The idea of Beliefs Examined

If “belief” is the acceptance that something is true, arriving at that acceptance must coalesce and fuse from a myriad of very diverse and complex influences that slowly form into what we hold as a “belief”. I suspect most beliefs evolve gradually from a thousand (figurative) life experiences. When a belief forms in our mind, we may only be aware of a few obvious influences that we can apprehend. Below the surface of consciousness, many events and conditions that comprise our personal history bear their unique pressures to shape our reaction to the world around us, and one may see a “personal belief” as one way in which we react to our world. Beliefs are not facts. A personal belief in our mind is more personal than a simple verifiable fact. While we largely expect facts to remain unchanged, we accept that our beliefs are more transient and evolving; growing dynamically as we are exposed to more facts and experiences. Facts in our mind are objective, impersonal, cold, and simple while our beliefs are subjective, personal, vital, and a complex amalgam of major and minor influences; diverse, and varied as the personal experiences on which they feed. Where facts are effective, beliefs are affective. Belief amends impersonal facts with personal subjectivity and emotion. Frequently two people will share identical facts and arrive at opposing beliefs because facts are not the only constituents in the development of a belief. If a belief compels me to be fervent or emotional about some issue or event, I may be able to verbalize some basis for my enthusiasm, but it is doubtful that I understand fully how that belief found its shape within me.  For instance, I may believe strongly in compassion for my fellow man and especially for others who are in different circumstances than I. This strong belief is generated from a weaving of influential facts and personal experiences. Perhaps I was raised by very compassionate parents who taught me the importance of compassion. Or perhaps I was once in similar circumstances so I recognize and empathize with the plight of others from personal experience. There surely are many possible strong and weak influences that may inform a particular belief. 

If “belief” is the acceptance that something is true, then the sharing of a belief is an expression of what one thinks is right, or how they think the world should operate. When a person expresses a belief to another, they relate to one another in some of the knowable and expressible elements of the belief. They may hold the belief in common, but below the surface, the underpinnings of the belief may be very different. The constituent elements may be a weave of strong or weak, important or unimportant, deeply held or loosely held elements. These root elements are difficult to compare, largely because they are difficult to isolate. When a person states a personal belief we know that the influences that formed that belief are probably many, broad, deep, historic, unique, and largely unknowable. Ardency in a belief may indicates some source influence or influences that render the belief difficult or frightening to let go of, or even compromise. It is not uncommon for two people to discuss some subject, each introducing their beliefs, and quickly discover their beliefs are in opposition. If civil discussion ensues, often the two find they are in agreement over much more than they originally thought at levels below the surface. That on which they still disagree can be assumed to be tightly bound to something personal even if it can’t be isolated or verbalized. This is where Love will triumph. When beliefs between people collide, Love expresses acceptance that the other person believes differently not because they are less intelligent or less informed, or less valuable, but because they have a different history. Love can recognize that opposing beliefs are built from life experiences not held in common. Love finds no need to degrade a person because their beliefs developed from different stuff; Love does not determine the value of a person based on their current beliefs or how those beliefs developed.

If “belief” is the acceptance that something is true, then it is assumed that what people state they believe is what they accept to be true. Truth, however, has eluded mankind for at least as long as history records his actions. Prophets proclaimed it, philosophers sought it, and Pilate acknowledged he didn’t recognize it. By its very definition, truth demands to be objective; a subjective truth is no truth at all. We may be mistaken about something, but the truth does not subject itself to how I perceive it. It remains what it is without regard to how it is perceived. When an idea is subjected to personal preference, the very subjectivity renders the idea something other than truth. It may be an opinion, a theory, a postulate, a wish, an idea, a fantasy, but it can never be a truth. Truth is sometimes accused of being subjective when people disagree on a truth’s validity. Truth may be elusive because different people rely on different means of verifying truth for themselves. When truth is questioned in the mind, an acceptable arbiter must be summoned.  Sight and senses, logic, scientific investigation and experimentation, personal experience, trusted testimony, or supernatural revelation have all been called on to validate truth. If the natural man relies on his own sense of logic to verify his ideas, and the spiritual man relies on revelation to verify his, it is not hard to conclude why their attributions of truth often collide. Not everyone can accept revealed truth. The ability to believe revealed truth is properly called “faith”. Faith, as I have learned it, is simply accepting God at His revealed word. For instance, I believe that Love is personified in the Lord Jesus, but as far as I can tell I don’t believe that because my logic supports it, or because it is provable by experimentation, but because it has been revealed. If one is compelled to reject the existence of God or the deity of Jesus, then one will naturally reject the validity of His revelation, and therefore any truth that relies on revelation as the arbiter will be rejected. That is not to say one can only rely on faith or on logic, but not both, as if faith is illogical. Faith and logic are not in opposition to each other. Faith simply accepts the revealed logic of the super-natural environment; an environment that is not apprehended by human senses. The person of faith accepts the testimony of one found to be reliable in the same way the natural person accepts the testimony of their own sources. Faith is not genetic or innate, but comes only in the form of a gift; it is an imputed aptitude. It is special in that it is the kind of gift always offered to those who don’t deserve it, and one that can only be obtained through humble petition.

If “belief” is the acceptance that something is true, and truth is not objective but personal, then an expected and common artifact is for both spiritual and natural persons to attach unfair and derogatory labels to persons whose beliefs oppose their own. While some labels are intended to be  simply descriptive, too often labels are weaponized; they are used as a form of propaganda to degrade and negatively characterize a perceived enemy. The reaction to degrade those with whom we disagree seems to me to be natural and primal.

Love, by contrast, is unnatural. Love seeks the welfare of others, even of enemies. It is an act of love to recognize that the opinions and beliefs of others are developments of a personal and unique history. To follow the God of Love is to purpose to be a testimony of His love. It is incorrect to think that acceptance of another person with contrary beliefs requires a compromising of one’s own beliefs.  As I survey my own development of beliefs, I recognize that I believe differently now than I once did. Both now and then however, I thought I was right, but I am grateful for those God used to challenge my thinking. The fact that my beliefs have changed informs me that it is possible for me to believe things now that I may not always accept as true. That is why I am, as far as is possible with me, forming my beliefs based more on objective Truth; that which does not change; revelation that continues to demonstrate unsurpassed rightness and stability.  Faith compels me to react to others in grace. Therefore, I am exercising my faith to grow in my reaction to others by purposing to demonstrate the same grace to others that I have received from above. I no longer think it is possible, by clever debate and cunning logic, to change the beliefs of another; beliefs that have developed from complex sources and have become precious. I was accepted by God when I didn’t deserve it; when I was in opposition to God, so I can accept those who oppose my current personal beliefs.  I know the One who changed (is changing) my beliefs and I know He will change anyone who simply seeks and asks for the gift of faith that He is offering.

This is my testimony.