Just Un-Do It: Blind Faith

Blind Faith, Portion of the Old Bridge statue of Minerva, Heidelberg Germany, October 2010,
Panasonic DMC-ZS7, Focal length 10.3mm, Exposure 1/400 sec @ f4.5, ISO 80, no flash
© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

A funny thing happened during a get together with some friends/colleagues of mine. We started talking about religion (we are a spirited group). All were Christians; one was born again, another seemed to be asking new questions, and the third accepted those parts of the faith that felt right, and did not worry about the rest. And if you were to ask, I am a-religious (against organized religion), but if anything, my leanings are toward Eastern and Buddhist teachings.

I asked if anyone had read Sam Harris' book, "The End of Faith." No one had. So I explained my recollection of his thesis that any religion that relies upon "blind faith" is problematic, and needs to be challenged. The popular example, of course, are fundamentalist muslims, which some would say take their interpretation of the Holy Koran to an extreme, and the result is jihad against the infidels.

But what makes Sam Harris' book so provocative is that he equally challenges the fundamentalist Christians. And he does not stop there. He goes on to challenge even moderate Christians, because they implicitly endorse a belief system (based solely on faith) that can lead to these extreme and fundamentalist views.

Well, this really upset a good friend of mine. The view was basically, "Hey, just because you lack faith, that's no reason to challenge mine." A fair accusation, I suppose, although my intent was only to have each of us examine that premise. It seems credible to me that problems may result out of what some might choose to call "blind faith". And since we have different religions, with different holy scriptures, and each teaches they are the one and only true religion and path to God ... well, we clearly are in for some conflict, now aren't we?

So anyways, my friend and I made amends, and we took a walk the next day, up along Philosopher's Way and back into Heidelberg, Germany across the Neckar River via the Old Bridge. That's where we noticed the base of a statue pictured above. And immediately, we interpreted it as depicting "Blind Faith." We both got a good laugh and perhaps a little insight out of that.

Fast forward to another friend whom I've only met on-line. I was reading a blog of hers last night, and came across a video of John Shelby Spong, a retired Episcopal Bishop of Newark, New Jersey. Boy, what an interesting perspective this gentleman has.

So I offer you two options. You can watch the video at the end of this post (which is about 45 minutes long, followed by some 30 minutes of Q&A (and I do recommend it). I've also added another rather long lecture before that one, which is also very good. But I realize those require a large chunk of time.

But after watching that video, I "Googled" John Shelby Spong and found some short YouTube videos. They will give you a feeling for the messages and beliefs that Bishop Spong espouses (and the running time is shown in the title).

Either way, I encourage you to dig in a little deeper, and mull these ideas over in your head. I can tell you that they make a lot of sense to me, and resonate deeply. And if really embraced, seem to put Love and God (or The Divine, if you prefer) at center stage, emanating from within each of us, if we will only wake up.

Namaste, my friends. I hope you enjoy the perspectives below.

Beyond Theism -- John Shelby Spong (2:41)

Does Hell Exist? -- Interview segment with John Shelby Spong (3:17)

Honest Prayer, Part 1 -- John Shelby Spong (5:39)

Honest Prayer, Part 2 -- John Shelby Spong (6:21)

And here are the long ones if you have such interest (each more than an hour). First is a lecture by Spong, that discusses rather graphically, problems caused by the some texts of the Holy Bible. At time, it is as hard to listen to as it is to argue with. It illustrates our tribal mentality, but also tries to show a path forward by rejecting these cultural, human, fallacies. And, I think, it is quite lucid and insightful (and interspersed with humor and poignancy).