A Question of Faith: Follow-up
This is a follow-up post to yesterday's "A Question of Faith." I have it cross posted at www.freedomfriends.org, a small Quaker meeting that I attended while living in Salem Oregon. Aliva, in addition to being my friend, is also the meeting clerk and a muscian. I always look forward to her thoughtful and insightful responses. Her response which prompted the post below is included in this post. I hope you will find it of value as I did. You can visit Alivia's website at http://www.aliviabiko.com/home.html
Hi Alivia
I would tend to agree that there are a "bazillion answers" to such a question. I wonder if the value is in the asking rather than in any answer we may ultimately arrive at. As you stated we really only can "name toward" something. In my limited experience it seems that we really only move in the general direction of the answer. It's a spiritual example of the mathematical conundrum stating that 1+1 doesn't actually equal 2 but simply aproximates the answer.
God, faith, grace are all so very subjective. How does one measure it in any way concretely? I have meditated for the better part of 20 years and after all that time I have come to two basic conclusions. 1. I am still a rank amateur and 2. I often get seduced by subjective experiences mistaking them for something spiritual. Even though I practice a form of mindfulness that is aimed at being present in the moment I still find myself following the whirls and eddies of my mind.
I find your reference to "Why God Won't Go Away..." interesting. The whole area called "neuro-theology" by some is very interesting. I have one nagging question...If we are "hardwired" to believe in God as a friend of mine asserts why is that in the studies conducted not everyone seems to have the so-called God gene? It would seem that some are more hardwired for God than others. It adds an interesting twist to our Grace-Faith discussion.
alivia wrote:
Todd,
I am not sure of "the answer" to this question, and believe it is a many faceted issue, and a bazillion answers reaching toward a truth. The bible says "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"... not sure of the reference at this moment, but it seems to me to be hope times belief = faith or some such thing. For me the belief comes from the encounters I have experienced God/ God's presence/God's truth... and my experience combined with my hope... this is a tough question... and all I can do is try to "name toward" something ... it also seems we are wired for such stuff in a biological way. (Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief by D'Aquili and Rause).