Belief

I'm thinking about belief, and more specifically, religion - but only insofar as it applies to the notion of belief in itself.

Belief is a strange thing because, simply, it defies the logic of reality, the laws of physics, and the concepts more than generally agreed upon concerning philosophy and psychology. All of this applies for the most part because belief is a thing of the mind.

If I were to tell you that I didn't believe in gravity, that I thought that a holding god was reaching out from the center of the earth and holding us down, it would be a true statement. Not because the holding god exists, but because I would believe it. It is fact. I believe X. Theoretically anything is possible. I can believe that I am from Mars. I can believe that you are from Mars. I can believe that we are on Mars. All true statements.

So, considering the overwhelming possibilities of belief, it's no surprise that there is a plethora of religions, mentalities, and philosophies. And the question is no what are your beliefs, but why do you have them?

Why am I a Christian? An atheist might suggest that I was raised to be a Christian, and that no reason exceeds that one alone. It's plausible. I've heard the argument against the more fundamentalist religious that they would not believe what they do now if they were born in Africa, and if they did, they would lack common sense. I see their point, and I've often asked that very question of myself. If I was born in Africa, would I think about life the way I do now? Probably not. Would I be a Christian? Probably not.

But I wasn't born in Africa. And that's the key. That's what I'm trying to say. Life isn't about us choosing what we believe in - it's about realizing it. Like a program working its way through this crazy world. But if belief is such a trivial thing, then what's the point of believing in anything?

Well, I figure that somewhere out there is the ultimate set of beliefs. The one that will lead you to perfection. And I guess you want to match that set as closely as you can.

So I'm a Christian, and I think that those values bring me closer and closer to that perfect set. That's my opinion. And if I was raised in Africa, I guess I'd be finding my way to that set in a different way. But I don't think any of us have it just yet. I think the ones who will be rewarded are the ones who try, who genuinely go out of their way to be the best person they can possibly be.

I know that clashes with traditional Christian viewpoints of "believe in Christ of you'll go to hell," but I can't help but think that it's more about being like Jesus than anything else. Some cite "I am the way, the truth, and the life. Noone comes to the father except through me," as a passage that refers to Christianity and it's path to Heaven. Well, I would argue (and Rob Bell would agree) that this passage doesn't refer to a religion, but a way of living life. Living like Christ, perfectly, as we were meant to be before the fall.

That's what I believe in.

What do you believe in?