Blind Faith
I once was talking with a friend about an acquaintance that seemed to have gone over the deep end in religion. My friend said to me that he wished that he too could embrace some sort of faith in something with total blind commitment and resolve so that he would feel that everything would be OK in the end.
I think back to times in my life when I actually believed in things for short periods of time. I have always been a skeptic. The nuns that tried to teach me when I was in grade school got tired of me questioning their dogma. Eventually it would come down to their be-all end-all answer, “It’s the mystery of the faith.” I’d shoot them the “That’s Bullshit” look and then the topic would change to something I wouldn’t question.
There are answers that are totally unacceptable to me when I am skeptical. One of which is “Because it is in the Bible.” Look folks, I have as much faith in the Bible being a true accurate accounting of events that actually took place as I have in Lord of the Rings being accurate and reflective of true events.
Other than religion, I can’t see how people can blindly commit to political parties. Neither MSNBC or Fox have anything to do with truth and reality let alone fairness and balance. It is so odd to see people getting up on their hind legs because of created mass hysteria be it Tea Parties or anti LNG rallies. It seems that people embrace their lack of objectiveness and like to focus their tunnel vision without regard to reality.
It would be such a luxury to agree and resign ones destiny to a belief. I envy those that feel they know their faith is a reality and not understand how others don’t see their truth as fact. It would also be nice to live in Oz, or Willy Wanka's Chocolate Factory.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 4:00 AM
13 Comments:
I liken blind faith to a child’s comfort “blankie.” The blankie is real (as are its powers) but you’re not going to get far in life relying solely on that piece of cloth.
I could write volumes in response to this one. I'll suffice it to say that I like to think of myself as having "Light of the World Faith". But that's what I've found for ME. Each one of us has to find our way in our lives and it can take us down many paths. I'm totally content with what I've found and what I believe in. I feel very blessed because not many people do.
Kindness and forgiveness are sacred, organized religion is a tool. I share your admonishment of this game of spin over truth. That playbook should have been burned not embraced. Follow the root of all evil, money, and you will find the head of the snake. May sound wacky but it's true.
Lazarus Longs' dictum on faith: "Delusions are often functional. A mother's opinions about her children's beauty, intelligence, goodness, et cetera ad nauseam, keep her from drowning them at birth."
Revs Corollary: A persons delusions and faith that the world can be a fine and beautiful place and that there is an everlasting wonderful paradise waiting for them in the afterlife keeps them from leaping summarily off the nearest cliff.
I'll get to the afterlife soon enough. Most likely sooner than expected. I'll deal with it when I get there. And at that time this poor screwed up solipsist universe will disappear forever. Get out while you can!
Anonymous ... the root of all evil is not money. That is merely a common misconception. The correct saying is LOVE OF MONEY (greed) is the root of all evil. The difference between the two is huge.
However, greed can also be the root of good. The store owner that wants his business to grow (greed), will treat customers better. Greed will keep him from dumping toxins down the local well, to avoid paying fines and/or harming those he needs to buy his products. Greed will cause him to get involved in community charities, for the "free" advertising - resulting in more business. Greed will cause him to social network.
i alternately love and loathe the very religious. how COMFORTING it must be, to believe that no matter how facked up your life gets, that someone looking down on you has you in His(her?)/their sights. and that if only you keep faith, the bad times will end.
i mean, most of the time, the bad spell DOES end, but no matter how you reason with them, they'll tell you that it was God/Bhudda/Allah/Yahweh/Jehovah.
brilliant.
when you think of me, think of me as your token g with faith.
it's hard to explain but with faith you actually don't have to question. you don't feel as though you have to. you just understand.
i can understand your emptyness.
faith takes work. you don't just flick a switch and there you have it.
Beth, Right-on!
Kris, On one hand I feel happy for you and the others that feel as you, yet on the other hand it saddens me.
Anon, I think that zealotry is the root of all evil.
Darev, I'm hoping for death after life.
Walt, zealotry isn't good, but the practitioners justify it to themselves.
Dalia, you left out Lord Xenu.
g, it would be interesting to flip a switch and turn it off.
And why on earth would it sadden you?
It saddens me because spirituality isn't reality based. It's fantasy based.
Look behind the scenes and you find people who create and control the money working to create and control zealotry. The politicians and most everyone else plays along because money is so handy.
Whether we were the result of a spontaneous burst of evolving DNA or the result of some greater being - we have the ability to think and control to a great degree, our destiny.
To believe that somehow all of that is totally out of our control by tipping it to a faith in an unknown seems a waste of the very thing that differentiates us.
Now, THAT saddens me, that you feel that way.
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