Faith
What is faith?
Faith is believing an idea, perspective (philosophy), or story (about past, present, of future) without having the full set of evidence or proof (that you personally understand) to verify it.
And, of course, real faith is not revealed by what a person says, but rather by what a person does (actions).
A person can exercise faith without realizing it. It's a very natural and necessary part of human life, primarily because it's very difficult or impossible to truly know all the information or evidence about all the important aspects of life. Our lives are not long enough to know it all, and if they were, it's questionable whether I (or anyone) would spend the effort required to learn it all.
So, where does that leave us?
It leaves all of us with the need to decide which ideas, perspectives, and/or stories we will accept and which we won't .
It has been said, and it's worth repeating, that, "Everything you know, you know because of what you believe."
For example, if you went to school to learn History, Science, Language, and Art, but you did not believe that the school teachers were intelligent or experienced, or that the material you were learning was true, then you would likely disregard all the information you were given.
Thus, what you know is being shaped and will continue to be shaped by what you choose to believe.
The purpose of this page is:
1) To state that we are all on the same playing field of life and must decide about our beliefs (faith).
Being smart or educated does not exonerate someone from being a "person of faith." It merely shifts that person's faith on to their own intellect and/or the intellect of other people.
Notice the word "decide." This is an act of the will. You get to choose.
Many people are raised in environments that are oppressive regarding faith. These people are told that one particular decision is right and all others are wrong, and there are often severe societal or familial consequences for not adopting this faith.
But even in that environment, you still get to choose to accept or not in your "inner self."
This is why many (and I mean, MANY) people raised in such environments reject the faith they are pressured to accept when they gain freedom or independence.
And people that are not pressured to accept a particular belief system in their childhood usually end up choosing one anyway. This isn't an artifact of societal imprinting, in my opinion; but rather, it's a clear signal that humans needs a foundational belief system to live fulfilling, successful, and meaningful lives (even if that belief system is secular/non-religious).
2) To share my faith:
My personality is skeptical. I tend to question what I'm told, and this led me into an education and career in Science. I have been heavily influenced by scientific thinking and the principles of logic that govern it, and I love finding concrete answers to knowable questions!
I questioned many things I was told as a child and young person raised in a Christian belief system. As I questioned, I found some answers, but there are still many questions that remain unanswered.
- I believe that God ("I AM", YHWH, Jehovah, or the "self-existing One"), as described in the Hebrew Old Testament of the Bible, created the entire known universe and whatever aspects of it are still unknown to humanity. This includes time, space, matter/energy, information, and all natural laws that govern these dimensions and define how they are interwoven to create this reality.
- I believe that this same God created Earth to be a unique sanctuary for biological life amidst a vast universe that is otherwise inhospitable to this type of life.
- I believe that God created all living creatures on Earth (and anywhere else they may be) and provided them with opportunity (a choice) to live with Him under His care and authority, or not.
- I believe that humanity intentionally rejected (and continues to reject) the care and authority of God and decided to become masters of their own destiny (aka "gods"). In doing so, they also destroyed the relationship that mankind had with God (the reason why is a different and very interesting topic).
- I believe that God did not abandon mankind as a result of us rejecting Him. Instead, He devised a plan by which we could restore the relationship with Him. That plan centers around the person of Jesus Christ (Jesus = "Jehovah saves" and Christ = "anointed or chosen one"). Or quite literally, Jesus Christ is the One chosen to show mankind that Jehovah saves.
- I believe that God wants all people to be restored into a right relationship with Him. He offers this restoration to us through the opportunity to live again under His care and authority.
- I believe this restoration with God cannot be earned or purchased by mankind. We cannot be good enough or do enough nice things. We also are not entitled to restoration because of our ethnicity, athleticism, gender, nationality, social status, wealth, intellect, or any other defining characteristic we can imagine.
- I believe that restoration with God leads to a more fulfilling life on this Earth (until our bodies die) and also to a life outside of this current reality (or universe). After our bodies die, the non-physical part of us will leave the universe and enter "eternity."
- In eternity, only those who have a restored relationship with God will live with Him, and those not restored will not live with Him. They will be exiled from His presence.
