On the average day most people are bombarded with stories
from coworkers, breaking news, political agendas, online articles, and messages from anything else that can convey a language. As we mature we
begin to realize that all this information is tailed by the caveat, “but this
may not be 100% true.” We have engineered a mindset for this when we are online due
to the malleability of the media channels, and occasionally a verbal reminder of the caveat is
necessary when face-to-face. Unfortunately, if we are in our default,
absorb-information mode we may not take the time to switch our settings and
consider the option of fiction.
I make an effort to keep that mindset at the ready; a news
story may have been funny, but before I tell a friend about it, some research
may be needed depending on its importance. ‘I heard a guy robbed a gas station
with a sword,’ is silly enough and worded such that even if it was not true it
entertained the audience and there was no harm done. I have observed that subjects
that are ‘more important,’ such as national security or organized religion, do
not need the caveat. We take all information related to such topics seriously, because it would be unwise not to. For some, the possibility of it being
untrue is, ironically, too far-fetched for them.
I see myself as a very logical person, and I want as many
facts as possible for something that I take interest. If a groundbreaking
scientific discovery is announced, I want to do research for the explicit joy
of gaining knowledge. Spirituality, similarly, is important enough that I want
to do research for it as well. I very much want to be a religious person, but
my coding prevents me from accepting the supposed facts without the necessary
evidence. The likelihood of a divine being differs based upon the person;
probability in this sense has no baseline, for emotion often comes too close to
normal reasoning.
There is not much pure evidence, to be frank, of any religion
that recognizes a divine being. Artifacts or corpses may have been relevant to
history, but whether there is a legitimate religious association is hardly
debatable. That’s where faith, a third pillar to this discussion, comes in.
Many people have the faith to accept claims without a long second glance, especially
if the channel is one they have grown to trust. Your friend is trusted and the
claim of a sword-wielding robber may be unlikely, but there is a line drawn in
the sand by faith that was not crossed. For many people the line of faith
covers more ground than mine; I enjoy being analytical and skeptical, even to
the point that results in some self-loathing. There is a delicate balance to
stories, fact, and faith; it would do everyone well to define where their lines
are drawn.
Christian Brooks, H3
26 October 2016
I really never considered how faith goes into our stories and discussions throughout our life, it has always been a separate thing for me within religion. I myself am not a very religious, but I do not deny the fact that maybe somewhere out there is a divine being that goes over all. Despite that, I am a victim of blind believing especially in the media. My friends have always found it weird and made fun of me that I am so gullible in certain areas like the media, but I want strict facts in religion. Just a weird new perspective for me.
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