Faith, Doubt and Certainty (attn: Raghavendra)

[Guest guest]

-

Raghavendra N Kalyan

> Many people have *belief* in the Bible.

> As I use the word "faith" it doesn't make sense to say that

> one has faith in the Bible.

 

 

Do you know that "belief" and "faith" are synonyms? You cannot change

meanings of words as you want and claim that what is written makes no

sense. Please present some better points if you have them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Now that I have some time I would like to respond to your

message more fully.

 

When you say that "belief" and "faith" are synonyms, on what

basis do you say that, and in what context do you say it?

Do you consider there is one absolute *correct* definition

of these words? If so, then we have very different points

of view on the meanings of words and will have real difficulty

"talking the same language".

 

A dictionary definition only goes so far. A list such as this

has members that are interested in exploring certain key topics

in great depth, such as "truth", "love", "enlightenment", etc.

A dictionary can be useful for clarifying unfamiliar terms, but

would we rely on a dictionary to clarify the meaning of "truth"

or "love"?

 

If you are still with me, then perhaps you will agree that a

dictionary definition will not suffice to determine the meaning

of faith. Just as there are many understandings of the meaning

of "love", there will be many understandings of the meaning of

"faith".

 

That being said, I will try to express a bit of what *my* notion

of faith is:

 

Have you ever had a moment when everything was very still?

Perhaps a moment at dawn. Light is softly spreading as the

world is very quiet, and everything is vibrant, alive.

If so, then perhaps you sensed a quiet depth, a profound

silence pervade everything...

 

And if you have had such a sense of a soulful depth pervading

everything, then in the sense of that perhaps for you there

was a *knowingness*, a sense of profound stillness and peace

as to the order and unfolding of life.

 

In my view such a profound stillness and peace is always

present, always pervades, though often we may not be aware

because of distraction by myriad surface details. But it is

always there.

 

And to me "faith" is the the *knowing* of that deep presence,

of that depth that pervades. To me faith is not belief, it is

*knowing*.

 

I have long known of that silent depth, and yet over the decades

of my adulthood I have had many trials where I needed to

resort to that depth, that abiding profound beyondness, to

carry me through. And to me that knowingness of the depth that

sustains me was my faith that carried me through.

 

So that is my perspective on "faith". Perhaps I am the only

one on the planet that understands the term "faith" in such

a way. Yet I am unshakable in this as the true meaning of

"faith" *for me*.

 

Bill