I've recently been struggling with the idea of God and who He truly is or would be or could be. Growing up in the church, I absentmindedly knew the information presented to me but as I got older I couldn't quite grasp the idea of God that I was presented with. It didn't make sense to me how he sets things in motion, yet allows life free will. He allows us to suffer, yet He intervenes to save us from suffering. What is He gaining from this? Are we just an experiment because He's bored?
I think Christians, specifically, have the wrong idea of God, who He is and His true role in our tiny human simulations. Last week, I attended church for a work thing (crazy right?) and the pastor preached a very interesting sermon and honestly, I don't think he even understood what he was saying. He preached on the parable of the laborers found in Matthew 20:1-16. Essentially, the story reads that a farmer went out to find laborers for his fields. Throughout the day, he goes back and forth from the farm to the market, finding laborers and offering to pay them a denarius for a day's labor, for which they agreed. However, at the end of the day, he begins calling the workers to get their pay, starting with the last workers he chose and ending with the first workers he chose. Here's where it gets interesting. As he finally called the morning workers to receive their pay, they were pissed as they realized that even those who only worked one hour were also receiving a denarius.
But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they[c]complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”This passage alone shows how passive and just God truly is. Many times people paint God to be this emotional creature who just wants what's best for us and wants us to be eternally happy and I'm just not so sure that's the case. I think God serves the purpose of neutrality and simply does what's "fair" to maintain the balance of the universe. This is where Thanos comes in.
Marvel's Thanos is portrayed as a villain, (although I've never believed him to be), who erases half of life on planets in the universe seeking to restore balance in the universe which had become corrupt. Thanos is completely indifferent towards life on these planets as he is just simply fulfilling his claimed duty.
"Hear me and rejoice. You have had the privilege of being saved by the great Titan. You may think this is suffering. No. It is salvation.The universal scales tip towards balance because of your sacrifice.Smile. For even in death, you have become children of Thanos." -Ebony Maw (Thanos' assistant, child, squidward thing)Thanos literally is modern-day population control, which is necessary. Even God seems to believe in population control i.e. Noah and The Ark, Revelation, etc.
Some would consider Thanos to be the god of destruction, yet his population control of dying planets brought forth new life, which he describes as a "paradise" where children were enjoying "full bellies and clear skies". Likewise, we've been told that God creates life while being capable of destroying life as well. However, if we believe the theories of these alternative gods (see Greek mythology or anime), then God would truly only be capable of doing one, right? If God is the god of creation, then we can assume Satan to be the god of destruction. But, based on theories, that would mean they both would have to equally forever be in existence. This, however, eliminates "heaven".
This piece really has no definite ending, because God has no definite ending, but these are just my thoughts...
"If life is left unchecked, life will cease to exist. It needs correction... I'm the only one who knows that."-Thanos
