"What I Believe" is a series of posts on my current personal spiritual/religious beliefs. At least, my beliefs at the point of time of the post. These beliefs are personal and don't represent those of any larger group. I am proudly a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), but this blog is no way endorsed by Friends or meant to represent that community.
If you come across this before reading "On Points and God," you probably want to read that first.
This entire series is about what I believe, but what does it mean to "believe" something? Most people base their belief on evidence, either in the form of science or tradition. I find a place for both in my life, but my belief is not rooted in either.
The scientific method is a wonderful way to discover truth. Even God uses it to discover the truth about God. The process of observation, theory, test, and reasoning allows for a wonderfully adaptable view of the world. I certainly think that reasoning has a place in building my belief. I think a logical argument, based on observed facts, must be taken seriously. However, like the micro scale of physics, I believe the roots of logic are more flexible than most people think.
Another place that people take their beliefs from is tradition. By "tradition" I mean the myriad of religions and faith systems based largely on the premises that someone in the past believed it. These religions often have a text that they refer to. If it sound like I am belittling such religions, I am not. I am simply trying to define my terms.
Tradition is a strong thing. The idea that for centuries people have thought about, prayed about, and even died for their beliefs adds tremendous weight to them. I personally come from the tradition of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Many of my beliefs find their foundation in this tradition, which I will talk about later.
The question then becomes, why are there so many traditions? If one tradition were true then wouldn't everyone eventually converge on it? I believe that part of the point is that they do not. Different traditions provide different view points for God.
So, if not science alone and not tradition alone, I must fall back on faith. Faith is one of those things that is both simple and complex. At its root you can say, faith is the idea that I believe what I believe because I believe it. This is a completely circular argument, but it is true on one level.
If I dig deeper my faith comes from a feeling. One that sits deep in my gut. It is the same feeling that tells me I love my wife and family. When I look inside I know it to be true.
I love my wife and family. I think it is important to state that again. It is, for me, a fundamental truth. It is akin to God’s Love, but not a reflection of it. In fact, I believe one validates the other.
In the end I believe what I believe because when I look within I find it to be true. My Quaker tradition calls me to listen to that small voice within. I find that my reason agrees, in that I find my beliefs to be internally consistent. And so I have faith and state what I believe to be true.
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