Faith is belief, based on past experience, put into action.
The simplest example I can think of is turning on a light switch. When people flick the switch to the on position, they're doing so on the belief that the room will light up. That assumption is based on innumerable experiences of having done so in the past and seeing the darkness dissipate.
Sure, there could be a power outage, or the bulb could be burned out, or a power surge could have burned out the circuit. But that doesn't run through most people's minds; they merely have faith that it will work, like it always did before.
Having faith in the light switch also doesn't require an in-depth knowledge of how electricity works. People don't need to know exactly what's happening to benefit from an act of faith.
There are plenty of other examples of people acting on faith:
the student who studies hard because of his belief (based on what he's seen happen to other people) that earning his degree will qualify him for a job that may not even exist yet;
the couple that vow to stay together "till death do us part," not because of a belief in the fact that half of all marriages end in divorce, but rather in a belief (often based on their own family experience) that the other half don't; and
the person who tries to live up to the moral code of his or her chosen religion, because of the belief (based on experience) that those who follow God's ways get results, and those who don't get consequences.
Let me give one more example that's a little closer to home.
When I first starting reading this blog, I couldn't be sure that the blogger formerly known as jobsanger wasn't a sock puppet, a fictional character invented by a bunch of left-wingers in Berkeley or some other hotbed of liberalism, who were trying to undermine the conservatism of the Texas Panhandle by pretending to be one of us. But I stepped out in faith and started posting comments here. Little by little, as I experienced the consistency of jobsanger's point of view, I came to believe that he couldn't possibly be the creation of a committee. Jobsanger indeed had a unique personality.
When jobsanger finally revealed his true identity, it gave me a little more evidence on which to build my faith. But it wasn't until we finally met face to face that I could say with certainty that yes, there is a jobsanger and his name is Ted McLaughlin.
When I was growing up, I had access to a book that many people say is nothing but a collection of myths and allegories, written by a bunch of fanatics who were just trying to grow their power base - not unlike my hypothetical Berkeley committee authoring this blog.
But the more I read that book, the more I became convinced that there was only one Personality behind it. Finally, I stepped out in faith and asked its Author into my life, and that's when I really started understanding that what He had to say had great significance for me.
Some day, I'll meet that Author face to face, and just like my meeting with jobsanger/Ted McLaughlin, all doubt will vanish.
By the way, Ted - in case you hadn't figured it out yet: I'm not saying you're God - or even god, for that matter ;)
ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. And neither will racist,homophobic, or misogynistic comments. I do not mind if you disagree, but make your case in a decent manner.
Faith is belief, based on past experience, put into action.
ReplyDeleteThe simplest example I can think of is turning on a light switch. When people flick the switch to the on position, they're doing so on the belief that the room will light up. That assumption is based on innumerable experiences of having done so in the past and seeing the darkness dissipate.
Sure, there could be a power outage, or the bulb could be burned out, or a power surge could have burned out the circuit. But that doesn't run through most people's minds; they merely have faith that it will work, like it always did before.
Having faith in the light switch also doesn't require an in-depth knowledge of how electricity works. People don't need to know exactly what's happening to benefit from an act of faith.
(cont'd)
There are plenty of other examples of people acting on faith:
ReplyDeletethe student who studies hard because of his belief (based on what he's seen happen to other people) that earning his degree will qualify him for a job that may not even exist yet;
the couple that vow to stay together "till death do us part," not because of a belief in the fact that half of all marriages end in divorce, but rather in a belief (often based on their own family experience) that the other half don't; and
the person who tries to live up to the moral code of his or her chosen religion, because of the belief (based on experience) that those who follow God's ways get results, and those who don't get consequences.
(cont'd)
Let me give one more example that's a little closer to home.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first starting reading this blog, I couldn't be sure that the blogger formerly known as jobsanger wasn't a sock puppet, a fictional character invented by a bunch of left-wingers in Berkeley or some other hotbed of liberalism, who were trying to undermine the conservatism of the Texas Panhandle by pretending to be one of us. But I stepped out in faith and started posting comments here. Little by little, as I experienced the consistency of jobsanger's point of view, I came to believe that he couldn't possibly be the creation of a committee. Jobsanger indeed had a unique personality.
When jobsanger finally revealed his true identity, it gave me a little more evidence on which to build my faith. But it wasn't until we finally met face to face that I could say with certainty that yes, there is a jobsanger and his name is Ted McLaughlin.
(cont'd)
When I was growing up, I had access to a book that many people say is nothing but a collection of myths and allegories, written by a bunch of fanatics who were just trying to grow their power base - not unlike my hypothetical Berkeley committee authoring this blog.
ReplyDeleteBut the more I read that book, the more I became convinced that there was only one Personality behind it. Finally, I stepped out in faith and asked its Author into my life, and that's when I really started understanding that what He had to say had great significance for me.
Some day, I'll meet that Author face to face, and just like my meeting with jobsanger/Ted McLaughlin, all doubt will vanish.
By the way, Ted - in case you hadn't figured it out yet: I'm not saying you're God - or even god, for that matter ;)
Faith - overrated? I'll stake my eternity on it!
CT-
ReplyDeleteYou're not saying I'm god? How disappointing!