Can I Get a Witness?

HEAL! -- Picture courtesy Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
Why do you believe what you believe? Have always thought it was interesting. I generally divide my knowledge into 3 categories:

1. I believe what I see with my own eyes -- I believe there is a flat screen in front of me, all my sensory feedback tells me so.
2. I believe what appeals to a priori reason -- I believe that 1 + 1 = 2.
3. I believe what sounds reasonable and/or demonstrable. I will not question the weight of an electron, the distance to the moon, or the speed of light. I haven't availed myself of telescopes or other lab equipment to re-establish any of those facts or see it firsthand. I'll take somebody's word for it.

Items 1-3 are pretty easily verified and corroborated by other parties, throughout the world.

This last category is more troubling however
4. I believe what my parents and religious training told me about God.

The religious truths presented by your mother are not especially obvious or demonstrable and many other people throughout the world register disagreement. Since I live in a land of Christendom, I'll take that as the example. Why do you believe that Jesus Christ is 'Lord and Savior?' What is the basis of your original belief? Most people to whom I've posed the question shrug it off:

"It's what I was raised with". "My parents instructed me". "It's the culture we live in".

Have you ever had a dream, vision or supernatural event that made it clear to you? In all but one case of my asking the answer has been "No". My uncle is deeply religious and even studied to be a minister. He does say that Jesus came and spoke to him personally; have never followed up to ask him about the details. There are near death experiences and even religious manias where people can experience almost-real interactions of this sort. Would be interested to know his particular circumstances.

So what pivotal, monumental event caused you to Believe. "If I don't believe, I'll go to Hell". So you were brow-beaten to SAY you believe for conformist reasons? Are you saying it as some kind of insurance policy? What is the reason you accept any particular thing, yea or nay, as an article of faith? Is it because a parent or authority figure told you? I think most people fall under the spell of organized religion because they've been 'witnessed to' by parents and authority figures. It's disturbing because religion has been used as the justification for discrimination, war, slavery, concentration camps and torture. Some of man's most heinous actions are done for 'God' in the name of a 'Good war'. So while someone is drilling a hole in someone else's head (As Iraqis now do to each other) what is the basic logic at work? Someone in the USA might say, "My God is the real God. Jesus is the only way to Salvation". Based on what? Your sacred text, parent's words and religious history are no more persuasive than those of Muslims or Hindus. They have the same influences at work in their societies. What logical construct can possibly break the impasse of "My God's better than your God"?

If something is category 4 knowledge above, I would never use it as a basis for action, much less violent action. There are umpteen religions (and even sub-religions) that ask me to take something as an article of faith. Which do I choose? I believe in God and orderly society just based on knowledge categories 1, 2 and 3 above. No bribes, no threats or implicit exile are necessary. I will believe what I primarily know, and I will admit to not knowing things that are currently unfathomable.

© 2007 blogSpotter