The importance of discussing and contemplating big questions
In a recent interview with Thomas Oberle, an undergraduate student at the University of Guelph, I discussed the reasons behind beginning something called The Telos Project. “The Telos project is dedicated to the exploration of ideas and topics related to the God question,” said Oberle. Oberle described this project as being “like a blog, since it will document my own writing as I explore these issues, but it differs in that I would like to have students, faculty, and grad students at U of G contribute [to the cause], as well.”
The God question being something that many people have opinions on, Oberle feels it is necessary to have people contribute from all angles – it is a topic about which it is “important to have input from numerous disciplines,” stated Oberle.
Oberle began working on The Telos Project throughout the summer of 2014 and launched his social media pages in late August, though the topic has been one Oberle has been investigating for the past three or four years.
The main focus and passion that drives this initiative is Oberle’s “desire to know whether God exists or not.” Each individual is raised differently and comes from different backgrounds; some are raised in families that have been theists for decades, even centuries, and others choose the root of atheism. “I was raised a Christian and I was very dedicated to my faith and beliefs. Naturally, every person comes to a point in life when they question what they were raised to believe, or what they think or assume to know is true about reality,” said Oberle.
Oberle now describes himself as an agnostic and went on to say “I am not entirely convinced God exists, but I’m not entirely convinced [God] doesn’t exist [either].” Oberle believes that the agnostic stance is well suited for contemplating the tough issues The Telos Project aims to investigate, as it allows for a more “unbiased and objective view of the God question.” Because Oberle is neither a theist nor an atheist, it allows for accessing both frameworks from a clear perspective.
Oberle hopes that The Telos Project will lead to “an answer to the God question for myself,” although he understands that “[it] will likely take years to accomplish. There are still so many ideas and topics that I haven’t even [begun] to scratch the surface of.” Oberle hopes that The Telos Project will enable the sharing of views and “encourage discussion and an exchange of ideas on these topics,” because it is known that Oberle is “not the only one who is looking for answers” to questions regarding the existence of God.
As an institution that prides itself on investigating issues through knowledge and truths, the University of Guelph is an ideal space to continue this kind of discussion. Oberle wants to encourage people to start talking. “Many religious and non-religious people alike will close their minds to ideas and arguments that are worth considering and that have merit, simply because they are contradictory to their own beliefs,” Oberle acknowledged, but he urges that “we’re all interested in truth […] so we should all listen and consider arguments and evidence that may contradict our current beliefs.”
Oberle believes that “it is important for people to talk about and discuss the God question and the ideas and topics associated with it, because it is one of […] the most important question[s] one could ever ask.” The way in which people answer, or attempt to answer, the God question can “influence every aspect of [one’s] life, from [one’s] political views, to the meaning and purpose of life, relationships, ethics,” stated Oberle.
One thing Oberle stressed throughout the interview was that it is extremely important to be able to discuss these topics from a critical and theoretical standpoint – as treating such topics as personal can lead to others feeling “emotional or offended.”
To continue this conversation and getting the people of the University of Guelph talking, Oberle will be writing a regular column in The Ontarion that will be featured the last issue of each month titled The Truth Inquiry.