“Do
not believe in anything simply because you have
heard it. —Do not believe simply because
it has been handed down for many generations.
—Do not believe in anything simply because
it is spoken and rumored by many. —Do
not believe in anything simply because it is written
in Holy Scriptures. —Do not believe
in anything merely on the authority of teachers,
elders or wise men. —Believe only after
careful observation and analysis. —When
you find that it agrees with reason and is conducive
to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept
it and live up to it.”
—Kalama Sutta
Believe
is one of many words used in our language that can
easily mislead and misrepresent the user's intent.
This can be attributed to its' denotative and subjective
subtleties. It seems "believe" is the
catch all verb of choice.
believe
(verb) 1. to accept as true or
as speaking truth. [synonyms: -be certain of -put
one's faith in] 2.
think; suppose. [synonyms: assume, maintain, presume]
to believe in 1. have
faith in the existence of. [synonyms: swear by;
trust in; have faith in ] 2.
feel sure of the worth of.
belief (noun) 1.
firm opinion; acceptance "that is my belief"
2. religious conviction "he
has no belief" 3. belief
in: trust or confidence "belief in the
justice system" [1]
How
we use the word
There are two circumstances in which to
use the word "believe"; the religious
and the rational. By religious, I mean a fundamentalistic
zealous attitude towards the belief. In the religious
viewpoint, the act of believing is to accept as
true or real without need of additional confirmation
or proof. We often think this only applies to religious
situations but it can apply to any domain. There
is a problem with this attitude; it does not allow
for change or growth. The person who uses this standpoint
already accepts the belief as FACT.
The
rational version of the verb "to believe"
allows for change because its acceptance of truth
is based on assumption and conjecture. This standpoint
allows for mistakes and as humans, we have the capacity
to learn from our mistakes. The
following scenario is over simplified but it goes
something like this:
What
is the Earth's shape?
The religious believer—"I believe the
earth is flat." I know this to be true and
nothing you are going to say will change my mind
because I am right.
The rational believer— "I believe the
earth is flat." I presume this is so, because
when I walk I appear to go in a straight line.
Note:
With the rational outlook, the presumption can
be tested and tried until it has mutated into
fact or knowledge with evidence to support it.
—
and the answer today?
The
standard response is: “the earth is round”,
but to be more precise, it is really an oblate
spheroid.
For
more information: an excellent detailed explanation
of the implicit and explicit usage of belief can
be found at the following link: The
Internet of Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
How
we believe
Humans are pattern seeking creatures.
This skill, of being able to establish patterns
and causal relationships, seems to be inherent in
our nature and is attributed our survival instinct.
Patterns are ascertained through experience. The
problem is knowing which pattern is beneficial,
harmful or useless. We learn what works and doesn't
work through repetitive experiences.
For
example: Early humans learned the pattern of the
seasons and eventually developed agriculture.
Natures'
patterns can be observed and learned but what of
the abstract concepts like magic, religion and god.
—How did we begin to (religiously)
believe in what we couldn't see? Below
are a few possible theories of the origins of spiritual
belief:
- Humans
are born with the inherent capacity to believe
in mystical concepts
- Early
man manifested the "abstract" for
those situations where there were no patterns
to establish reason; a kind of Proto-science
if you will.
- Mysticism
is a false paradigm that our ancestors accepted
as truth and is now slowly de-evolving through
the expansion of scientific knowledge.
- Earth
was visited by an advanced culture in ancient
times and early man developed the divine concept.
—Not
my most favored theory, I must admit.
Why
we believe
Each person will have their own reason
for believing or not believing in something; be
it from the religious or rational viewpoint. When
it comes to religious spiritual beliefs it could
be for any number of reasons. In the following list,
god is used generically to reflect all possibilities
and is not gender or denomination specific:
-
Believing in god answers the need to believe
in something.
- An
individual believes in god because they were
taught to believe.
- God
must exist because there exists a living universe.
- God
gives life meaning and purpose; by helping define
our sense of self.
- God
provides control and guidance in life through
fear of retribution. Depending on the belief
this can be in the present, in the afterlife,
reincarnation or karma.
- There
has to be more to life than 'life and death'.
What
we believe
I
cannot answer for anyone else. ~For myself, I find
patterns and rituals comforting and meaningful. I
know that I need more than just rationalization to
explain my world. For some it is science, for others
it's religion but for me --the answer lies somewhere
in between.
Something
to think about
Given the assumptions:
(a) There appears to be a hierarchical order
within nature.
(b) Awareness may or may not exist between
levels.
Questions:
Is there hierarchical level above man?
Would you call "it" god?
[If yes]
Is it something we, as humans, can define?
Does it care about the lower levels within
the hierarchy?
Should it be revered?
[If no]
Will science meet all the needs of humans
beyond the realm of logic? |
Notes
[1] The Pocket Oxford
Dictionary of Current English 8th Edition.
How
We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science
—Michael Shermer
A Brief Guide to Beliefs, Ideas, Theologies,
Mysteries and Movements —Linda Edwards
|
