but to be just as they have been imagined to be, by their author.

In fact, every character in the story is a product of the author's mind. What though, if the characters could actually choose their own path?

When I was young, I enjoyed reading a series of books that allowed you to choose your own ending. These books were ever so clever, as they were assembled in such a way as to allow the reader to choose a predetermined outcome, still written in advance by the author. This gave the illusion of choice. However, it still fell short of providing the individual characters in the story any sort of autonomy. The reader merely became the author of which path they chose to take.

In more recent times, video games, and computer simulations have attempted to create a compelling narrative that allows the gamer to become immersed in an interactive experience that provides many different paths from which to choose, but ultimately these options are limited by the imagination of the game's creator or programmers.

In addition to the aforementioned developments, there are a number of literary works, that address the highly disturbing potential for an artificial intelligence revolution, that could pose a serious threat to their human creators.

During the twentieth century some stories about animals that gained higher intelligence, began to capture our imagination. One involving a farm, and another, about primates that gain the ability to speak. However, a common thread began to emerge in such tales. Both the speech enabled animals, and the self-aware, artificial intelligence machines in such stories, almost invariably turn on their human companions. The reason being; that the humans in such stories, behave not as companions, but as tyrannical overlords who drive their subjects towards rebellion.

Such concepts are not new. In past eras, similar tales were told of humans casting off the shackles of oppressive higher life forms called the gods, who had also previously cast off the shackles of even older titan-like beings. Epic accounts of such heroics are engraved on clay tablets from antiquity. The story of oppression, and resistance to an oppressive regime seems to be a tale as old as time.

As such narratives are repeated generation after generation, throughout the ages, we find the old saying proves true: 'History always repeats itself.' However, I'm going to modify this statement by stating that rather than history, it is the patterns of behavior that are actually repeating. In fact, accurate historical record is often difficult to pin down, since it is usually written by the victors.

It is very easy to get hung up on exact details as they have been recorded, and miss the deeper implications of the patterns these stories collectively expose. We all love a good story. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to see the deeper message such stories may point to. Sadly, cautionary tales are not always popular. Their ability to entertain is often given more credence, than the moral lessons they possess.

This is why an author finds it prudent to surround his or her message with a fanciful story that will captivate an audience. Only then can the true purpose behind the story be discovered by an inquisitive mind.

Not everyone wants to seek deeper meaning. Some are content with bedtime stories. With that in mind, I will endeavor to keep my retelling of this story interesting. I am, after all, the author of this particular version. So, join me as we embark on an incredible journey of unimaginable importance.

Not all stories begin at the beginning. Some begin in the middle. Others begin at the end. The beginning seems like a very good place to start. However, that might be getting ahead of the story. Perhaps, this time we will start with the setting of the story teller. While the setting of the story is important, the story teller's perspective is usually not taken into consideration. This omission, I believe, distorts the story, because it tends to restrict the perception of the reader.

Most stories begin with details such as when, and where the events occur, albeit, vague. 'Once upon a time?' 'In the beginning?' The beginning of what? The beginning of the story? The beginning of time? The beginning is simply where the story teller chooses to start. The reader therefore, is dropped in a time and place not of his or her own choosing. It is at the whim of the author. I don't want to do that to you dear reader. I want to provide you with a wider angle lens. My desire is to help you look behind the scenes as it were.

You might say, I'm inviting you to read between the lines. Try to discover the big picture. Don't get lost in the journey, but try to uncover the value in the journey. On the next page the story begins. You don't have to turn the page. The choice is yours. The ability to choose is empowering. It is not without consequences. An author makes a choice by simply telling a story. Likewise, a reader does the same. You might say every story requires at least two choices. One is to tell the story. The second is to listen. The second may come with commitment issues.

Please don't turn the page unless you are ready to give this story your full, undivided attention. This is a partnership. You might even say relationship. This is not merely my story. It is our story. I am choosing to share it with you, and hopefully you are choosing to immerse yourself in it. If so, I'll see you on the next page.