Can’t live without us

“Right,” said God, “just look at that fantastic universe I have created”.

“Far too much goodness for my liking,” retorted Satan.

They were observing together from a point well removed from anything known to mankind.

“And to think that I am supposed to have done it all in seven days”.

“Well, you did didnt you?”

“To tell the truth I cant really say. You see, days didn’t exist at its inception. Indeed, days only arose when that bit called the Earth had settled into a regular orbit about the bit called the Sun. Strangely enough it settled into a mode of precession which enabled mankind to discern seasons as well. For all I know, it could have taken ages but if their scientists are to be believed, it was all done in an instant with a big bang”.

“Do you think they still believe in us?” asked Satan.

“Can’,t really say, but they still seem to need us, me far more than you of course.”

“But do we really exist?”

“Yes, of course we do. We are an intellectual construct.”

“A what?”

“A figment of their rather over active imagination.”

“How come?”

“Well, those humans have evolved into a rather bright lot. I think they created the idea of us rather like their mathematicians have created their constructs. Take the circle for instance.”

“I’m not a bit like a bloody circle.” Satan was getting a bit miffed.

“As a construct you’re very much like a circle. You see no-one has ever seen or truly made a perfect circle, you cant, not out of molecules and yet without the idea of a circle and other things like it the whole of geometry would not exist; there would be no science or anything of the sort.”

“Well, I can see the need for them to invent mathematical constructs but I still cant see why they would need to invent us.”

“Ah”, sighed God, “They had to invent us, didn’t they. Without us there would be no religion, nothing to use to create stability; nothing to reign in their natural desires. Without us there would be chaos.”

“I can’t see that they are not chaotic anyway. In fact I am rather pleased to see that there is a fair amount of crime, greed and such.” Satan allowed himself a little smirk.

“Yes, but its all fairly stable. Biological evolution takes place very slowly as does social evolution. Religion and society in general has many stable periods where they have time, using the law and such, to suppress too much imaginative change. The church has been instrumental in slowing down scientific advance on many occasions. Just think what they did to Socrates. Whats more, they are still at it. There is still a lot of debate over evolution, birth control and the like even in the most enlightened communities and as for those less enlightened communities, well they are still dictating how people should dress.”

“Is that bad then?”

“Not necessarily,” retorted God. “You see the trouble with dynamic change is that it is difficult to establish, until sometime later, whether or not a change is necessarily for the good or not. Very often that which appears to give a short term gain ultimately becomes disastrous. I believe that they are having difficulty with climate change at this very moment. Just imagine what it would be like if there were no dampers in the system.”

“So what you are saying is that periods of stability are essential?”

“Yes indeed, my whole premise when I invoked the system of evolution was that the system should necessarily contain an element of high fidelity; that organisms should mutate very rarely and that the most apt should have the best chance of reproduction. But change does seem to be an over-riding feature, otherwise self destruction occurs. Just look at what has happened to dinosaurs and communism.”

“What are you talking about! Communism is not biological!”

“Ah, but societies evolve just like biological things do. Cant you see that? What you’ve got is a pretty stable city structure with most people going about their business as if the city and their lifestyle are going to be about forever. It is questionable as to whether the city is serving the people or that the people are serving the city. They have in place their police force, churches, civil service and the like. But the city itself evolved; no one sat down and thought lets have cities they’re a pretty good idea. But unless there are unruly people about the city will eventually stagnate and decay.”

“So my influence is pretty necessary then,” sniggered Satan. “My mate Al Capone soon put an end to prohibition didnt he?”

“Dead right he did along with a few other of your good friends, but unfortunately or fortunately for mankind so far the advocates of social stagnation have had more influence than the criminal innovators. They criminalising all the fun out of life. It certainly is an ongoing struggle.”

“I guess its fair to assume that we exist then.”

“Exist? They can’t do without us.”