If Chicago exists, so does God

Writer John Hodgman, who owes most of his dubious notoriety to the appearances as "PC" in often misleading Mac commercials, is better known amongst intellectuals, such as myself, for his outrageous, albeit somewhat well supported, claim that the city of Chicago, Illinois does not exist. The so-called Windy City is purely a figment of imagination, as well as a product of Midwestern longing for identity and, ultimately, a comforting urban legend of a "a fantasy world ... of gangsters and Italian beef sandwiches and two—not just one—but two baseball teams competing with each other all the time, and streets paved with gold where lobsters walk, or whatever."

I must admit, that I am a bit partial to this Chicago myth (having visited this ephemerous town a few times). But the idea that something quite universally deemed to be true may have no factual claim to verity is well-known and dear to me. For years I have doubted the existence of the Pope. That's right. I am not at all that convinced that the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Servus Servorum Dei et cetera, et cetera is an actual human being. We may very well deal with a craftily devised representation of our collective need to have a spiritual leader of considerable importance. All public appearances of "the Pope" (a well-paid actor, no doubt), all his actions and proclamations are nothing but an orchestrated attempt to give flesh to certain fundamental values and institutions of the Western civilization. I am willing to debate anyone who claims to have proof of the Pope's existence.

Now, seriously speaking, these two instances demonstrate that some beliefs are better understood when seen through the eyes of a community. The consensus of believers is an extremely powerful epistemological force. I would even claim that certain beliefs cannot be fully maintained by a single individual other than while being a part of a community. Such beliefs also cannot be successfully challenged due to their overwhelming complexity and far-reaching implications, as interpreted and accepted by the community. Therefore, if Chicago exists, so does God.