The Dilemma of Doubt and the Paradox of Faith
To the skeptic, atheist, new-age supporter, spiritualist-intellectual or
anyone who cannot or chooses not to publicly profess a faith in God, I wonder
if their lack of understanding of the Great Unknown keeps them from trying to
reach out to Him... or it is due to a plethora of reasons. Is it that
they don’t know where to begin? Are they afraid of what their peers would
think of them if they were to ask questions or doubt the religion of
science? As with fashion, the ‘new’ way of looking at the world seems to
be in vogue and the ancient methods that the world’s religions have been
established upon are too easily abandoned… and I wonder if this is by
design. Just because something is 'old' or has been around for some time
doesn't make it obsolete or useless, like a computer may become or some other
manufacture of mankind. Consider the medicines which have been around for
ages yet have been either ignored or forgotten... only now to be rediscovered
as if other civilizations didn't enjoy the benefit of their knowledge.
I’m sure the experiences of empty religion has left seekers looking for something that seems to work other than the typical drudgery of going to a building and repeating rituals. Rituals are empty of power yet they are repetitively taught as methods to spirituality, leading the performer and purveyor of ritual 'believing' they are getting closer to a goal ( or God ), but couldn't this simply be a form of denial in lieu of other measurable methods? For me personally, when I was searching and began to run into Christians preaching the Word of God ( the bible ), I thought to myself that if I had to preach Jesus in order to make it to heaven I surely wasn’t going to make, because the thought of preaching Jesus was not cool to me; it seemed awkward and was always coming from the weak and the rusty ( at least this was my perception and experience ). Preaching Jesus simply seemed weak to me, to be for the weak people and for those who weren’t cool to begin with and needed to find friends among those who also were looking for friends ( I had a negative view as you can tell from my recollection ). To me, it was the religion of the old and fearful and certainly not the young and the bold… or so I thought. I was brought up in the druid-like mantra of Catholicism and after being kicked out of that organization, the last thing I desired to do was become a part of another organized religion or being around people telling me about God as if they knew things I couldn't find out for myself. I found Catholicism full of repetitive rituals, dogmas people believed for no reason other than hierarchical authority and something to hold onto for fear of disappointing a distant God.
Another issue, and one which is evident among those who went to higher schooling or a graduate school of some sort, is the fear of what others may think and looking ignorant in the face of so much ‘scholarly’ or published work that legitimizes doubt, reinforces skepticism and justifies a depraved lifestyle as “normal” and modern societal ills as “normal” and “civilized.” What we see around us in the product of the departure from a God-of-love-centered viewpoint of life. It is by this departure that governments and men alike justify man’s nature in forwarding genocide, war crimes and capital punishment.' This spirit is what some religions still project and teach while some others say they deny, proclaiming peace at all times yet another story arises when it comes down to their actions. The individual’s choice before men and God, the gift of free will and the reality of the slippery slope of evil we all deal with on a real and daily basis is replaced with a law society which bases their attempts at justice outside the view of a just God. The reality more expresses the view of either an absentee god or a god who is vengeful and desires an eye for a traffic ticket, a human’s life for an animal’s life and life in prison for cultivating a plant… regardless of injury to others ( or the lack of injury to others ) and regardless of the notion of right or wrong. Although the notion that today's modern civilizations are based on God's law, when one looks closely and considers their conscience as to punishment for any given 'crime' or misstep, it is no wonder people don't believe a just God exists when they see the manner in which people treat other people... especially when the accused cannot pay their way out of jail like some wealthy do and seemingly get away with murder. In a law society absent a consciousness and a fear of a God who will judge the living and the dead ( regardless if they enforce the law or receive the outcome of written law ), justice seems to be traded for a revenue stream built on the backs of ignorant droves of slaves being manufactured in the state’s school system of redundancy. I express a harsh way of looking at modern civilization, I know, but consider that nothing much has changed throughout the ages and the common man in a modern society doesn't have the means or access to self-sustenance, so they must work in a system which dictates much of their modern lifestyle... for better or for worse, thus is the reality of 'modern' and 'free' civilizations.
The "currently unbelieving" may have become embittered by organized religion and religious people who most likely have sinned against them and failed to be loving and serve them as the example they hypocritically preach; the example of Christ. No other place, no other religion ( Way ), no other sacred writing is such a perfect person written about, exemplifying a selfless approach to life - as opposed to self sustaining or for self illuminating - which defined and professed a message of love and peace at all times. Perhaps the skeptic risks trusting God and asking God in prayer for ‘proof’ of His existence and direction in what to really believe ( and by default distrusts people who express a faith in God ).
I know the skeptic cannot explain how the planet we live on came to exist in perfect balance and at just the right distance from the nearest star to allow for the abundance of life we know of… perhaps the explanations in the scriptures also do not provide enough intellectual evidence or are too simplistic to accept. It is quite easy to deny that this life could have been orchestrated by a God who has done quite a bit throughout man’s short time on earth. It is easy to deny that some One is in control when things don't go your way or the news is nothing but evil and mayhem. It is also quite easy to doubt that the God of Abraham, Moses and Yeshua is the same God who created life and authored those ancient writings through men of His choosing in order life. To the skeptic, it may be the loads of mind-numbing information written by other skeptics having an extensive vocabulary ( who come off as more intelligent than all others and thus ‘must’ know what they are talking about ) who may have also tasted the pain of the religious that leads them to believe the reinforced doubt in God ( them equating God with any given religion or with the meagerness of the weak ).
It is also interesting to point out that when speaking about scriptures and faith in God, some intellectuals are quick to respond with attacks against organized religion, but nowhere is the argument made for anything organized as is understood in today’s context of organized bodies of tax exempt religions, but simply an adherence to one's conscience before an all knowing, just and loving God.
If one was to actually read the words in the new testament compilation of letters and were to believe them, one would see the only ‘organized’ part of faith in Yeshua was a request to pray together, to love one another, to feed the hungry and poor among you ( not only those who profess your same faith ) and to come together regularly to further encourage one another and meet the needs of others ( much like the activity of what a loving and mentally healthy family would typically do for each other ). If anything ‘organized’ was created, it was the call to be a family with people one may rather despise or ignore according to cultural stigma, class distinction or economic status… and what other message actually calls you to love your enemy and do good to them? What source of men would ask you to love an enemy? If a call to love people and serve them is to be called organized religion, then I am one of the biggest proponents of this type of activity and belief, for it is this activity by which I’ve found how to be good, righteous and to live according to what that most perfect example known as Yeshua Christ exemplified via his short time walking the earth... it is where my conscience became useful besides what my peers, my parents, my parochial schooling taught me. Where else does it define a life lived for others selflessly and to put others before yourself as opposed to looking after yourself first and putting yourself before others ( even your spiritual attention )?
Only a message not originating on this plain would tell you to do the opposite of what your ego or your fear would tell you to do.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
- Jeremiah 29:11-13
The promise of finding God is given to you... your part is to seek with all your heart. Give it all you got... for what else is of value if not finding and communing with the Holy One?
I’m sure the experiences of empty religion has left seekers looking for something that seems to work other than the typical drudgery of going to a building and repeating rituals. Rituals are empty of power yet they are repetitively taught as methods to spirituality, leading the performer and purveyor of ritual 'believing' they are getting closer to a goal ( or God ), but couldn't this simply be a form of denial in lieu of other measurable methods? For me personally, when I was searching and began to run into Christians preaching the Word of God ( the bible ), I thought to myself that if I had to preach Jesus in order to make it to heaven I surely wasn’t going to make, because the thought of preaching Jesus was not cool to me; it seemed awkward and was always coming from the weak and the rusty ( at least this was my perception and experience ). Preaching Jesus simply seemed weak to me, to be for the weak people and for those who weren’t cool to begin with and needed to find friends among those who also were looking for friends ( I had a negative view as you can tell from my recollection ). To me, it was the religion of the old and fearful and certainly not the young and the bold… or so I thought. I was brought up in the druid-like mantra of Catholicism and after being kicked out of that organization, the last thing I desired to do was become a part of another organized religion or being around people telling me about God as if they knew things I couldn't find out for myself. I found Catholicism full of repetitive rituals, dogmas people believed for no reason other than hierarchical authority and something to hold onto for fear of disappointing a distant God.
Another issue, and one which is evident among those who went to higher schooling or a graduate school of some sort, is the fear of what others may think and looking ignorant in the face of so much ‘scholarly’ or published work that legitimizes doubt, reinforces skepticism and justifies a depraved lifestyle as “normal” and modern societal ills as “normal” and “civilized.” What we see around us in the product of the departure from a God-of-love-centered viewpoint of life. It is by this departure that governments and men alike justify man’s nature in forwarding genocide, war crimes and capital punishment.' This spirit is what some religions still project and teach while some others say they deny, proclaiming peace at all times yet another story arises when it comes down to their actions. The individual’s choice before men and God, the gift of free will and the reality of the slippery slope of evil we all deal with on a real and daily basis is replaced with a law society which bases their attempts at justice outside the view of a just God. The reality more expresses the view of either an absentee god or a god who is vengeful and desires an eye for a traffic ticket, a human’s life for an animal’s life and life in prison for cultivating a plant… regardless of injury to others ( or the lack of injury to others ) and regardless of the notion of right or wrong. Although the notion that today's modern civilizations are based on God's law, when one looks closely and considers their conscience as to punishment for any given 'crime' or misstep, it is no wonder people don't believe a just God exists when they see the manner in which people treat other people... especially when the accused cannot pay their way out of jail like some wealthy do and seemingly get away with murder. In a law society absent a consciousness and a fear of a God who will judge the living and the dead ( regardless if they enforce the law or receive the outcome of written law ), justice seems to be traded for a revenue stream built on the backs of ignorant droves of slaves being manufactured in the state’s school system of redundancy. I express a harsh way of looking at modern civilization, I know, but consider that nothing much has changed throughout the ages and the common man in a modern society doesn't have the means or access to self-sustenance, so they must work in a system which dictates much of their modern lifestyle... for better or for worse, thus is the reality of 'modern' and 'free' civilizations.
The "currently unbelieving" may have become embittered by organized religion and religious people who most likely have sinned against them and failed to be loving and serve them as the example they hypocritically preach; the example of Christ. No other place, no other religion ( Way ), no other sacred writing is such a perfect person written about, exemplifying a selfless approach to life - as opposed to self sustaining or for self illuminating - which defined and professed a message of love and peace at all times. Perhaps the skeptic risks trusting God and asking God in prayer for ‘proof’ of His existence and direction in what to really believe ( and by default distrusts people who express a faith in God ).
I know the skeptic cannot explain how the planet we live on came to exist in perfect balance and at just the right distance from the nearest star to allow for the abundance of life we know of… perhaps the explanations in the scriptures also do not provide enough intellectual evidence or are too simplistic to accept. It is quite easy to deny that this life could have been orchestrated by a God who has done quite a bit throughout man’s short time on earth. It is easy to deny that some One is in control when things don't go your way or the news is nothing but evil and mayhem. It is also quite easy to doubt that the God of Abraham, Moses and Yeshua is the same God who created life and authored those ancient writings through men of His choosing in order life. To the skeptic, it may be the loads of mind-numbing information written by other skeptics having an extensive vocabulary ( who come off as more intelligent than all others and thus ‘must’ know what they are talking about ) who may have also tasted the pain of the religious that leads them to believe the reinforced doubt in God ( them equating God with any given religion or with the meagerness of the weak ).
It is also interesting to point out that when speaking about scriptures and faith in God, some intellectuals are quick to respond with attacks against organized religion, but nowhere is the argument made for anything organized as is understood in today’s context of organized bodies of tax exempt religions, but simply an adherence to one's conscience before an all knowing, just and loving God.
If one was to actually read the words in the new testament compilation of letters and were to believe them, one would see the only ‘organized’ part of faith in Yeshua was a request to pray together, to love one another, to feed the hungry and poor among you ( not only those who profess your same faith ) and to come together regularly to further encourage one another and meet the needs of others ( much like the activity of what a loving and mentally healthy family would typically do for each other ). If anything ‘organized’ was created, it was the call to be a family with people one may rather despise or ignore according to cultural stigma, class distinction or economic status… and what other message actually calls you to love your enemy and do good to them? What source of men would ask you to love an enemy? If a call to love people and serve them is to be called organized religion, then I am one of the biggest proponents of this type of activity and belief, for it is this activity by which I’ve found how to be good, righteous and to live according to what that most perfect example known as Yeshua Christ exemplified via his short time walking the earth... it is where my conscience became useful besides what my peers, my parents, my parochial schooling taught me. Where else does it define a life lived for others selflessly and to put others before yourself as opposed to looking after yourself first and putting yourself before others ( even your spiritual attention )?
Only a message not originating on this plain would tell you to do the opposite of what your ego or your fear would tell you to do.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
- Jeremiah 29:11-13
The promise of finding God is given to you... your part is to seek with all your heart. Give it all you got... for what else is of value if not finding and communing with the Holy One?
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