What Is God? The Conversation That Made Me Think

What Is God? The Conversation That Made Me Think

Today, I would like to share another interesting conversation that I had with one of my friends. I could mention his name here, but I have chosen not to. However, if he ever reads this article, he will immediately know that I am talking about him.

He is an atheist. I have often seen him question God—His identity, His existence, and even His activities. Many times, he forwards messages on social media that criticize the Lord by looking at His divine pastimes from a material point of view. These pastimes are meant to be understood by sincere devotees, not judged through ordinary logic.

One day, he forwarded a WhatsApp news clipping with the headline:

"Lord Jagannath Has a Fever."

By sharing it, he wanted to prove that there is no such thing as God and that religion is nothing more than blind faith.

A few days later, I visited his home. At that time, I was distributing copies of the Bhagavad Gita, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet him and gift him one.

As we sat together and talked, our conversation gradually turned toward God.

He asked me a very simple and direct question:

"What is God?"

He also added that he did not want a long explanation. He wanted a short, clear, and logical answer.

For a few moments, I remembered His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada and then replied:

" God is the One from whom all living and non-living things originate."

He immediately asked, "Can you prove it?"

We were sitting on a bed covered with a cotton bedsheet.

I asked him,

"What is this bedsheet made of?"

He replied,

"It is made of cotton threads."

I then asked,

"Where does cotton come from?"

He answered,

"It comes from a cotton plant."

I continued,

"And where does the cotton plant come from?"

He replied,

"From a seed."

I asked another question,

"Then where does the seed come from?"

He smiled and said,

"From another cotton plant."

I then asked him,

"At some point, either the seed or the plant must have come first. Which one came first?"

That was the moment I explained that the original seed comes from the Supreme Lord.

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita:

"It is I who am the seed-giving father of all living beings."

— Bhagavad Gita 14.4

(ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā)

This means that although plants produce seeds and seeds produce plants, the original source of all life is the Supreme Lord.

The Vedānta-sūtra begins by defining the Absolute Truth as:

"The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything originates."

(janmādy asya yataḥ)

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains this very first principle:

"I meditate upon the Supreme Truth, from whom the creation, maintenance, and destruction of this universe take place."

— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.1

Lord Krishna also declares in the Bhagavad Gita:

"I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me."

— Bhagavad Gita 10.8

(ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate)

Our discussion continued for quite some time, and we exchanged several more arguments.

Although I could not develop faith in God within his heart that day, something positive did happen.

Before I left, he accepted a copy of the Bhagavad Gita from me.

We discussed many other interesting topics during that meeting, but I will not cover them in this article. Perhaps we can discuss them another day.

Hare Krishna!

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