Tuesday, November 08, 2005

On Faith

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
-Hebrews 11:1

"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe."
-Voltaire

"Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding."
-Martin Luther

I have grown up knowing God was there, that he had a plan for me, and his son and my brother Jesus Christ died for me. I could recite line and verse myriad scriptures to back up my faith. I had my "assurance of things hoped for" and my "conviction of things not seen." These days I find that faith waning. I can no longer allow my faith to "trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding." So much hate is spewed in the name of God people have forgotten the doctrine of love. How can God's church on earth be bureaucrats and bigots? I am not speaking of an one church but all of them.

Today there are people voting here in Texas amendment to prevent gay marriages or anything like them (civil unions) from recognition. Now I am not here now to debate the merits or flaws of this amendment. I am speaking of the hardline "Christians" running around with the "God hates gays" signs. What happened to "God is love"? The Bible accounts for so little of what really happens. Even with the expanded set of scripture available to Mormons I find the details lacking. So much is left out. So many things are unexplained. If the glory of God is intelligence or light and truth why would he not share more of his glory.

I feel it is the curse of the scientific mind to doubt. I know more is out there than science can explain. I also know it is not as clear cut as my upbringing makes it out to be.

4 comments:

Kelsey said...

my take on science vs. faith is this. God follows laws yes? He has to, it's part of his nature. These laws include scientific laws, we don't know them all because our tiny little brains cannot comprehend them. He's not gonna give us more knowledge than we can handle because then we would have to be held accountable for it, which would be bad when we can't understand. Eventually, if we are good and go on "blind" faith sometimes, everything will be explained. I've believed for some time that we will one day have a scientific explanation for the healing power of the priesthood. That probably won't happen until we've all achieved godhood, but it'll be worth the wait. :)
i don't really know who you are but I hope you're doing good.

Unknown said...

Welcom to the world of windbags Captain!

I noticed in your profile you are a debater/drama kid. I judge debate tournaments here in Texas so we should have some common ground.

I also get the feeling from the post you are a Mormon as well. RULDS2? Sorry, couldn't resist quoting the bumber stickers that you see on nearly every car in Utah...

I am still Mormon but as you can see from my previous posts, I am examining my faith. Consider it an extreme form of Moroni's promise, "I would exhort you that ye would aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are NOT true". I have taken these things as true all my life. Now I am examining the wisdom in doing so. By so doing I hope to find the answers I seek.

For me I must find a place where my faith does not contadict my senses.

“Faith certainly tells us what the senses do not, but not the contrary of what they see; it is above, not against them.” -Blaise Pascal

Unknown said...

Brock,
I thought I detected a hint of LDS in you with a similar cynical approach to religion to my own. What happens to us as Mormons when we let reality set in and make us cynics?

Sleep well Brock.

JC said...

Time to hear from an atheist.

Life without faith is not empty, it is not devoid of morality, it is beautiful.

No god sits in judgement over me, no three-headed dog guards the way to hell. I am the only competent judge of my actions, and when I fall short, I feel it. I suffer the pangs of regret, and guilt, the same as any other man, but I take my suffering, and all life is suffering, and I taste it.

I savor every bit of life that is thrown my way, the good, the bad, everything. I have no need to give anything to a deity, I have nothing to ask of one either.

I am never compelled to accept another's judgement, (outside the courts)I do not refer to any ancient text for guidance, though I've read a lot of them.

I can freely and happily say "I don't know anything about god"

And I can't. And neither can you or pat robertson or the grand pooh-bah of any church, so what say we all just stop trying. Lets just celebrate life here on earth, pain and all.

Incarnation rocks.

(it certainly beats the alternative)