God Within

August 2026

I recently read a blog by a psychologist and Catholic author named Dr. Sean Tobin. Somehow I got onto his Substack blog called “Inner Exodus”, I’m not sure how, because I didn’t subscribe. But his blogs have to do with “healing, humanity and the interior life: integration in a world increasing fragmented.” He writes about AI quite a bit.

This last week he wrote about how someone wrote a prompt into ChatGPT about whether God exists, but told the machine it could not reference anything scientific or religious, but had to come to a conclusion from its own reasoning. The machine gave four arguments, some of which you may or may not agree:

1. The chain of causes has to stop somewhere, the only question being whether that stop point is a dead equation or a mind.
2. That the laws of physics are so finely tuned that if there was a slight nudge in any direction, there would be no stars, no chemistry and no “us”.
3. No one has ever explained how atoms that have no awareness can produce a person who grieves.
4. DNA is literally information, which has never been observed to write itself.

Intelligence leans towards yes…

The machine’s answer to whether or not God exists was: “Intelligence leans toward yes, something greater exists.”

Interesting.

I know people who do not believe in God, although one person in particular keeps saying things like, “God help us”, or “Only God knows whether that’s true or not”. I keep calling him on it, but he just laughs and says it’s just an expression. I think he secretly does believe in God but would never admit it.

Fortunately, those of us who meditate know about going within, and can ask ourselves about our beliefs. We can call upon the God of our own Hearts, even though that might mean something different to you than it does to me. The God of your Heart can be very meaningful if you go deep enough, and you can reach your own conclusion about whether or not God exists.

We can call upon the God of our own hearts…

I also get blogs from some religious-right organizations, and again, I don’t know why I’m receiving them. I got one recently that was talking about how there is really only one way to God, which is through Jesus Christ. If one does not believe in the Way, he/she is doomed. Given all the people in the world, all the religions and spiritual practices, and even my own experience with people, I find that perspective almost laughable.

My father was a minister, as was his father, and my parents were missionaries. There are many religious people of all kinds in our family, including more right-wing religious. My parents retired to a retirement community in the LA area that was originally for retired Presbyterian missionaries from all over the world, but due to financial constraints it was opened up to everyone.

My parents’ best friends in that community were Jewish atheists. They felt that good people were good people, regardless of their religious beliefs. I’m sure they all discussed religion in their conversation, but it was all in good fun, and no-one was proselytizing anyone else. That is the kind of attitude I find very healthy, as there are all sorts of ways to be “spiritual”, or caring of one’s self or others, kind and compassionate.

You can say hello to your own beliefs about God and about compassion and kindness, especially in the world we now live in, which is a dichotomy of both bullying, greed and lying, as well as kindness, giving and compassion. Who we are on the inside is reflected on the outside, which is an important indicator of the kind of person we are.

Say hello to the God of your Heart, and to who you are on the inside.

My very best and many blessings to you, who support the school and church so steadfastly, so enthusiastically, and so regularly.

Best regards,
Rev. Laura Hopper