Making Sense Of The Argument

There is a book that -- under normal circumstances -- would have generated more controversy and angst that it would make "The Satanic Verses" look like a comic book.

But because of who the author is and the almost dismissive way he frames his own book, it is barely a blip on the radar. However, that does not make it any less interesting or provocative.

What if I told you that God is dead? What if I said that we -- and everything around us -- are all made up of God's debris?

That simple, yet outstanding, notion is the basis for a book written by the creator of the Dilbert comics, Scott Adams. Adams wrote the book as a thought experiment and targeted a very specific audience.

In the introduction, Adams wrote, "The story contains no violence, no sexual content, and no offensive language. But the ideas expressed by the characters are inappropriate for young minds. People under the age of 14 should not read it."

Adams said the target audience for the book is people who enjoy having their brains spun around in their skulls.

The premise of the book is the effective -- and often wrong -- use of Occam's Razor. Given two equally predictive theories, choose the simpler.

Adams' protagonist is a man who literally knows everything, but uses Occam's Razor to explain the great mysteries of the universe, including the existence of God.

God, as stated in the book, is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Since God already knows everything throughout time and space, there is really only one question remaining to keep his interest.

What happens when God dies?

The details of this proposition are what make the book worth reading. The simplistic and absurdly basic discussion about this premise between the two main characters will make you smirk, but tug at the edges of your logic centers.

And that's when Adams springs the experiment on you -- find out what's wrong with the explanation of reality.

It is a fabulous read if you like to be challenged, like challenging normalcy or just like reading something different. Adams suggests sharing the book with your smart friends, then discuss it later while enjoying a beverage.

Anyone want to join me?

"I'm not afraid/Of anything in this world/There's nothing you can throw at me/That I haven't already heard"

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