The God Letters

I've had this book in my collection since the late 80's. Paul Rifkin, disguising himself as a 5th grader, asks many of the famous & infamous of his day "Do you believe in God & if so, how has He revealed Himself to you?" Now, I don't know much about Mr. Rifkin, as it seems this is the only book he's written. (I'd like to ask him what his beliefs are) He got quite a few heartfelt answers either in the affirmative or negative. As a born again believer in Jesus Christ, I look at the answers in a little bit different way than most might. I can kind of tell who believes in the true God of the Bible & those who don't. Out of the 176 responses only 67 believe in the God of the Bible & of that number 26 are believers in Jesus Christ. Many thought they believed in God, 49 or so, but their ideas of God are wrong, according to the Scriptures. And sadly, 66 didn't believe in any god at all. 4 respondents refused to answer. So, while this is a neat book to peruse through, it's a sad commentary on these folks who think they're right about God, but in truth aren't. Some have already met their Maker, so now they know, albeit a little bit too late.

This clever book, first published in 1985, consists of several hundred brief letters that the author, Paul Rifkin - then 9 years old and in the 5th grade - received in response to two questions that he posed (for a class project) in his letter to some 200 `celebrity-type' individuals - namely, to entertainers, authors, athletes, clergymen, authors, businessmen and scientists - who were asked whether or not they believed in God, and if so, under what circumstances they came to believe in God. Paul didn't send me any such letter that year, but if he had, I'd have sent him a typical one-page response - perhaps something like this: Dear Paul! The many religions and their many, many gods, quite amply recorded throughout human history, have all been invented, developed and refined by man,himself (primarily by overzealous or power-hungry theologians and priests) - to assuage his own ignorance, fears and frustrations. Since man truly understands so very little about human life, death and the universe, he seems driven to entrust his understanding of, or responsibility for, such incomprehensible matters to omnipresent, omniscient `somethings' called gods. While all gods are basically figments of man's imagination, some human beings on this earth do, in fact, rise to positions of god-like power, where they exercise god-like influence and god-like authority over their fellow human beings. Sometimes these powerful humans even determine which humans will live or die. Hitler, Stalin the Pope, Kings and Tsars, judges and state governors come readily to mind. One's religious affiliation is frequently acquired quite accidentally or arbitrarily - as a result, perhaps, of geography, culture,state policy, or through the guidance or manipulation of parents, friends or neighbors. From time to time a religious person may perceive or imagine that his god is rendering him some kind of genuine support or solace, but the simple fact is (as Greta Garbo allegedly once said), "we humans are born, we live, and then we die." One's personal God, Dios, Señor, ???, Herr, Lord, Savior, Virgin Mary, Holy Ghost, or, whoever, will in no way, however, impact directly anybody's life or afterlife, even though a believer may hope, pretend, or instist that this is so. Of course, many people do believe earnestly and honestly in their god's existence and in his powers, but that doesn't really count or matter - since man demonstrates every day that he's ignorant, gullible and capable of believing just about anything. Sincerely, RWA, Severn, MD