These two words – Faith & Belief – have always been with me as I have journeyed along my path. How do they fit? Do they fit? Do they compete with one another? Are they complementary? Where do they reside in me?
Is right-wing, American christian fundamentalism a Christian Heresy? It invokes the name of the Xtian God while waging war, enriching the rich, oppressing the poor, polluting the planet and promoting american consumerist society?? George W. Bush espoused being "born again" while lying to the world about WMD and sending troops into Iraq. Apparently there was a weekly Bible study in the WhiteHouse during his tenure. He even used biblical language calling the muslim fanatics who oppose the West "evildoers." All this religious-political hype.
Coming out of our last discussion on Salvation (thank you everyone who answered!) more questions have arisen. I have read some other writings of other religions - doing a comparing thing. Some I find very beautiful and even inspiring. For example, the Bhagava Geeta. What it says about Krishna I could easily apply to the Cosmic/Resurrected Jesus - no problem. But would that be heretical of me?
Someone asked the question on another thread, along the lines of:
Is faith accepting everything everyone says, and developing your own truth?
If it's a fair question to ask, What is faith? (Not so much the content of what the faith is in, but faith in and of itself) Is it belief? Trust? Hope? What does the word 'faith' mean to you?
In a recently shut down thread, there was an exchange like the following...
MorningCalm wrote:
BrettA wrote:
MorningCalm wrote:
I believe chansen can stop himself from being an athiest anytime he wants to...
Do you similarly believe that Jae can stop himself from being a theist anytime he wants to? Or that you could stop believing in whatever God you believe in now and start believing only in Odin? Or Ra? Or The Flying Spaghetti Monster?
Yes, I believe that I can stop myself from being a theist anytime I want to.
As I wander from table to table here at the Cafe', I find Christians declaring various levels of belief regarding Jesus. At one end of the pole there is a "Jesus as myth and metaphor" group, while at the other end, there is a "Jesus is the divine son of God and the only way to salvation" group. Between those two poles there is an amazing array of diverse beliefs. This is understandable, given that we all approach God in different ways and are at various points in our journey.
