Do We Need God?

This program covers a topic—our understanding of God in a scientific world—that could easily fill many, many more sessions. In an effort to keep the topic somewhat limited, and to prevent it from veering off into an intellectual discussion, we’ve tried to keep the questions focused on how our understanding of God affects our own lives and understanding of the world.

For another view on this topic, see the session "Who or What is God."

Member Preparation

In preparation for this session, read the following quotes and the attached handout—“Do We Still Need God?” by Marc Smircich—and take some time to think about the questions below.

"God is like a mirror. The mirror never changes, but everybody who looks at it sees something different." - Rabbi Harold Kushner

"It makes no difference as to the name of the God, since love is the real God of all the world." - Apache proverb, from One Heart: Universal Wisdom from the World's Scriptures

"The trouble is that God in this sophisticated, physicist's sense bears no resemblance to the God of the Bible or any other religion." – Richard Dawkins

These questions provide ways you may want to approach this topic. Remember to focus on just one or two of the questions, if you choose to use them, as this will allow you to explore the topic in more depth.

  • How do you feel about God?
  • What role, if any, does God play in your life?
  • Do you think we need God in our lives? in our community? in the world?

Special Materials

Handout: “Do We Still Need God?” by Marc Smircich (UUSF member)

Further Exploration