Faith, Religion, and in Between

(Hindu scripture)
Prothero proclaims that “faith without knowledge is dead” (276), and even worse, that it is hazardous. Yet all forms of knowledge rely on a kind of faith as well. In science, all our measurements are based on the faith that our tools of perception can indeed reliably perceive the world around us. We must, I believe come to this conclusion, or else we drown in isolated solipsism. In relationships, we must have faith in communion, mutual understanding, and the ability of human (or sentient) beings to relate. The vicissitudes of all life forms demand that we have faith from moment to moment. I have faith that when I walk out of my dorm room I will not find myself deep in the sultry tangles of an Indian jungle. I must have faith.


The inevitability of faith does not, however, lessen its value, nor the necessity that faith be informed by knowledge. As Prothero points out, blind faith is dangerous. Ideally, our faith should be informed by our perceptions of the external and internal realms. Faith should be open to question and experiment, subjected to a sort of religious Darwinism. The most inclusive, accurate, and likely most profitable of faiths should be set on the battlefield to contend with all other systems of belief, scientific and religious alike. The strongest of faiths is not then the one that denies and crushes all others, but the one that tests its values against others, dropping ineffective or inaccurate beliefs and adopting more adequate ones. Faith ought to be open to evolution. As the Jain philosopher Haribhadra asserts (and the mighty Bertrand Russell concurs), “the biased thinker twists logic to suit his preconceived theory, whereas the unbiased truth seeker revises his theory to follow the dictum of logic” (296).

(The Quran)
I recently heard a new interpretation of what a spiritual person might be. Not one with devout faith in any deity or mythic text, but one who is an individual seeker. Someone who experiences the world fully for themselves by internalizing observations and the beliefs of others and comparing them, judging them, and determining what is right – not just what feels good in a hedonistic sense – but what really feels right in his or her own life. (Really, this is another way to describe the maturation process, also the process of meditation and writing. As we grow, witness, and construct, we increasingly subsume the world around us to mold our own.) Often this feeling has a tinge of the transegoic; morality transcends the individual ego. This process of internalization paints the most accurate picture of a person’s world, because though there are external referents, we all interpret them slightly differently. "Religion, whatever it is, is a man's total reaction upon life" (William James). (William James: great American philosopher and father of psychology) Pragmatically, religion is a tool men and women employ to cope with being human, whatever that means to them in their society, in their time.

Also regarding faith and the way in which it encourages us to participate in the world, William James says not that beliefs determine our actions, but that our actions form our beliefs. We have plenty of ostensibly good ideas scurrying around in our heads upon which we never act. We do not really believe these ideas. We may in theory disagree with the morality or propriety of some of our actions, but our action demonstrates our true belief. Not until we act do we truly believe.


Prothero is adamant that every individual’s belief system be informed by the beliefs of the enduring religious traditions the world over. Our global village is saturated with religion, most of it having its roots at least 1500 to 2000 years in the past. How can we relate to people without some knowledge of their fundamental guiding tenets? The “question is whether it is constitutional to teach about religion in the public schools, and the answer is an unequivocal yes” (278). Definitely, religious education should be improved. But I don’t think that we should stop there. Once we are informed, we can actively participate in transforming our world, easing the global strife inflicted by irascible religions that do not see just how similar they are. Education, compassion, and reconciliation all begin with the individual’ societal change always does. “It is only when each person adopts a simple moderate lifestyle that humanity as a whole will stop polluting the environment” (298). When the individual believes, not just thinks, he or she will live with compassion. The human beings who preserve religions of all forms must believe in their commonality. Again we must find the middle way.