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This was a thought provoking article on “faith”:
The article can be read here.
Here are a few assertions:
“If you are a person who at some point lost their faith, did you lose an orientation of your life on Ultimate Reality, or did you lose beliefs, and/or a misplaced trust in those beliefs?”
The things one knows and believes are bound to, and supposed to, change over time. If they do not, then your relationship is likely to be unhealthy.
What many religious people have, and what atheists typically reject, is not faith but what might be called beliefs. They are doctrines, dogmas, assertions, claims, and any number of other things. But a question that is rarely asked is whether those things are faith: whether they should be understood as such, or not, and why. That “faith” is the same as “assertion” is – rather ironically – merely a claim, an assertion, one that needs to be questioned.
“The very act of making beliefs the object of one’s faith, trust, and devotion leads to an attempt to keep those dogmatic assertions unchanging and to protect them from assault. At best, one ends up with idolatrous faith, focused on words and ideas about God (and perhaps also other matters), rather than faith in God.”
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This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by
David Hayward.
Very true. Unfortunately some Christians do attach a high value to believing the right things and being certain of them. I’ve come to see certainty as a false god.
I agree Verittus that it is important to separate beliefs from faith. They are two different things. Sometimes though don’t you think Christians are anxious to keep them separate to make the faith more marketable to non-believers? I think at the bottom of this separation sometimes is an anxiety about some people who refuse not only to believe but to have faith. This is beyond the understanding of some. I think beliefs are to faith what the body is to a person. Just some thoughts. Thanks for sharing.
AnonymousVerritus – I read the article. It makes some really good points I had never thought about before. Thanks for sharing!
How are you and your family doing? I don’t remember the details, but I know you and your family were going through some difficult things when you first joined us. I hope you guys are in a much better place now!
I used to express my experience as a total loss of “faith”, which it sort of was based on my dogmatic perception of faith to be beliefs that are certain and unchanging. When “faith” was discovered to be unreliable and unravelled, so did my beliefs; together they both collapsed and left me in a tail spin, but I’m better for it now. Today, I perceive my loss of “faith” as a change in my beliefs and assertions about the certainty of certain uncertain certainties (said that way just for fun). Since losing my “faith”, I’ve gaining a better orientation towards Ultimate Reality.
Yes David, I see your point about suppressing belief and elevating faith to make it more marketable.
Your other statement is “beyond the understanding of some” – me.
Could you expound to clarify this?
I think at the bottom of this separation sometimes is an anxiety about some people who refuse not only to believe but to have faith.
Thanks for inquiring Jo White. I just posted a reply in my former thread for you to read. “Encouragement for the road ahead”.
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This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by
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