3 stages is a simplification but is basically what happened in my life.
Blind faith as very young child growing up on Irish farm family in Cobh, Cork. Catholic culture. Mass every Sunday. Bedtime prayers. Grace at mealtimes. Sometimes. Prayers in school. Communion. Altar boy. Confirmation in the cathedral ?6th class?
Before Confirmation I was certainly listening to sermons and the content of readings but also listening to news, reading the paper, studying english and history in school. It became obvious that there was a problem with religion, especially with the trouble between Catholics and Protestants in the North and in Irish history. In secondary school I had a mix of teachers some of who were Brothers and Nuns and most of who were sound. However there were one or two religious people who were unkind. I think we are awakened to be more critical when we encounter unpleasantness ourselves. For me I think the few unkind people over time made me really lose whatever blind faith I had in the Catholic institutions.
I was very immature socially for a long time I think. Until well into my 20s. Although I was thinking critically about different things. I have now been exposed a little to different philosophies and cultures. I think I see how religions are simply systems of philosophy. And there is much good in different religions and philosophies.
I think the blind faith in religions can be of comfort to people.
But it leaves them open to being manipulated.
So I think religions based on faith are essentially unhealthy for our state of mind and unhealthy for humanity as a whole.
This question on the internet caught my eye and dragged me in . . .
If most people really looked into their faith and questioned all the things that seem fallible, do you think they would lose faith?
https://www.quora.com/If-most-people-really-looked-into-their-faith-and-questioned-all-the-things-that-seem-fallible-do-you-think-they-would-lose-faith/answer/James-Coleman-500?prompt_topic_bio=1
Yes, I think if people REALLY looked into their faith in a critical and objective manner then their faith would at least change and in some sense be lost. But this is not a bad thing. You can deepen your understanding of the world and of people and build a faith in humanity.
It is healthy to look at any system of belief from a critical point of view. This can apply to any thought system in religion or philosophy and also to our different human cultures and politics and science.
Three stages.
One. Blind faith is very simple and when we are very young we are naturally happy with this if we are living a reasonably happy life.
Two. As we mature we will naturally develop more powers of thought. We can see that people and institutions in our own culture are not perfect and that naturally raises questions and doubts. You can try and continue with blind faith and not question these failures but the doubts will have to be repressed and this will lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction. You can talk to people about the failures and read and be open to understanding them. This might be a tough thing to do for strongly held beliefs but is important for our mental health to find a justified place to put our faith. This might break our faith with certain institutions or people but allows us to develop a deeper faith in things that we know and trust to be true.
Three. Growing understanding. Curiosity. Tolerance. As we live our lives we will encounter different philosophies from outside the culture we grew up with and we will naturally continue to develop understanding of the different philosophies that make up our own culture. We can gain the greatest understanding by being open to finding out more about our own beliefs as well as different faiths, different cultures, different philosophies. We are naturally cautious and even suspicious of philosophies outside our own culture but if we treat them in a critical but objective manner and develop an understanding of what is good and what is bad then we can develop a deeper understanding of humanity and gradually build a complete picture. A deep understanding and tolerance like this allows us to understand individual humans and all of humanity and is the core of a strong faith acquired in a curious and open-minded way.
Tolerance. Rules. Interpretation. In our own culture and philosophies as well as others there are certain rules and, how can we say it, perhaps guidelines on behaviour. “Thou shalt not kill.” Simple. But always the rules come down to interpretation by people. In many cultures it has been okay to kill people as long as they are peasants or slaves or of a different religion to the right religion! We cannot reconcile intolerance with a philosophy that can justify faith in it. When it comes down to it, religions and philosophies are systems that are propagated by people. The faith that we develop for ourselves must be based on us, on people who create systems of behaviour, who create rules, who create philosophies. You can have faith in systems, in philosophies and a higher faith but a faith based on humanity is at the core of a philosophy which will improve the world for all. Without that core faith in humanity a faith in a higher power alone leaves religious systems open to manipulation by cynical people.
Losing faith.
Or changing faith and deepening understanding and faith.
It is a continual process of understanding and development really throughout our lives.
If most people really looked into their faith and questioned all the things that seem fallible, do you think they would lose faith?
https://www.quora.com/If-most-people-really-looked-into-their-faith-and-questioned-all-the-things-that-seem-fallible-do-you-think-they-would-lose-faith/answer/James-Coleman-500?prompt_topic_bio=1
Yes, I think if people REALLY looked into their faith in a critical and objective manner then their faith would at least change and in some sense be lost. But this is not a bad thing. You can deepen your understanding of the world and of people and build a faith in humanity.
It is healthy to look at any system of belief from a critical point of view. This can apply to any thought system in religion or philosophy and also to our different human cultures and politics and science.
Three stages.
One. Blind faith is very simple and when we are very young we are naturally happy with this if we are living a reasonably happy life.
Two. As we mature we will naturally develop more powers of thought. We can see that people and institutions in our own culture are not perfect and that naturally raises questions and doubts. You can try and continue with blind faith and not question these failures but the doubts will have to be repressed and this will lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction. You can talk to people about the failures and read and be open to understanding them. This might be a tough thing to do for strongly held beliefs but is important for our mental health to find a justified place to put our faith. This might break our faith with certain institutions or people but allows us to develop a deeper faith in things that we know and trust to be true.
Three. Growing understanding. Curiosity. Tolerance. As we live our lives we will encounter different philosophies from outside the culture we grew up with and we will naturally continue to develop understanding of the different philosophies that make up our own culture. We can gain the greatest understanding by being open to finding out more about our own beliefs as well as different faiths, different cultures, different philosophies. We are naturally cautious and even suspicious of philosophies outside our own culture but if we treat them in a critical but objective manner and develop an understanding of what is good and what is bad then we can develop a deeper understanding of humanity and gradually build a complete picture. A deep understanding and tolerance like this allows us to understand individual humans and all of humanity and is the core of a strong faith acquired in a curious and open-minded way.
Tolerance. Rules. Interpretation. In our own culture and philosophies as well as others there are certain rules and, how can we say it, perhaps guidelines on behaviour. “Thou shalt not kill.” Simple. But always the rules come down to interpretation by people. In many cultures it has been okay to kill people as long as they are peasants or slaves or of a different religion to the right religion! We cannot reconcile intolerance with a philosophy that can justify faith in it. When it comes down to it, religions and philosophies are systems that are propagated by people. The faith that we develop for ourselves must be based on us, on people who create systems of behaviour, who create rules, who create philosophies. You can have faith in systems, in philosophies and a higher faith but a faith based on humanity is at the core of a philosophy which will improve the world for all. Without that core faith in humanity a faith in a higher power alone leaves religious systems open to manipulation by cynical people.
Losing faith.
Or changing faith and deepening understanding and faith.
It is a continual process of understanding and development really throughout our lives.
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