Cultural Studies Dialogue

At a café one evening, chatting like old friends is Aquinas, Solzhenitsyn, James and Kuhn. A
person runs in and shouts: “God is dead! And you have killed him!” and leaves.
Aquinas:
What ignorance is this!
Why would a human being who was given life by God say that the same God is dead?
This is what happens when man refuses to seek God!
If that man sought God he would surely know that God is alive today and always.
Solzhenitsyn:
With all respect I hate to engage in the discussion of God.
Whether he exists or not is a discussion I’m not willing to participate in right now.
What really concerns me is the statement made by that man. Is it possible that he is the one who
is dead?
Is it possible that this man stopped living long time ago though physically present?
James:
Gentlemen, I’m the only one who finds that statement that God is dead out hand!
How can God be dead yet he is the one who controls this universe we stand one?
I agree with my friend Aquinas when he calls it ignorance.
Else what would lead a human being into making such a statement if not ignorance?
Surely, if we look all around us we are surrounded by manifestations of God’s presence.
Like that river over there, why do you think it never stop flowing? The answer is simple because
God has ordered it so.
Kuhn:
I think as much as the statement made by the gentleman might be considered reckless we should
not rush into condemning him.
We should ask ourselves one question, what are the reasons behind that statement?
If the man thinks that God might his assertions be representative of the position held by the
society he lives in?
Let us examine our society so that we can understand at what point such a person acquired his
views.

CULTURAL STUDIES3

After a brief awkward silence
Aquinas (with soft but steady voice)
The debate should not be whether God is alive or dead, for we all know there must be a superior
being who is the reason we are alive today.
Look at us human beings, we are endowed with ability to reason and converse something lacking
on animals.
Why do you think this is so friends? Definitely, because God wanted us to be the center of the
universe! To take care of the world and it bring it under control.
Such a universe could not have existed if God was not behind it. For that reason we must all
agree that God is alive.
Kuhn:
My esteemed friend Aquinas has made his voice heard on this table. I do not wish to contradict
him.
Nevertheless, like I stated at the start of this conversation let us look at the quality of life of
people today.
We are all going to agree that a lot of people are suffering today due to various causes. We
cannot attribute this to nothing.
People are suffering because there are others who are not doing what is expected them. Our
leaders have failed us.
It is because people have been made to rely so much on God without doing enough to remedy
their situation that is why a man would say God is dead if things did not happen as expected…
Solzhenitsyn: (Interjecting)
I like to agree with Kuhn’s argument to the extent that no person would just wake up and make a
claim like that of the gentleman in question without a reason.
Certain events in his life must have inspired him. For instance he might have experience some
difficult times in his life.
However, we human beings cannot just sit and curse without doing something to remedy our
situation.
When somebody says God is dead is like he or she has lost hope with life. However, there is too
much to live for in life.
It is important that we have faith that everything will be okay and then we work hard towards
achieving our set goals so that we can finally be happy.
James:

CULTURAL STUDIES4

I find this discussion very refreshing and I have learnt a lot from it.
We must all agree that there are a lot people in the world today who are very dissatisfied with the
way things are.
We cannot blame them for having weak resolutions, in this age of science which has affected
various aspects of religion.
However, people should always be given hope that their situation in life will change though
slowly.
Solzhenitsyn:
It is true that the goal of every human being is to live a happy and comfortable life.
This might explain why a man like the one who came here earlier would think God is dead if for
instance his life was not happy as he would have expected it to be.
But we must acknowledge that nothing in life is constant, everything changes and so should we.
Kuhn:
One thing that stands our short conversation it that what society views as acceptable will be
acceptable.
If the society loses faith in something they have held dearly previously then maybe we need to
re-evaluate our position.
We need to ask ourselves whether our belief system is improving our lives or is there something
we need to change.
Aquinas: (Breathing deeply)
Very well said my brother, our desire as human beings is to have a happy life.
That life full of happiness is only achievable if agree to seek God first because real happiness
comes from knowing God.