God Discusses with Aesop How Best Promote the Message of Deism
A Dialogue Written by Raymond Fontaine, Ph.D.-June 2003
Yesterday morning at my desk, I pondered the problem of promoting Deism which has only one tenet. Deism affirms that the structures and laws of nature presuppose an intelligent Maker. Nature reveals nothing about what God is and how he acts and for what reason.
To say more about God, some humans, like Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, proclaimed that the Almighty had revealed to them many supernatural truths about himself. Later their followers claimed that God inspired and guided humans to write books like the Bible, the Gospels and the Koran all of which contained God's complete supernatural revelation. These books have provided material for a million books and sermons.
Mulling over the difference between the above revelations, the one by nature and the other by prophets, I went to the public library for more information. What I first noticed was a grandmother reading a thin book to two children sitting beside her. Smiling I said, "The children seem engrossed in the story. May I ask what it is?" The tots answered, "It's our favorite, Aesop's Fables." In a flash, I recalled that the fabulist had lived 2,500 years ago. He had told hundreds of fables which were first written in Greek and later translated into many languages. Children and their mentors still read Aesop's fables worldwide.
That evening after I fell asleep, my subconscious, looking for dream-material, rummaged through my brain. Suddenly it spotted God accosting Aesop. "Good evening," God said, "it's always a pleasure to chat with the world's most renowned storyteller. Believe or not, I enjoyed reading your fables."
"I'm glad," said Aesop. "If I can be of service here, like telling stories to your angels, I'm ready to oblige." God answered, "Later perhaps, but right now I know a human, called Ray, who urgently needs your advice."
"What's his problem?" asked Aesop.
" The Deism that he promotes," said God, "has only one tenet: the structures and laws of nature presuppose an intelligent Maker. That's all he knows and can say about me. That meager message by itself can't inspire people for very long. It soon gets stale."
"Each of my fables has a simple moral that hasn't changed for millenniums. For example, the fable of the rabbit and the turtle affirms that: slow and steady wins the race."
"What's the secret of your fables' appeal and their staying power?" asked God.
"First of all," Aesop explained, "my fables are short, sometimes only a few lines, never longer than a page. That's why they are quickly grasped and easily remembered. I suggest that Ray's articles be short. Let someone else write lengthy treatises."
"Besides brevity," God enquired, "what else popularized your fables?"
"Their lively dialogues," answered Aesop. "In my fables, everybody talks, not only humans but also the animals and rodents, the fowl and fish, even the trees and plants. I would suggest that Ray animate his articles with vivacious talk. Let someone else write somnolent soliloquies."
"What else?" God asked.
"Dialogues require characters who talk." said Aesop. "For my fables I didn't choose orators like Demosthenes and Cicero but chattering monkeys and braying asses. Subhuman creatures who talk attract attention. Besides, in my fables, animals often make more sense than humans. When my animals get sassy, they get away with it. Humans say, "They're just dumb animals in a fable. Using my animals characters, I could speak freely and frankly without antagonizing anyone. I would suggest that Ray carefully choose captivating characters."
"Are you recommending," asked God "that Ray use animal characters to promote belief in Nature's God? Doesn't that seem flippant?"
"You're right, my Lord," Aesop agreed. "Readers might consider that irreverent and repellent. How about using you as his chief character - you're interesting."
"Perhaps to you," said God "but to many I am distant, silent, invisible, inaccessible. That makes for dull reading."
"That's true in reality," Aesop rebutted," but if he puts you in a dream, as I put my animals in a fable, he can make you talk and say almost anything. He could give you a sense of humor which would make you more personable."
"Tell me, Aesop," God asked, "did you put any deity in your fables?"
"In at least 22 fables I did," said Aesop. "Jupiter, Mercury and Venus made several appearances but frankly, I didn't feel at ease making them do and say things that I dreamed up for entertainment. As a result, they were not so interesting as my animals that I manipulated at will.
"So, in all Ray's dialogues," God said, "he could use me as the central character worthy of attention. Then Ray could have me talking to someone who provides enlightenment and inspiration. Just as a father communes with his child in real life, so in a story, I should be able as Creator to commune with one of my creatures. That seems normal enough. I like that. Thank you, Aesop. I shall communicate your suggestions to Ray and endorse them fully."
With that, I awoke with a clear vision of how I should promote belief in God, the Creator of the structures and laws of nature. Aesop never dreamed that his fables would regale millions of people through several millenniums - but they did. Neither do I dream of that kind of success for my divine dialogues. But with a start on the Internet that reaches millions worldwide, who can predict how much my dialogues will contribute to the spread and final triumph of Deism?