I am constantly wondering about the dynamics of my own faith and where I stand on certain issues. I don't know the answers to most questions, and I certainly have plenty more of them to ask myself. Paul Tillich defines faith as "the state of being ultimately (actively)
concerned" and this ultimacy "demands total surrender... and it promises total fulfillment." I struggle with my faith daily; sometimes I don't even know what I believe anymore. I feel like I'm flailing my arms for something to hold on to, knowing that there is something there but it is just out of my reach. I keep searching for the God whom I know in my heart but struggle daily to see. I feel like a fog has settled over my certainty to blur my view, but could that fog really bring me clarity? Best-selling author, Ann Lamott, says that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Do we discover our true faith in our disillusionment? In my upcoming entries I will give you my thoughts on the topics I struggle with most. Until then be forming your own opinions on this: There is often a symbolic relationship between a religion and its culture. So, is religion culture dependant? Or, does religion transcend cultures? Are all religions of all cultures equally valid? Can there be truth in every religion? Is universalism a valid argument?
3 comments:
The answer to the last question about religions being culturally valid, for me, is this: Yes and no. Religions are all valid for the people in those cultures that experience one form or another of a religion. For example, people of one of the hindu faiths hold valid beliefs and viewpoints for their culture. However, in the west, the values and beliefs of many of the hindu versions of faith may be totally invalid depending upon that culture's acceptance of it. But if you're a crazy, confused, pseudo-universalist like myself, then what does it matter whether they're valid--we all go to the same place in the end, right? :-)
How right you are, sugar bear!
Yes, there can be and is truth in every religion... but they are not the same and I have to believe that some are closer to God's yearnings for us than others. Does a particular faith allow you to wrestle with mystery? If not, it loses points for me. Does it encourage us to move towards or away from one another? Does it build barriers or break them down? Does it give easy answers to difficult questions? uh... uh...
Personally, that is why I'm a Christian. It seems to me that Jesus pushes us towards the mystery, reveals a God who does not provide easy answers but who walks with us through the fire, who breaks down barriers and calls us to move towards one another.
I like what Spencer Burke says in his new book... universalism is a good place to start.
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