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God.Online: Seeking God in the 21st Century
by James C. Wetherbe
Well-intentioned but flawed attempt to prove the existence of God via scientific inquiry.
When I saw the title: “God.Online: Seeking God in the 21st Century,” I hoped that the book would discuss the effect the Internet is having on religion and spirituality. In reality, this was not the case. The book begins with the author's struggle with coming to believe in God, and goes on to offer advice to other doubting seekers. The author John C. Wetherbe, a professor of technology and management, uses the Internet as an analogy to our relationship to God. Like the Internet, he says, God is the source of tremendous, often mysterious knowledge. When we connect with God, we are “online.” Computer viruses, worms, etc. are the equivalent of Satanic forces.
Wetherbe says early on that he plans to use the tools of social science inquiry (e.g. case studies, surveys, and control groups) to prove the existence of God, and even spends a chapter reviewing how these tools operate. Before getting to the crux of God's existence, the author spends a time on “How to Know What We Don't Know,” discussing such questions as: Why does God allow death? Is there life after death? And finally, why are God and His ways so difficult to understand? This is the most interesting section of the book, as Wetherbe does come up with some insightful passages. But as scientific inquiry, the chapter leaves something to be desired. For instance, Wetherbe takes as a given that humans have free will, an idea that both behaviorists and sociobiologists often question. Also, in writing about the conscience, he fails to consider the impact of the society in which a person lives on his or her conception of good and evil. All this leads up to the most disappointing chapter, “The Great Experiment,” in which the author explores God's existence. He abandons all but the pretence of scientific inquiry here. Wetherbe proposes at one point that we use ourselves as “control groups,” and do an experiment to see whether we feel better about ourselves when we feel some connection with God or when we do not feel such a connection. Neither this “experiment,” nor others about which he writes, seem to meet the criteria for rigorous scientific inquiry.
Later, he says more sensibly that, “What we need is the experience of God's presence to know he exists.” He then offers some moderately useful suggestions as to how a person can come to this realization. A final chapter deals with a number of spiritual epiphanies the author has experienced.
In sum, “God.Online” is a well-intentioned work that contains flashes of wisdom. I doubt, however, that many non-believers would change their minds after having read it.
Title: God.Online: Seeking God in the 21st Century
Author: James C. Wetherbe
Publisher: Mead Publishing
ISBN: 1883096030
Review written by: William Keogan
Reviewer's Rating:6
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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