Explorations of Faith II - Introduction

In the former book, written in 2009, I began by giving an in-depth theological analysis of the subject of faith. In this volume, I would like to re-present the same thoughts in the form of aphorisms; however, spiced with truths that I have also learnt thereafter.

INTRODUCTION

1. Faith is the building block of life. One has to be grounded in the foundation of faith, covered with the shield or walls of faith, and build himself up in faith.
2. If faith is the brick of our life, then love is the cement. Faith works by love.
3. Life looks meaningless and empty when there is no faith. Even love cannot fill the infinite hollow within; because love cannot be quenched by many waters. However, a little bit of faith, just the size of a mustard seed, is enough to dash life with meaning.
4. But, faith is not blind; even as love is also not blind. God commanded us to love Him with our mind, not just with our heart. Likewise, faith does not throw away the mind. A mindless faith is what God detests. Worship of idols as if they were living is an instance of mindless faith. God calls us to reason.
5. Faith and Truth go together. People can believe in something that is false and that false belief can even be dangerous. For instance, some people blow up planes because they believe that doing that will earn them spiritual merit. That is an example of false belief that is dangerous to both self and society.
6. Faith is when a person accepts the truth and applies it to his life.
7. In the same way that truth cannot be self-contradictory, faith is also not self-contradictory.
8. Truth that is not believed in is useless; belief that is not true can be dangerous!
9. If somebody says that he doesn’t believe in God anymore, he either means that God doesn’t exist or that he can’t believe in what he thinks is God. Perhaps, his idea of God is wrong; because, once he has the right idea of God, he won’t be able to deny God. But, one can only say something like something doesn’t exist in the whole universe if someone has total knowledge of the entire universe – in other words, is omniscient, is God himself (which, by the way, is not the case here).