The place of faith in my life
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
I admit that I don't reveal a lot of myself on this blog. I am most comfortable digging into and discussing issues facing the church. Those issues always involve me, as both a Christian and a pastor, but it is not easy for me to openly discuss my own place in the middle of all of it.
But I've got to tell you, I read something today that gave me a feeling I haven't had in a long, long time. It's a short article in the new issue of Newsweek magazine. The article discusses Harvard University's debates over whether to require its undergraduates to take a course in religion. Harvard isn't exactly returning to the bosom of the church, mind you. But some on the faculty do believe that living in a religiously complex world makes knowledge about religion a must.
Well, it ain't going to happen. As soon as a study group of faculty members offered a curriculum proposal that included the required religion course in the area of "faith and reason," a lot of other faculty members freaked out. Newsweek reports that most of them were from the science faculty, and that they felt offended that "faith" and "reason" were being mentioned in the same sentence. As the article explains, the scientists see the two as distinct forms of knowledge that should not be lumped together in anyway.
There was an element of condescension in the statement, of course. But that got me thinking: there are a whole lot of people out there who equate faith in God with pure superstition. I have always known this to be true, but I don't think about it very often.
That made me think what my life would be like without my faith.
And the thought of it scared me to death.
I mean, it made a nauseous, sick feeling go throughout my whole body. And I realized that removing my faith would remove the only reason I have to live on this earth. My entire day-to-day existence is tied to trying to live into my faith more and more. My whole sense of hope is wrapped up in the faith I have that Jesus Christ's purposes will be fulfilled - for me and for this world.
Don't pigeon hole what I mean by "hope." Yes, it is an ultimate hope - for a general resurrection of the dead and for life eternal. But it is also the hope that gives my earthly life meaning, that which helps me to make sense of suffering, of love, of my own existence.
I guess there are lots of people out there who just reconcile a complete lack of faith in God with their lives on earth. I don't envy them.
Labels: Christian faith, Hope
posted by Andrew C. Thompson at 7:06 PM
8 Comments:
Amen.
It's interesting that some would object to faith and reason being mentioned together. Of course, one side of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral is reason so I don't see a conflict necessarily. I once took an interdisciplinary University class called "Imagination, Faith and Reason". It was one of my all time favorite learning experiences.
Well at first glance, this appears to be another chapter in the "faith vs. science" saga.
But I think there is another issue at work here that is unique to the current state of American society. Not to unnecessarily politicize this, but the current presidential administration has made it a point to blur the lines between church and state (or, if you will, faith and reason). Not only that, they have repeatedly called on Americans to have "faith" in their decisions without seeing the "reason" behind their decision-making (WMDs, torture, exit plan, etc).
And we've been burned.
Maybe I'm giving a little too much credit, but I think on some level the currency of faith (as a concept) has been devalued in the last five years. I think this probably reverberates a little more profound among the intelligensia, which may be one reason that the reaction has been so strong.
For the record, I do think the class is a good idea, and would sign up for it in a heartbeat.
If I went to Harvard, that is.
Lets face it having faith isn't a very politically correct thing to do. It isn't "trendy" or faddish. Have any of you had the honor of being laughed at and made fun of because of it? Seems like this is what Jesus said it was going to be like.
Good thoughts, Andrew.
I've lived as an atheist, and I can tell you that it is a life without hope. Because when one's earthly life isn't going well, there's no hope for a better one.
those scientist would just radical orthodoxy then. &:~)
it's a shame that there was a power play made. most science based intellectual folks that i've known have embraced the idea that faith is a very important part of who we are as humans. I had profs in my undergrad philosophy dept who were very critical toward Christianity. But at the same time when we talked on a personal level they really affirmed me in my faith and affirmed spirituality and the human spirit.
I think Harvard's campus will miss a real opportunity in this situation.
shalom,
stPhransus
And that is why theology was traditionally known as the queen of the sciences, you know, back in the day. Theology is moving into postmodern paradigms, embracing "both-and" rather than "either-or" while science is stuck in the mire of modernity, arrogantly embracing what can only be empirically reasoned.
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