FAITH

What is faith? Can archeology, ancient books and religious experiences prove that faith is more than simple belief in religious claims? The recent neurortheology experiments by Dr. Persinger with the so called "God Helmet" indicate that our spiritual experiences may indeed be organically inspired.


Archeology can confirm that some of the people, cities and human population centers existed and that some events occurred. My Tom Clancy novels also use these type of historical facts and events, but I don't believe in the story or all the characters.

Many religions claim the same and support their extraordinary claims in like manner. The problem, as I see it, is one of faith. Religious people have faith that what they are told is true. I think it is important to first consider the plausability and probability of any one religion's extraordinary claims. With regard to Christianity, We can trust that there were Jews, a Jerusalem, various towns and nations, etc. Usually we can, because they either exist today, or tools like archeology gives us reasonable evidence.

Can we trust that Moses parted the Red Sea, that there was a tree of knowledge, that Jesus is a god? To put it mildly, no. There are many reasons why we can't trust these claims, but the least of which is that they are neither plausible or probable given the world we know and operate in.

If supernatural events occurred regularly or even sporadically, I'd be inclined to consider any religion's extraordinary claims, if not potentially embrace them. Before I became a Christian and after I became a Christian my threshold for accepting supernatural claims was very low. I believed in a god, answered prayers, angels, demons, ghosts, miracles, and even the more plausable creature like Bigfoot, Nelly and UFOs.

Now my threshold for belief is structured and far less willing to accept extraordinary claims with out extraordinary evidence and, hopefully, proof. In short, I don't have any faith, if by faith one means belief without proof. I'll consider a claim, of course, but my acceptance requires more than religious faith. I'm sometimes called arrogant, because I don't believe. That's not my intent, nor is it an attempt to belittle another person's beliefs.

The evidence suggested by religious apologists is often helpful in supporting non-supernatural claims, but in no way do they support extraordinary (supernatural) claims. The apparent complexity of life, as proof of a creator, is far from the certainty that any one god is the actual creator, or that a divine being is responsible.

To have faith one must have trust that what one has been taught, concerning their particular god and system of worship and belief, is true.

Any personal experience/s religious people claim as proof for their particular religion, or god, fails every test we use to determine it's veracity. Oh, I believe people have spiritual experiences, but are they supernatural; no. Additionally, these experiences do not confirm that their particular god exists, or that their complete theology and doctrines are accurate.

I'm ok with religious faith in others, I just don't personally have it, nor do I want to invest myself in that kind of thinking again. I'm not ok with some religious doctrines, or the theology that enhances them. Also, it's very obvious that what we believe effects our feelings and actions, as evidenced by the many religious wars, abuses, treatment of other races, etc.

And to be fair, all the good certain religious beliefs have done is evident in the many hospitals, universities, charities, etc that exist today. Harvard was once a religious school as were many of our current Ivy League schools.

Within each belief system there are sub-groups and splinter groups and so on. Religious leaders often don't agree within their own groups and the cause of that is simply a mixture of subjectivity in interpretation, cultural upbringing, nature & nurture issues, race, personality traits, education, character, current events and choices.

I have some close friends and family who believe in a god, gods, or great spirit. I'm totally cool with that, but as soon as someone tells me this is the truth, or that I should do this, or that, because their god commands, expects, require, or even simply desires something from me, I'm sorry, I just don't believe "just because" anymore. I no longer have religious faith.

Bill