How to Find God
Copyright 2008 by William Edward Hunt
All rights reserved
The Origin of God
I've heard it said that God always was and God always will be.  That may well be
so but when we say the word God is that
the God that always was and always will
be?  Is it possible to mean one God and be talking about another?  Is not the God
we mean the one in the burning bush for example?

Like all else, the complete understanding or as close as we can get to completely
understanding God can only come if we consider all possible Gods and especially
first articles.  So we're going to visit God and take a look at one of the first Gods.

In the beginning of man's understanding of God there were Gods.  Is God, the God
that one nation is under for example one of them?  If it's the father of Jesus then
we know it was for Jesus was fathered by the being in the burning bush according
to the Bible.  Of course that's not what we have in mind or is it? That God lived in
the same kind of fire found only in hell.  Surely not the would be God, Lucifer.
A Likely First god
We can expect there were different first Gods discovered at different places on the
incredibly large earth.  To limit argument I will focus our attention on a popular one,
the tree God of central Europe, become the Christmas tree in celebration of the
birth of the ever popular man God, Jesus.

What better place to seek shelter from the elements than at the base of the
spreading majestic pine tree.  It's branches sway downward making a natural roof
over the heads of those unable to find space in a cave.  The branches direct rain
and snow away from the trunk.  Pine trees shed fine bedding material.  One can
collect the dead needles and make a soft cozy bed close to the trunk.

The masses of central Europe huddled under the open umbrella of the many pines
that filled their forests.  There they sheltered through the cold winters when the
ground elsewhere was covered with snow.  One can hardly argue that the pine tree
is not a gift from God if not itself God and a fitting symbol for the birth of man God.
Distinguishing Characteristics of Tree God
One of the distinguishing characteristics of some Gods is their vices.  Thor pounds
His hammer on the anvil to send his message.  Other Gods indicate their presence
and mental state in other ways.  Tree Gods both speaks and use their arms.

When the wind blows it makes sounds as it passes through the branches.  People
didn't know the wind was substance, made of matter, a mass of particles, a cloud
of gas moving from one place to another.  They thought the wind was caused by
the trees, the breath of God.  When God was happy and content he spoke softly
and hardly moved his arms.  But when was God was angry, something had upset
him he howled and waved his arms wildly.  They even felt God's breath.

What they knew for sure, could observe were the trees talking and waving their
arms.  They had many human characteristics, talking with their hands and raising
their voices when angry.  And one could feel the tree's breath just like humans and
animals.  They also used their arms invitingly to each other and struck out with
them when angry just like people.

All trees were definitely alive, had breath, could move their branches, (arms) and
could even speak.  They began as little sprouts like people and grew up.  Little tree
sprouts like little people sprouts don't have much to say worth hearing either.

Pine trees were not the only trees but they were the masters and good Gods.  
Other trees also wave their arms and speak.  But then comes winter.  Only the
evergreen tree has the power to resist the bitter cold.  Other trees offer some
shelter but not enough to talk about.  All trees are alive but only some are Gods.
The First Minister
Ministers are necessary else people won't know God.  Everyone heard God's
voice and everyone saw the tree's branches move.  Everyone is welcome in the
house of God and may help themselves to God's free meal of delicious nutritious
pine nuts.  All are beneficiaries of God's blessings.  But some are more blessed
than others.  They're called ministers.

It's God's ministers through whom God makes his demands for all the freebies
given to man out of God's love for man.  In other words, God's gifts are really just
God's trade goods for God expects something in return.  Then like today God did
wonderful things.  Like us, if folks didn't pay for them God became angry.

Lacking a written record we are left to speculate on just what the first one who
claimed to be able to understand what God said used to convince folks he wasn't
outright lying.  It's an odds on favorite that he was already an important man.  And
we can suspect with some degree of reasonable that it wasn't him but an underling
that boasted the leader understood what God said.  Non believers were punished
no doubt.  Man has been helping God punish non believers since the beginning.

We know what God told the first minister.  God has been telling ministers the same
thing throughout recorded history.  God told Moses to take charge of his chosen
people.  We know that's absolutely so for it's Biblical.  Choosing people is another
thing God has done from the beginning.  Way back when God told his very first
minister to take charge and lead his people to the promise land.  Therefore it
makes perfect sense that when the first ever minister cocked his head and listened
to the wind through the pint tree's branches that is what he heard.

Anyone who questioned the first minister's hearing was punished of course.  Early
on, non believers in ministers were punished here on earth that often included a
ticket to the spirit world.  The punishment for failing to do and not do as the ministry
dictates has now been put off until one is dead or runs for public office.
Most gods are Bad for People
I think the standard set of Gods, Greek, Roman, Western Hemisphere variety and
other parts of the world are not loving Gods.  Most all do some really bad things.  
Vulcan is one of the most dreaded as an easy example.

When we ponder the origin of God we must take bad Gods into account.  There
are so many that books have been written on their antics.  Vulcan is the one that
momentarily comes to mind with a case in point from the written record.

Once upon a time in Peru Vulcan became angry.  The great Inca chief knew what
to do of course for it was God that put him in office, (All power comes from God).  
Big men speak to God and God gives them the straight facts about what they
demand.  In the one God world televangelists have cornered the, "I spoke to God
and God said" market.  We have many of them to chose from but they're all speak
to God and hear the same thing.  The Inca chief was a big man of course.

Vulcan made his displeasure with what the Inca had been doing perfectly clear by
blowing a hole in the top of a mountain and shooting hot rocks and clouds of smelly
gas at the villages below.  To appease him the chief sacrificed his favorite
daughter.  The demands of God know no bounds.  We must sacrifice until it hurts
somebody otherwise God will get us all with his fire and brimstone.
All gods demand Sacrifices
It's been a while since anyone we know was sacrificed to a God.  The Inca chief
already had all the people could give him besides taxes.  The usually quiet Vulcan
only made big demands on special occasions.  And when he did the one who
usually received the sacrifices of the people to God seems to have been terrified
enough to sacrifice his daughter.  I think they say a favorite daughter but that's
what they would say if the chief only wanted to get rid of her.  A whack on her
smallish head with a tomahawk did the trick.  Thank God Vulcan was appeased.

The usual sacrifices to the Gods were brought to the temple operated by the high
priest at the pleasure of the king in most if not all ancient cultures.  The
beneficiaries were the ancient kings.  Of course, being the tax collector, high priest
is a fairly good job and conceivably a lot better than chiseling in the quarry.   The
record shows more than a little nepotism.  The office of king is for life and
inherited, except for the first king, the very special "man" who talked to God and  
understood what God said.

What God has always said is "put the money in the pot boy."

I could say a lot more but that pretty much sums it all up.  In the beginning there
was no money to put in the pot.  Instead the poor dumb bastards went to the
quarry and chiseled them big rocks.  Thank God things have changed   Now that
money has been invented, well, you know the routine.  Give until it hurts.  God
needs the money.  It's traditional and it's tax deductible.

So when you go in search of God look for the money.  It will lead you to him.  And
keep in mind that ministers hear what God says and know what God wants.  That's
why you will always find ministers where you find money.  Go to them and they will
show you the way to God.  Don't forget to thank God they settle for money.  One
never knows when human sacrifice will make a comeback.  It was traditional.

The end