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From: kort@hounx.UUCP (B.KORT)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Does God = The Process of Enlightenment?
Message-ID: <387@hounx.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 15:38:41 EST
Article-I.D.: hounx.387
Posted: Mon Nov  4 15:38:41 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 8-Nov-85 06:19:13 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 33

In Hofstadter & Dennett's _The Mind's I_ there
appears a delightful piece by Raymond Smullyan
(from his book _The Tao is Silent_) entitled,
"Is God a Taoist?"  The piece is a Socratic
dialogue between two characters named "Mortal"
and "God".  In the dialogue, the Mortal is
gaining enlightenment as to how it happens
that he has been endowed with free will.

At one point in the dialogue, Mortal is doubting
whether he is really having this conversation with
God, or whether he is only imagining it.  He asks
God if there isn't some may He can make Himself
known to the Mortal's senses.  God tells Mortal
that He can't do that, saying, "It would be more
accurate to say that I *am* your senses."

Still not satisfied, Mortal asks God to explain
to him who or what He is.  God replies by framing
"the best definition that mortals can make
of Me at this stage of their evolution."
God suggests, "I am the very process of enlightenment."
God continues with, "And what you mortals choose
to call the Devil (and I wish you wouldn't) is
the unfortunate length of time the process takes."

I personally found this passage both enlightening
and refreshing.  It is curious to note that the
phrase "process of enlightenment" can often be
substituted for "God" without any real loss of meaning.
(The process of enlightenment be with you.)

--Barry Kort