Beyond Belief
History repeats the old conceits
the glib replies, the same defeats.
Elvis Costello
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To not know in the context of faith is to remain humble and teachable. To toss away the conflicting and unusable beliefs of the mind is to be free of human chatter and hubris and a step closer to the divine. Where faith does not fill in the cracks, fear will. Faith is an attitude of acceptance of not knowing.
Rea Nolan Martin
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Assuming certainty sacrifices truth for convience. Abandoning doubt and reflection may make acting easier, but it risks enacting evil under the guise of good. Here, belief becomes an excuse to justify ignorance, and an impediment to learning and growth. The idea that ones "belief" legitimizes ignoring facts and opposing viewpoints poisons reasoned discourse, and leads to intellectual bigotry; the assertion that an opinion can't be challenged simply because one finds it desirable.
Pursuing truth necessitates a willingness to change ones views, to admit a mistake or misconception and alter one's perspective. It is disconcerting to concede error; but shackling one's self-esteem to any one way of thinking jeopardizes an objective connection to reality and compromises a commitment to a healthy personality.
The question becomes- how does one act appropriately in the face of limited knowledge and understanding? Faith, I believe, is the answer. By accepting one's limitations and acting accordingly, faith allows us to overcome fear and hate, This affords us the opportunity to act with the compassionate comprehension that our best efforts are subject to failure, but we need not be deterred into inaction or despair. Rather than deny the veracity of a given situation and repeat our blunders, we accept our responsibility and alter our actions.
Ignorance isn't evil in and of itself, it's the ignorance we will upon ourselves and others that is malevolent. Faith allows us to affirm that which lies beyond our cognizance; to deal with uncertainty in a fashion that befits our humanity. By doing the best we can and demonstrating a willingness to change, faith allows us to reject hubris and remain both hopeful and humble.
There may be comfort in seeing the world through an inflexible and unchanging worldview, but it is a cold comfort; one destined to leave us frozen in a wasteland of dread and doom. The values of compassion and understanding are needed to guide us along the path of righteousness; so no matter what misguided footfalls befall us, we will not lose our way as we move beyond belief.
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I've got a feeling
I'm gonna get a lot of grief
Once it seemed so appealing
Now I am beyond belief
Elvis Costello
