I've never seen an angel, but I'm trying to believe

[her_own_monster]

Kierkegaard. Is. AMAZING.

He underscores, in Fear and Trembling, that faith isn't as easy as it seems. I never considered, in any of my experiences with Christianity, that maybe faith isn't something everyone who considers himself "Christian" has automatically (or vice versa, I guess), or just how prevalent a theme that struggle is in scripture.

Comments

[her_own_monster]

I am never quite certain how much of my "Faith" is the genuine, kill-me-but-I-won't-deny-it kind, and how much is just some kind of desperate effort of will, clinging to something I refuse to give up, if for no other reason, because I believe that it's Worth believing.

Does it make that big a difference? I think that, it being faith, the means don't matter so much as the end. Maybe that makes me a bad Christian, too. Then again, you could also see it as being the same thing: if you cling to it because there simply is nothing to live for without it, doesn't it amount to holding onto it on pain of death?

another comment on faith

[benjaminmann]

as far as i can tell from my reading of the New Testament, no one is required to have immediate and instantaneous loyalty-unto-death. faith and love have a life of their own, and have to develop in due time just like natural life. a quick read through st. mark's gospel shows us that Jesus is continually rebuking the twelve for their lack of faith, without rejecting or scorning them on that account