Dr. Forbush Thinks

Words have accepted meanings based on the dictionary definition. Some words also have meaning that goes deeper than the simple dictionary definition.

For example, “money” is simply the tender to be used in economic transactions. However, ones experience with money certainly colors ones view of it.    If a person was raised in a family where the father and mother fought over money all the time the child’s perception of money as a necessary evil might grow strong. If a person grows up in a family where money is hard to come by they may begin to dream of a day when money will solve all of their problems. They may dream of winning the lottery and moving into a mansion as a way to solve all their problems. It is clear that the money can mean more than simply the tender used in a transaction to many people.

Faith is another word that people place greater meaning on it than the dictionary definition.

Let’s look at the first three definitions of Faith

1) Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
2) Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief, trust.
3) Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.

If you were founding a religion, which required followers not to question wouldn’t faith become a key ingredient in the foundation of this religion? So, it shouldn’t be any surprise when the word faith is used to describe something you need in order to be able to become unquestioning. And, powerful religions need unquestioning followers in order to retain power.

Therefore, the word faith acquires deeper meaning depending on ones experience with the word. One can think of putting ones faith in ones parents, ones teachers, or ones religion. Even though many people like to believe differently, we all need someone to trust with our hopes and fears to help us live life with confidence that we are doing the right thing. If we turn to someone when we have a problem, we have faith that the person we turn to has the answer. But we are all human and all answers have potential flaws, so when the advice we are given doesn’t help us we feel disappointed. This disappointment can shatter our faith in the person that we trusted. Religions attempt to tell followers that Faith in the religion leads to answers that are always right, therefore you can never be disappointed. Whether or not this is true, knowing that what you do can never be wrong leads to a comfortable feeling of confidence.

The question remains, if every religion feels that they have all the answers, and the answers are not the same, then how can anyone be sure that any particular religion is the true religion with all the answers? Of course, the answer to this question is: Have faith that the religion that you pick or were born into is the true religion. This answer follows the second definition of faith above - it doesn’t rest on logic or material evidence.

Faith is more than what people tell you about faith. Faith is a feeling of understanding the world in which we live in. We have faith that the sun will rise every day. We have faith that gravity will keep us planted firmly on the ground. We have faith that if one studies hard one will get good grades. And, the religious portion of the population has faith that if you are a good person through out your life you will go to heaven. The details of these faith ideas are often fuzzy, but most people have this faith and don’t question them.

On the other hand, observation of the world we live in provides evidence for what we know to be true. You can measure how far your city is from the ocean. The fact remains the same day in and day out. You don’t need faith, because you have a map. Science goes about observing the world and recording the information in such a way that it can be accessed over and over again. Observations are made in many different areas of understanding and those observations allow us to predict what to expect.

For example, if a car is travelling on Hwy 5 north at 75 miles per hour, one can predict that in one hour the car will be 75 miles further down the road. (Unless the car has mechanical difficulties.) This ability to predict the future takes some reliance on faith out of the equation. And, taking faith out of the equation scares the religions that rely on faith as a tool to keep their followers unquestioning.

There is faith in science as well as religion. In science one puts his or her faith in the person who made the measurements. Scientists assume that experiments that were done were repeatable. They assume that observations that were made by one person could be observed by anyone. Science puts faith in the observations and relies on the fact that they are what they claim to be. This is why scientists often repeat each other’s experiments and observations to assure the reality of the observations.

In religion, faith is placed in what the leaders of the religion tell you to believe in. The leaders defer their authority to God in most cases, claiming that God gave them everything that they are giving to the followers. There is no proof to the validity of the facts, instead it requires that one have faith in the validity of the facts. After all, what is faith, but the unquestioned belief in the religion that demands the faith?

How can one have faith if one questions it?

Now that we understand faith, the radical right makes a lot more sense. The radical right has drawn on the religious ideas of everyone putting their trust in faith. The radical right expects supporters to unquestioningly believe everything that George W Bush says. If you question what he says then you are deemed as loosing your faith and you are chastised for doing it. The radical right appeals to the Religious right, because this is what they are used to. Put your faith in the leadership and assume that they know what you need to do. Then, wait for them to tell you what to do.  Blind faith in George W Bush is what is required to be a follower of the radical right. But, the religious right should try hard to remember that one should put faith in the Lord, not George W Bush. After all, no human can be perfect and this human is far from it.
 


politics and religion