FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY & ALL THAT MALARKEY

OR A TELEVANGELIST’S CREED

HE HOPES HIS AUDIENCE HAS FAITH AND WILL BE OVERLY CHARITABLE

What is faith? Here are a few definitions taken from various places. Faith is a belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof. It can also be a system of religious beliefs, or the group of people who adhere to it.

"Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable."
- H. L. Mencken

Faith does not solely make reference to an aspect of religion or the Bible. In fact, faith was not a word until sometime after the bible was written. We all have faith that the mailman will deliver our mail, and most of the time, that our alarm clock will awaken us each morning, or that our wife will have supper on the table when we get home. It implies a certain amount of trust or confidence, that barring any complication, the wife will greet us at the table with a kiss and a smile.

But, of course, here I’m referring to the biblical use of the word, where faith is the basic ingredient of most religions, more so in some than others. Faith, for me, never came easy and maybe that’s why religion was hard for me to swallow. Especially the deep seated blind faith Christians have.

“Faith in oneself is the best and safest course.”
- Michelangelo

Sheep is an appropriate symbol for a religious following. They blindly do whatever and go where ever their Sheppard leads them. This brings happiness to the flock. To some, faith is happiness and that is a good thing. If happiness is all that one seeks, follow your Sheppard and put your trust and belief in him. Throw logic to the wind. It’s obvious that proof and material evidence means little. It’s a lot easier to follow than to lead.

“Faith means belief in something concerning which doubt is theoretically possible.”

_ William James

Faith is belief in a mythical entity that lives in the clouds and promises that someday, if we are good little sheep and follow his word, we will join him there for an eternity of love bliss and happiness. Eternity! Come on now. How much of this could one stand?

"If knowing answers to life's questions is absolutely necessary to you, then forget the journey. You will never make it, for this is a journey of unknowables -- of unanswered questions, enigmas, incomprehensibles, and, most of all, things unfair."
- Jeanne Guyon, in *Spiritual Torrents*  

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mother Teresa

Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.
- Khalil Gibran 

There you have it. Faith, something obviously, I know little about, nor do I have a desire to practice it, religiously speaking. “O ye of little faith.” That’s in the Bible, like everything else, in numerous places.