‘Man is not God’ is a phrase that is often used when ‘science’ tries to encroach upon what is believed to be the realm of ‘God’ (e.g. cloning and stem cell research).
Obviously the term ‘man’ is loosely used and I use it here in the wider context to represent both men and women.
I also heard this phrase in a movie the other day. But all of a sudden my brain turned this line around and presented it to me. It gave me quite a lot to think about. Here is the phrase turned around:
‘God is not man’
Man needs science because man is not God. God is not man therefore God has no need for science. God does not die (we assume?), does not need food (again assume?) so why would God DO science? God is all knowing and all seeing. This surely makes ‘science’ a useless tool for God.
When people say that Man should not try and play God (for example when we fiddle around with DNA to create new life forms such as GM crops) my question is since God is not man how does he (or she) know about the problems of being a human?
Man needs science to improve his life. God has no need for science. So why stop the spread of science? Why ban stem-cell research which has the potential of helping millions of people suffering from problems like diabetes?
That is because man does not know how to use science for benefit of mankind in general. Science becomes either a gun to hold against someone or a pile of money.
This is a debate which has no end. God can aspire man to achieve great things. At the same time if we realise God is not man then our perception of ‘what is God’ will change and this debate will end. That is when we will realise ‘God’ is not a destination, it is a journey.
Fish Eye View 