Is it Rational to Have Faith?

The name of this blog is Rational Faith. Critics would say that there is no such thing as rational faith, only blind faith. It’s the proverbial leap into the dark. But is it? Is there any connection between faith and reason?

So called “blind” faith is usually shown to be utter foolishness. The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Cristian Anderson is a comical illustration that comes to mind. Two charlatan weavers convince the townsfolk that they can weave clothing that is invisible to people who are unfit for their positions. People who are incompetent and dull will not be able to see the clothing. The weavers are hired to make new clothes for the emperor. Threads, buttons, and materials are never seen during the making of the new clothes. Ashamed to say that they could no see the clothes for fear of being called dumb and convinced that something existed that could not be proved, the people believed a lie. It wasn’t until the emperor marched down main street in his birthday suit that a child finally cried out, “He isn’t wearing any clothes”. Blind faith is foolishness.

What is the difference then between belief and make-believe? What is the difference between a little girl who make believes a pet unicorn that sleeps in her room and a person who says God exists? Are they not both the same, just a silly blind faith? The answer is no. Reason makes the difference.

In the case of make believe or “blind” faith there is no evidence whatsoever that Sally’s make-believe pet unicorn exists. No food is ever eaten by the unicorn. There are no sounds heard. No mess left behind. No hoof prints, nothing. However, faith in the existence of God is based on reason, a rational faith. There are the laws of logic that says the universe cannot come from nothing. The “fingerprints” of God have been left behind on everything from DNA to the distance of earth from the sun. Things that could not have happened by chance. There is the archeological evidence that confirms the Bible which in turn confirms God’s existence. There are the historical records and eyewitness accounts that confirm that Jesus of Nazareth was more than just a man, but God in the flesh. Logic, history, even science gives strong proof for God’s existence which allows faith to take hold and believe in what we cannot see.

Even in the Bible when we see great heroes of the faith doing the impossible, they acted not blindly but assuredly. When Abraham went out from his home country not knowing where he would end up, he stepped out because he had good reason to believe in God’s promises. With solid proofs God had shown himself to be just, holy and faithful. Abraham’s faith could take hold of that! Why did God go through ten plagues in Egypt before freeing the Israelites? He was giving good reasons for the Israelites to believe in Him and in their leader Moses. Why did God honor Gideon’s fleece test? To give him good reason to believe. Why are there miracles, archeology, history, and personal testimonies pointing to the existence of God? To give us some solid proofs that will free our minds and hearts to believe! Open your heart and mind. The proof is there, it’s time to believe. This is rational faith.

Truth--Mirage or Oasis?

 

 

 

Every religion lies. Every moral precept is a delusion. Even the stars are a mirage. The truth is darkness, and the only thing that matters is making a statement before one enters it. Cutting the skin of the world and leaving a scar. That's all history is, after all: scar tissue.

                                                                                    --Stephen King

 

What is truth?-- A question that philosophers and the common man alike have wrestled with over the ages. Many people especially in today's postmodern society would say that truth was a mirage. Something that everyone is searching for and claiming to have but in reality only hold empty claims and void ideas. Is truth just a mirage, a noble idea that does not exist? Or is it the oasis that our minds and hearts are thirsting for?

According to the English Oxford dictionary truth is defined as: that which is true in accordance with fact or reality. But how do we know if something is fact or fiction?  The only way to determine as a desert traveler if what you are seeing in the distance is a mirage or an oasis is to go and see for yourself. Your testing and experience will confirm to you if it is water or heat waves. The same approach is taken to determine what is true and false in philosophy, theology, and ethics. When it comes to forming your worldview and determining what is true and false you will have to put truth claims through the test of logic. Does it hold up under the laws of rationality? Is the claim that is being put forth in accordance with fact and reality?

It is generally agreed upon that truth does exist. If nothing were true we and the world we live in would be nonexistent. We all agree that we are real. We live in a time-space continuum. When we hit our thumb with a hammer it really does hurt! This is not a dream. Reality demands truth. Reality can't exist if it's not true. To say that truth does not exist would be impossible, because if truth does not exist then the statement itself becomes self-defeating. Because reality exists truth exists.

If truth and reality are connected and we are searching for truth, then naturally, we must find what makes reality. We know things are real because of evidences that prove that they are real. We know there is a dog that lives next door because we hear it bark. We know there are stars because we seem them glow. We know a fire is hot because we can feel the heat. So how did reality come to be? How did we become beings that process sounds, smells, sights, and movements? This leads us to the question of origins. How did we and the world we live in come to be? Who made reality real? The evolutionist would say that nothing made reality and reality makes truth. That is like saying, non-reality made reality and that makes truth. That statement is not in accordance with fact. If reality came from nothing then reality is not real and truth does not exist.

In the other corner of the ring stands Christianity, that claims that a transcendent, eternal God created all that is and made our world reality. Truth demands reality and reality demands a reality giver, a greater power than can give meaning to all that is. The God of the Bible is the only answer to the demands of reality and truth. Without him reality and truth cease to exist. No wonder, Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh declared, "I am the way, the truth and the life".  The maker of reality, the source of truth is Jesus Christ.

So is truth a mirage or an oasis? Well, when you follow the trail of rational thought back to Christ you will find Him to be an oasis who will give you rivers of living water!