Monday, September 19, 2005
Faith II
Ok.. Its taken a while (well not really, I've just been busy) but I'm back to say some more.
I sat down and looked at your question.. What value does faith have to me, and I found it very difficult to answer. In the same way that asking someone what value does your friendship to X provide for you. Its not something you think of in those terms.
Friendship is focused arround what you feel towards the other person, not what they give you. The same can be said of my faith. My religious faith is about, at its core, a friendship with god. Its not about what I get out of it (although I do get things out of it), It's about a mutual relationship.
But let me try to explain something else.
There is an aspect of the chair analogy that is lacking. Sitting in the chair is a binary decision. Being in a relationship with god, having faith in him is not. There are levels of friendship/relationships.
Lets say that to be willing to take the first step (lets call it sitting in the chair) of a relationship with god requires you to have a certain amount of faith in him. Lets call this ammount 100%. This 100% can be made up of any combination of Blind Faith, Experiencial Faith, and Logical Faith (My terms). I think what your talking about is the balance of these. Some rare people may be able to reach 100% in just one area, but for most of us, it is a combination. (Even including some blind faith) Once you reach this 100%, you have the oportunity to learn more about God, and Experience more of the way he does relate to people in relationship with him.
Im sorry im using a lot of religious conotations, forgive me. Try to get my point rather than getting bogged down in my theology?
At which point you can go ABOVE 100%. And over the course of your relationship this 100% can grow increasingly. As it does grow, you will be in a closer and closer relationship with him. Better understanding him, why he acts the way he does, and why he is worthy of your trust.
Im not sure if im making any sence. Where am I going with this.. What does my Faith mean to me?
It means that there is someone whom I can trust to love me unconditionally. Someone who is so concerned about my wellbeing that he was willing to sacrifice the most precious thing he had to allow me a chance to come to know him, and be saved from my own innate sinfullness.
Someone powerfull enough to make me. Yet personal enough to WANT to be in a closer realtionship with me, the creater of the world, and yet my father and friend.
This may sound like a bunch of religious tripe to you, but this is the basis on which I have built my relationship with god.
Hope that helped some.
I sat down and looked at your question.. What value does faith have to me, and I found it very difficult to answer. In the same way that asking someone what value does your friendship to X provide for you. Its not something you think of in those terms.
Friendship is focused arround what you feel towards the other person, not what they give you. The same can be said of my faith. My religious faith is about, at its core, a friendship with god. Its not about what I get out of it (although I do get things out of it), It's about a mutual relationship.
But let me try to explain something else.
There is an aspect of the chair analogy that is lacking. Sitting in the chair is a binary decision. Being in a relationship with god, having faith in him is not. There are levels of friendship/relationships.
Lets say that to be willing to take the first step (lets call it sitting in the chair) of a relationship with god requires you to have a certain amount of faith in him. Lets call this ammount 100%. This 100% can be made up of any combination of Blind Faith, Experiencial Faith, and Logical Faith (My terms). I think what your talking about is the balance of these. Some rare people may be able to reach 100% in just one area, but for most of us, it is a combination. (Even including some blind faith) Once you reach this 100%, you have the oportunity to learn more about God, and Experience more of the way he does relate to people in relationship with him.
Im sorry im using a lot of religious conotations, forgive me. Try to get my point rather than getting bogged down in my theology?
At which point you can go ABOVE 100%. And over the course of your relationship this 100% can grow increasingly. As it does grow, you will be in a closer and closer relationship with him. Better understanding him, why he acts the way he does, and why he is worthy of your trust.
Im not sure if im making any sence. Where am I going with this.. What does my Faith mean to me?
It means that there is someone whom I can trust to love me unconditionally. Someone who is so concerned about my wellbeing that he was willing to sacrifice the most precious thing he had to allow me a chance to come to know him, and be saved from my own innate sinfullness.
Someone powerfull enough to make me. Yet personal enough to WANT to be in a closer realtionship with me, the creater of the world, and yet my father and friend.
This may sound like a bunch of religious tripe to you, but this is the basis on which I have built my relationship with god.
Hope that helped some.
# posted by ChinDoGu @ 18:54 
Comments:
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I think you expressed your "faith" well- it is absolutely amazing that God has done what he has and that despite all our shortcomings cares so much for us that he did give us Jesus- I mean that is truly awesome in the full sense of the word- the fact that there is someone who does love us unconditionally, someone that is personally involved in everything in our lives and someone that can and has taken control of my life is (a litlle bit scary) but so fantastic that I actually cant describe it in words- I think that has something to do with faith- I am not sure it can necessarily be described in words- although you have done an good job of trying
Hey hon. I know I said this on Steve's blog but I wanted to say it here too, since you posted in on both: in my opinion, in terms of faith in God, that was incredibly insightful. I really appreciate the clear thought that went into that and, for the most part, I agree with you. Despite friendship circles. (Darn you and Tim and the whole tier system, damnit!)
Its been sitting in and bouncing round my mind for about 2 weeks, looking for an outlet where it could get on to paper.
This was the result.. Im glad someone found it helpfull...
This was the result.. Im glad someone found it helpfull...
Mmm...I disagree with the 100% faith part where it goes above 100%. Maybe it's the technical person in me (read nerd?). When you first become a Christian the 100% is maybe made up of more Blind Faith than Experiencial Faith, and Logical Faith. As you grow and learn more this changes and the blind faith drops off.
What does change is the relationship, which grows.
Now back to the chair. The chair does not love you. But you can have faith in the chair, at the start that it will support you. Maybe you don't understand why. Maybe you saw someone else sit on it. But you know it will support you. As your understanding about the chair grows your faith in it changes and you gain understanding of how it supports you. By this (the chair and God) you may feel like your faith has grown, but I put to you that you are gaining wisdom and you faith has changed to not be so unknown or blind.
What does change is the relationship, which grows.
Now back to the chair. The chair does not love you. But you can have faith in the chair, at the start that it will support you. Maybe you don't understand why. Maybe you saw someone else sit on it. But you know it will support you. As your understanding about the chair grows your faith in it changes and you gain understanding of how it supports you. By this (the chair and God) you may feel like your faith has grown, but I put to you that you are gaining wisdom and you faith has changed to not be so unknown or blind.
# posted by 
: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 5:42:00 pm
: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 5:42:00 pm
Hmm.. A fair point.. Perhaps over time and experience you blind faith will mature into experiencial faith.
But I still feel there is a further place for blind faith in your life. You are never going to fully understand god, and you will only continue to grow by pushing the limits... by continuing to have blind faith in specific areas or about specific aspects of his character.
But I still feel there is a further place for blind faith in your life. You are never going to fully understand god, and you will only continue to grow by pushing the limits... by continuing to have blind faith in specific areas or about specific aspects of his character.
Agree, I was not saying that blind faith goes, more that it changes. And we don't fully understand God ever, during this life.
Think about the person who comes to church for their first time and becomes a Christian that day. How much understanding do they have? A lot of it must be blind faith.
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Think about the person who comes to church for their first time and becomes a Christian that day. How much understanding do they have? A lot of it must be blind faith.
# posted by : Wednesday, September 21, 2005 5:12:00 pm
: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 5:12:00 pm << Home
