Perception of the Almighty has changed over the centuries

According to James E. Faulconer, Richard L. Evans professor of religious understanding at Brigham Young University, Nietzsche was only noting that the concept of God had no meaning or use in his supposedly Christian society. The concept of God lost its force because the people had abandoned it. According to Faulconer, Nietzsche, an atheist, believed the Christian concept of God had been an indispensable element in the development of Western civilization but that civilization had moved beyond that belief.

Matthew Arnold, 19th century poet and cultural critic, poignantly echoes Nietzsche's observation. In his poem, "Dover Beach," Arnold writes of "The Sea of Faith" which once surrounded the earth, "But now I only hear Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, Retreating, to the breath Of the night-wind." Thus, we are left "on a darkling plain" with "neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain."

Whatever one's view of God, it is clear that how He is perceived and the role we mortals allow for him has changed enormously over the centuries. We live today in a secular age, an Age of Modernity, sometimes called the Age of Relativism. There was a time, probably ending in the early 19th century, when everyone at all levels of society and of culture did believe in God. How that changed and when the change began will be the subject of future columns.

Joseph A. Cannon is editor of the Deseret News. E-mail him at cannon@desnews.com