tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13823696.post5915035993270112342..comments2023-04-16T03:29:21.923-04:00Comments on Here I Stand: Lyrical Friday: Thoughts on FaithJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005985982725824147noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13823696.post-45797012602750016012007-05-05T17:46:00.000-04:002007-05-05T17:46:00.000-04:00Dave, I think that Christians, too, aspire (or may...Dave, I think that Christians, too, aspire (or maybe I mean, should aspire) to trusting God in the way you describe. But it can be easier to subscribe to a precisely defined set of beliefs than to truly trust someone (God or not). When along with that trust comes the matter of surrendering your heart, soul, etc., it gets even more difficult. The Law may be impossible to obey perfectly (per Christian theology), but at least it's laid out in black and white. Perhaps that's why so many churches stray into legalism.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005985982725824147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13823696.post-10776582450615887292007-05-04T12:46:00.000-04:002007-05-04T12:46:00.000-04:00I agree in general. I share your irritation at the...I agree in general. I share your irritation at the vapidness of this kind of writing. But I think it's also useful to distinguish between two basic kinds of faith: faith as faith <EM>in</EM> something or someone -- i.e., trust -- and faith <EM>that</EM> such and such a proposition is true. For example, when we say "I believe in you" (or in myself, etc.), that's often not quite what we mean by saying "I believe in God"... at least, not for many Christians. Some of the Jewish theologians I've read say that in Judaism, faith is much more of the trust variety; arguing with, and sometimes even doubting the existence of, G-d is seen as part of a passionate engagement with divinity. For me as an agnostic, the language of faith is still not inappropriate because I do feel a kind of trust in the rightness of the cosmos, mingled with awe at its beauty and harmony. (Or at least, I aspire to feel that way.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13823696.post-65370993264030193072007-05-04T12:22:00.000-04:002007-05-04T12:22:00.000-04:00Thought-provoking article, Jen. Great thinking! I ...Thought-provoking article, Jen. Great thinking! I agree with you, wholeheartedly. I, too, have some difficulty in understanding some of the "worldly" interpretations of the meaning of faith.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com