Exploring Faith: Part 1

Faith has different senses. In one sense, it means loyalty or trust, as toward a person or persons. In a second sense, it is mere belief, based on evidence - the Greek word here is 'pistis', a legal term used in Athenian tribunals. In a third sense, it is a noun, denoting a system of belief: for example, we can say things like, "Disbelieving in the Trinity doesn't seem to be a part of the Christian Faith."

In sense two, it's a theological virtue, along with hope and love. And it's important to remember that we should never take them apart. They are an organic unity, holding together like the root (faith), stem (hope), and flower (love) of a rose. But it's okay to abstract Faith in our intellects. So, how is Faith a virtue? What's so admirable and note-worthy about holding on to beliefs?

Over here in the West, and in popular imagination, we reason very simply about this. If the evidence is good, hold the belief; if bad, discard it. If I had a belief with little evidence, I'd be dumb, and maybe morally blameworthy, depending of the circumstances. If I was a ship inspector, and there wasn't evidence of the ship's being sea-worthy, what if I believed the ship was sea-worthy, and the crew trusted me, and they went out to sea to their deaths? I ought to lose my post as a ship-inspector. On the other hand, if I didn't believe something, but I had good evidence, I'm not very bright either.

But does this really reflect reality? Are we so ruled by Reason on all occasions? Before I learned to swim, I was afraid to dive in the deep-end. I was afraid I'd sink. But I knew that I wouldn't. I saw others go in the deep-end, and they were afloat - their unsupported bodies hovered there at the surface with little effort. I knew all this; but if you left me alone in the water, I'd panic. What's going on here? My behavior wasn't ruled by Reason. I lost my faith in how I knew my body would behave in a body of water. So, Reason isn't Faith's enemy, but Emotion and Imagination.

On this basis, why might someone lose his Faith? If he is honest, is it really because the evidence is against it? There have been times when I've struggled. But what was happening? It was - and still is - incredible. An unfamiliar place was enough to make wonder about it all. I'd look up at the stars and feel small and almost laugh that this Faith could come from the planetary speck that is Earth. I'd hear a joke at Christianity's expense, or be too long in the company of unbelievers, a bar, a club, or I'd hear that I have cancer, or that a family member has died, or that someone I thought was a warrior in Christianity has lost his faith. Taken as Reasons against Christianity, they are always very weak. But they appeal to the Imagination and Emotions.

And here we arrive at a good definition of Faith as a virtue. It is the capacity to keep beliefs, once sanctioned by Reason, even though the tides of Imagination and Emotion rise. This happens all the time. On a simple level, sometimes Atheists feel like Christianity is true; and sometimes Christians feel like Atheism is true. It goes both ways. What is important for Christians is to think about your beliefs everday, contemplating Christian doctrine, and talking to God through prayer. If you don't, your Emotions will slowly, and imperceptibly, affect your Faith, and you'll find yourself wondering why you're enshrouded by the feeling that 'the whole show' might be an elaborate, clever, but elegant, lie. Very little leave the faith for Reasons, but more often because they simply 'drift away', says Lewis.

And we cannot do this on our own. Through prayer, we ask God for it! And He gives it. We realize this when we try to get it on our own and fail, as we are bound to do. Lewis says something very interesting. If we do try our hardest, and fail, we not only go to Him, but we find out we know more about ourselves. And that's why evil people don't know themselves; because they haven't spent their lives trying to be good. We feel the strenth of a current when we go against it; we experience the strength of an army when we fight in battle. Evil people just go with the flow of their passions.