Category: Belief

Abstract

Our experiment seeks to understand the impacts of promoting analytical processing on religion belief and science. The following hypothesis directed the experiment: Developing analytical processing would decrease (uncritical) belief in science; promoting analytical processing would decrease belief in God. We administered online questionnaires, lasting 15 minutes, to 118 participants who were above 18 years each. Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis were carried out between the dependent variables in order to determine whether they measured different aspects of behavior. Our experiment was a successful attempt in characterizing analytical processing differences in science and religion.

Introduction

The need to explain various issues within our environment is something that is common in most of us. It is necessary to define whether people perceive science through religion or science. The significant difference is that science presents a system that can be used to generate and evaluate specific evidences to support or refute a given argument. Science requires analytical knowledge that needs some learning process in order to master it, something that may not be necessary when it comes to religion. According to Howitt and Cramer (2014), religion has been in existence throughout our history and has remained common in all social settings because of its uncomplicated concepts that rely on familiar events. In order to test validity of the difference, it may be necessary to conduct an investigation on analytical processing skills of individuals in science and in religion.

Impacts of Analytical Processing on Religion Belief and Science

Farias et al. (2013) suggest that religion is naturally analytical processing while science is unnaturally analytical processing. In this context, the term natural is used to refer to something obvious or familiar which does not need critical reflection. According to these scholars, inasmuch as cultural institutions may be considered important to both religion and science, they have a critical role when it comes to generating of scientific concepts. Unlike religion, science only thrives in a literate culture. Scientific analytical processing must be learnt in a formal context because it is not a knowledge that comes naturally. On the other hand, religious analytical processing does not heavily depend on specific cultural inputs as compared to scientific analytical processing. Scientific processes heavily rely on scientific materials, while religion may not need a specialized skill or knowledge so as to comprehend it.

According to Howitt and Cramer (2014), it is a fact that both science and religion heavily relies on explanatory theories. However, religion is based on theories that require basic reasoning. One of the most important religious concepts is the capacity to define agents, their actions, and the outcome of such actions in our world. On the other hand, science moves closer to methodologies as a way of understanding nature other than relying on agents and their actions. Both science and religion have formal distinctions used in different contexts. In this context, the term formal refers to knowledge processing that needs some form of teaching because it does not come naturally. Processes such as testing of hypotheses, studying control factors, analysis of results, conducting an evaluation and drawing of results are formal skills that may require some form of learning in order to be precise.

Howitt and Cramer (2014) say that Intuitive analytical skills are heavily reliant on human tendencies as a direct effort to understand our physical world. It is a fact that from a very tender age, everyone develops some ideas about the functionality of the world on issues such as what various objects move, what they are made of, and the interactions between people and objects in our physical environment. According to Farias et al. (2013), the ideas are often referred to as psychological intuition. This experiment seeks to investigate the effect of encouraging analytical processing as a way of promoting knowledge in religion and science. The hypothesis below directed our experiment: Development of analytical processing decreases beliefs in science; promotion of analytical processing decreases belief in religion.

Methods

Design

The researcher used attitude assessment in order to classify individuals, so as to facilitate making of predictions. Individuals who are high on intrinsic beliefs may display traits of analytical processing quite often than individuals who have high extrinsic orientation when it comes to religion. High extrinsic orientation people may display traits of neutrality by exhibiting mixed responses across contexts. People who are high on positive attitudes towards science can show analytical processing traits quite often than those who have a high negative attitude when it comes to scientific concepts. Individuals who have high negativity towards science may display traits of neutrality by exhibiting mixed responses in various contexts.

Participants

The participants (N = 118; 27 male, 91 female; age M = 34) the survey was completed by using a link to the website of the university. All the respondents were students taking psychology classes taken from various seminar groups.

Material

We directed the participants to the university’s website. We then directed them to a specific page on the web during a seminar class.

Procedure

We administered online questionnaires, each lasting 15 minutes, to 118 participants who were above 18 years. The research consisted of a series of structured questions which were related to specific beliefs and subjective perception of effects. Incidences of discomfort and confidentiality issues could have impaired participants’ rate of response and sincerity when filling the questionnaires. The researcher developed several steps that were to be followed by the participants to enhance privacy of the respondents in this study. First, the researcher sought for informed consent designed to make sure that the participants were protected (Dancey & Reidy, 2014; Howitt & Cramer, 2014.). Secondly, the researcher ensured that respondents in the study were adequately informed of goals and objectives of this study (Howitt & Cramer, 2014). They were also informed of the data collection process and storage methods that enhanced confidentiality in this study (see Appendix A).

Results

We borrowed Farias’s et al. (2013) instrument for scale development. According to the instrument, we did the rating as (1 for strongly disagree, to 6 for strongly agree) measured outcome by a sample of 118 participants. Howitt and Cramer (2014) advise that low internal consistency can erode the confidence of the test results. We examined the internal consistency of the instrument to ensure that it did not undermine the statistical outcome of the test analysis. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to measure internal consistency. Cronbach’s alpha supported the internal consistent of Farias’s et al. (2013) instrument with a coefficient of.899(n=10). Since the internal consistency exceeded the pre-designated cut-off (.500), the instrument supported the aspects of the hypothesis. The entire reliability coefficients are listed below.

Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis were conducted between dependent variables so as to establish whether or not they measured various aspects of human behavior. The results obtained revealed that observed images were insignificantly correlated with the reliable variables, with expectation of one variable being related with the coding characters in scientific context (where p=.193*). Given that one correlation was established to be significant, it appears that the dependent variables must have measured different facets of behavior. The outcomes of Pearson correlation are presented in the table below:

Discussion

The aim of our experiment was to illustrate the relation between analytical processing with religious belief and science belief. Our experiment consistent is with Farias’s et al. (2013) belief in science. The Cronbach’s alpha for the ten items was.899 for all the participants (n=118), which exceeded the.50 criterion greatly. It suggested that the internal consistency reliability of the instruments indicated in classification were reliable in characterizing the orientation of the individuals. Majority of the respondents (65 out of 118) agree with the scientific context that “Science tells us everything there is to know about what realism covers.” These observers assumed what the study was about and had attained different education levels (2- post-graduate, 16 undergraduate and 43 A levels). The confounding of context with analytical processing is consistent with hypothesis of Gervais and Norenzayan (2002) which argues that promotion of analytical processing decreases beliefs in God.

However, the justification shows that respondents may rely on analytical processing, thus influencing effects of contexts given that the background of religion and science do not have a similar analytical presentation. Most of the items in our study incorporated science context, thus relying rather on analytical processing than on the religious meaning. One way of correcting the problem may be to select the same respondents to participate in the scientific and religious scaled instruments. The alterations may help in making conclusions in both contexts since it will be the same participants making the conclusions.

Our experiment was a successful attempt in characterizing analytical processing differences in science and religion. The proof of processing differences that exists between religion and science was shown to support Farias’s et al. (2013); and Gervais and Norenzayan’s (2002) explanations of the distinction between religion and science. It is evident from the analysis that Farias’s et al. (2013) distinction was factual and is worth further research. This leads to the possibility of investigating context differences in analytical processing tasks. Our experiment is highly promising and offers direction to future academic works in this field.

References

Dancey, P. C., & Reidy, G. J. (2014). Statistics without maths for psychology (6th ed.). London: Prentice.

Farias, M., Newheiser, A.-K., Kahane, G., & Toledo, Z. D. (2013). Scientific faith: Belief in science increases in the face of stress and existential anxiety. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, (49), 1210-1213.

Gervais, W., M, & Norenzayan, A. (2012). Supplementary materials for analytic thinking promotes religious disbelief. Science, 336-493. Web.

Howitt, D., & Cramer, D. (2014). Introduction to research methods in psychology (4th ed.). London: Pearson.

Paul Tillich rejected a substance-based approach to defining religion, instead characterizing it as the state of being essentially concerned. The reality is that the focus of one’s faith might be anything that holds ultimate significance for that person (Tillich, 2020). In theory, an utmost worry is an unlimited one that necessitates the individual’s complete mental, emotional, and willpower resources. Tillich considered himself in traditions and the contemporary worldview, and his role was to bridge the gap between the two. In the eyes of the priest, the sudden pandemic is just punishment for the sins committed by his flock. His entire speech is forceful and vivid, further bewildering and frightening the audience. Relying on the study of Dynamics of Faith, Paul Tillich would analyze the “dynamics of faith” present in The Plague’s Fr. Paneloux and Tarrou as part of God’s will and an absolute good, an integral part of which is suffering.

Tillich claims that ontological faith is universal, sacramental, and present in all formal religions, distinguishing between the form of faith and its clear essence. Religion and reason, in Tillich’s view, are not incompatible nor mutually exclusive (Tillich, 2020). The act of faith is what occurs when the mind, although still acting inside the bounds of our subjective world, reaches ecstatically beyond itself. Faith is a life that includes the tensions between doubt and courage, isolation and wholeness, and solitude and fellowship (Camus, 2021). It strives for equilibrium so faith, hope, and love can permeate every aspect of humanity. Optimism in the sense that a strong emphasis is placed on human responsibility for the advancement of civilization.

Dynamics of Faith stands out from other works of its day due to its ambitious goal of reinserting religious language and symbols into a fluid, so-called epidemic culture. It appears that Tillich has successfully constructed a theology of culture that views the pandemic not as a fixed item that must be discarded or changed but rather as a text to be examined for its hidden yet rich religiosity. In his book Dynamics of Faith, Tillich explains the epidemic’s symbolism in relation to religion. A person’s most profound worry can only be expressed through metaphor, which is why symbolic language is necessary (Tillich, 2020). Individuals can only blame themselves as failure can no longer be blamed on God’s will.

God is a symbol for supernatural beings since it is ultimate and has concrete manifestations in everyday experience. Added symbols for the foremost worry are employed with a broader range of primary forms of existential experience (Tillich, 2020). Tillich draws parallels between the symbolism of a plague and the way myths are built through language and narrative to explain gods and the supernatural. An individual’s reaction to the conversation’s starting point will likely confirm the main worry of the plague perspective (Camus, 2021). The moment a man accepts his mortality and makes peace with the results, he truly begins to live.

The defining feature of religion’s dynamics is that it is immune to rejection and denial unless another faith is introduced to take its place. Analyzing this aspect in the contemporary view of the plague by Albert Camus, the force of abstraction in people’s lives is inclined to kill others for religious and philosophical reasons. Dynamics of faith depicts the plague as a celebration of the extraordinary things that ordinary people may achieve (Tillich, 2020). In contrast to other intellectuals, Camus began to doubt the integrity of grandiose conceptions such as superhumanity, valor, and sainthood. The unheroic people in the Camus context represent people would be identified as healthcare practitioners. Volunteers often go into dangerous circumstances because they feel compelled to do something when it comes to controlling the plague.

Faith is defined, and all its dimensions are explored by Paul Tillich, a prominent 20th-century theologian who explains faith in all its sizes through his writing on the Dynamics of Faith. Faith, according to Tillich, is an act of personality, which he explores in his book Dynamics of Faith. He regards faith as an action engaging the complete individual. This means that the dynamics of faith need to consider the individual believer’s dynamics. The ability to choose one’s beliefs is at faith’s heart. Faith has been likened to ecstasy since it involves the complete concentration of one’s self. This can be attributed to The Plague, where in the eyes of the priest, the sudden pandemic is just punishment for the sins committed by his flock. His entire speech is forceful and vivid, further bewildering and frightening the audience.

References

Camus, A. (2001). The plague. The Penguin Press.

Tillich, P. (2020). Dynamik des Glaubens (Dynamics of Faith). In Dynamik des Glaubens (Dynamics of Faith). De Gruyter.

The power of faith is often rendered in biblical narratives, either directly or obliquely. However, the examples of heroes of faith are quite few, to which Hebrew 11 makes an exception. The specified passage focuses primarily on people inspired by faith and the example that they set for others. Since I am currently at a point in my life when I need to make a choice regarding my ability to lead and inspire, I consider the specified passage to contain a particularly important message that inspires me to become a leader and set an example for others.

The path from being a learner to becoming a leader is quite complicated, especially in an area as intricate and nuanced as faith. Christian leaders need to be the examples of what they preach, thus, guiding others while also continuing to learn and grow themselves (Oh & Wang, 2020). Thus, the idea of leading by an example that Hebrew 11 provides serves as a vital encouragement; “By his faith, he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith” (The Bible. New International Version, 1978, Hebrew 11:7). Offering certainty and comfort, the passage under analysis motivates to lead and guide while continuing to learn and gain new insight, which is why it has such strong significance for me.

Being at the point of my journey where I seek to develop leadership skills needed to inspire and encourage others, I view the passage under analysis as uplifting and providing essential guidance. The examples of people leading by their example and convincing others to accept the Christian faith as the [path to salvation are incredibly inspiring, which is why the specified part of the Scripture has a particularly important meaning for me. The passage in question demonstrates that a Christian believer can contribute to expanding and strengthening the community, which makes Hebrew 11 an exceptionally uplifting, motivating, and enlivening passage.

References

Oh, J., & Wang, J. (2020). Spiritual leadership: Current status and Agenda for future research and practice. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 17(3), 223-248. Web.

The Bible. New International Version. (1978). Zondervan.

Introduction

Arguments have been propounded on whether God exists in reality or merely in the human mind. The two major schools of thought are: belief in the existence of God and the belief that the universe just happened. Within these two schools, again, justifications differ. This work argues in favour of the existence of God, borrowing a lot from the arguments of St Anselm.

In debating the existence of God, St Anselm has borrowed a lot from the bible and from nature as well. He has given examples of the natural events and logical arguments all in support of the idea of the existence of God (Berkhof 36).

Arguments for the belief in God

To begin with, St Anselm argues that God’s existence is a reality in the human understanding. The existence of this idea in the human mind, according to this argument, means that there is such a possibility. If there were no such a possibility, then even the thought would not be existing (Berkhof 45).

A different look at the idea revolves around the possibility of God’s existence. Since the arguments for the existence bears no fundamental contradictions, and therefore a logical possibility, then God might be existing in reality. Contradictions in philosophy come about when logical flow lacks in an argument.

For instance, a phenomena existing and not existing at the same time, results into fallacious arguments. The concept of God is free from any form internal contradictions, because by the mere mention one gets an idea of what is meant, the idea of an omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent Being (Berkhof 47).

A further argument for the existence of God is derive from a point of an already belief in the existence of God. St Anselm argues that the idea of the existence of God is acceptable. This being the case therefore, that God exists in our minds, and that humanity acknowledges that God is greater that humanity, then God must be existing in reality.

Whatever exists exclusively in our understanding should be, logically, greater than whatever exists merely in the spirit, that is, in the minds. The existence of God is justified in the sense that existence in the mind as a concept limits the idea of God already in the minds of people (Berkhof 49).

Arguments against the belief in God

If God were to exist in our mind and not in reality, then the many attributes given to him would be baseless. More so, it would be less convincing in theoretical terms, and even prayers made in God’s name would not be as emotional. Therefore, the thinking that God exists in spirit can only be strengthened by an imagination of a physical God, and thus the real nature of God’s existence.

Should this argument be adopted, then it follows automatically that God exists and that he is greater than humanity. Supposing that the existence of God was considered in light of the argument that God exists in the mind but not in the physical world, then it would mean that God is a Being, above whom there is another being. In logical sense, this argument is a contradiction, standing contrary to the belief that God is omnipotent (Toner 103).

It is also possible that there has to be a moving mover, a Being greater than all other beings, a Being that made all others in to motion. According to St Thomas of Aquinas, to end the long causality chain, there has to be an end, and this end, the Prime Mover, is God. Alongside this argument is an argument that there is always an efficient cause.

A phenomenon cannot by any understanding be its own efficient cause. To put this argument of an efficient cause to rest, St Thomas of Aquinas suggests the existence of God, the beginning of everything there is in the universe (Toner 104).

The concept of possibility and necessity as argued by St Thomas is yet another way of arguing the case. Every thing that exists must have of necessity, a source. In other words, everything possible must, be necessity, have a cause, as nothing can cause itself. Only God caused himself, and all other things are traced back to God. God is the Being that does not need another pre-existing phenomenon to come to existence (Toner 107).

Conclusion

The existence of God is further justified by a design-based argument. That nature is well planned and well balanced, that things happen in routine basis, which would have otherwise been impossible were it not that there is a greater Being who orders the universe. There are many things that lack intelligence, but act intelligently. This means that all these have a force behind them, and the force is arguably God (Berkhof 67).

The above arguments lead to a conclusion that God exists, and that he is the all powerful God, the author and finisher of all under and above the sun. Therefore, God does not only exist in the mind, but also in reality.

Works Cited

Berkhof, L. “Systematic Theology.” Grand Rapids (1939). Print.

Toner, Patrick. “The Existence of God.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6 (1909). print.

Scriptural hermeneutics refers to the art of science of scriptural study and interpretation. It is specifically necessary where a certain concept is not obviously clear. Therefore, there is a possibility of ambiguity in the interpretation as one seeks to understand its meaning.

This case often arises when a several authors of biblical scriptures discuss a certain concept, but their explanation of it appears to conflict with that of other authors (Ricoeur 56). For instance, in the New Testament, the gospels’ account of Christ’s life and teachings can be contradictory, with Mark’s Gospel being the most nonconforming.

As a result, such matters and multiple interpretations to similar scriptures result, confusing many Christians in the process. Scriptural hermeneutics offers a solution to these paradoxical accounts, as it clarifies the inferred meaning through a general study of all scriptures that address a certain issue and by integrating the scriptural inferences that relate to the matter at hand to give it context.

Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005) specialized in philosophy and of relevance to this paper are his thoughts on the effect of the past on the present. He posits that society, or one’s surroundings and historical time largely influence human actions and discourse, or language. This means for instance that whatever the ancient authors of the bible wrote borrowed a lot from their day and age, as well as their relations with their respective environments.

Ricoeur also points out how one requires a comprehensive understanding of self, first to be in a position of making a correct interpretation of any records. Such an understanding prevents him / her from the text in light of what he/she believes in (Villaverde 481). Instead, he/she is able to interpret independently of inherent beliefs, attitudes and values, which is the correct interpretation required.

Modern readers face a multiplicity of resources that recount the past. It is thus challenging to harmonize the differences represented in these different accounts and glean the true position that their authors wished to portray (Doran 9). Hermeneutics and Ricoeur’s thought process provides a way of doing just that without the bias or prejudicial attitudes that are bound to influence readers. Examples of differing authors are Paul Lonergan and St. Thomas Aquinas whose works contradicted though similar in some aspects.

Both Lonergan and Aquinas speak of a natural desire within every rational human being to gain an understanding of matters or concepts that are only comprehensible when in the presence of God (Lonergan 56).

However, whereas both theologians attempt to explain the nature of God’s understanding, Thomas Aquinas in, “Summa Theologia” approaches this issue with his starting principle as pure actuality, while Lonergan in trying to simplify this concept by incorporating the human way of understanding concepts uses ‘unrestricted infinity’ to explain divine understanding.

Lonergan expresses this concept is in his publication, “The Triune God”. Secondly, Lonergan believes that an analogical understanding of God’s nature as a man that is sufficiently comprehensive can develop into divine understanding. On the other hand, Aquinas introduces an intermediate tier between human and divine understanding, which is angelic understanding (Ricoeur 81).

According to Aquinas, angels, whom he represents as disembodied spirits, have a better understanding of divinity than men do. Consequently, for one to graduate to divine understanding per Aquinas, one needs to acquire an angelic understanding prior to achieving divine understanding.

Lonergan avoids the use of the faculty of psychology in his works, instead restricting himself to issues like experiencing, understanding and judging. He does this because he believes that taking a psychological viewpoint would stratify crucial aspects of human nature that need to be in harmony for a person to gain comprehensive knowledge. Aquinas, on the other hand, tends to lean towards psychological aspects.

Most of his thoughts are on intelligence and will and how these relate to other concepts. This outlook severs crucial aspects of a person’s complete state of mind thereby curtailing their full understanding of various notions. However, both authors believe in the infinity of God, and that He demonstrates this infinity in all his actions (Doran 45).

Therefore, to gain a full understanding of the cause of all things, which is a question that most of mankind is preoccupied with, man needs to start off by understanding God, who is the initial cause, or rather the starting principle of everything on earth as well as beyond. The two differ when it comes to the issue of how to go about the understanding of God.

Works Cited

Doran, Robert. The Truth of Theological Understanding in Divinarum personarum and De Deo Trino, Pars Systematica.Method: Journal of Lonergan Studies 20.1 (2002): 33-75.

Lonergan, Bernard. Philosophical and Theological Papers 1965-1980. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005.

Ricoeur, Paul. Philosophie de la Volonté. Finitude et culpabilité II. La symbolique du mal. Aubier: París, 1988.

Villaverde, Marcelino. Paul Ricoeur and Philosophy in the Twentieth Century. Santiago: Composite Papers Publishers, 2009.

Introduction

Faith is among the topics that people have widely spoken and written about. There have been as many different opinions on what faith is, depending with the writers experiences and convictions. It has been said that faith has to do with the conviction of ones mind. Faith has mainly been linked with religious beliefs held by people in different religions. To some people, faith has always been taken in a negative way because it has been seen as a belief that one holds devoid of reason. This paper attempts to explore the concept of faith.

Different faiths in the world.

Hinduism

This faith is believed to have started around 4000 and 2500 BCE. It is one of the religions which are polytheistic. The most commonly held belief in this religion is the importance of doing well because of reincarnation that one undergoes after death.

They believe that doing well gives one a chance to be reincarnated in a more dignified position whereas doing evil makes one to be reincarnated in a humiliating position than the one someone held before death for example if one was evil during their life on earth, they can be reincarnated as animals.

Judaism

According to Anon (2011), this is one of the religions that have their origin in the covenant of Abraham with God. The followeFrs of this religion are mostly the Jews who are strongly monotheistic they believe in one God and His prophets through whom He communicates to them.

They are against the idea propagated by Christians that they need salvation through Jesus Christ and believe that they are specially chosen by God and that He is going to send them a messiah in days to come (Smoller, 1930). There is also the belief that the temple that was ruined will be set up again.

Buddhism

The belief in reincarnation is also held in this religion. The followers of this religion believe in that one has to go through different stages that include birth, life and death after which comes reincarnation (Anon, 2011). Unlike other religions, they do not believe in prayers or a supreme being which many religions have and refer to as God. There is also no belief in life after death. Generally, this religion has borrowed a lot from the Asian culture and has disregarded some of the beliefs that were held previously.

Confucianism

This is a religion that has its roots in China with its founder being K’ung Fu Tzu also known as Confucius. The major teachings of this religion are good morals which include love, honesty, and loyalty among others. Good political leadership is also encouraged. Rituals are also a part of this faith but are only carried out during certain times of ones life for example birth, marriage or death.

Jainism

This faith has some similarity with both Hinduism and Buddhism. The belief of reincarnation is also present in this religion. This therefore calls for one to live a good life so that they are reincarnated in a higher caste.

They believe in preservation of life and hence try to avoid anything that would lead to the loss of life of either a plant or an animal. For this reason, the followers of this faith seek to eat only the fruits of the plant to avoid damaging it. They try very much to avoid harming any living thing because this may lead to punishment during reincarnation.

Christianity

This is among the major world’s religions with millions of followers in the world. The religion is founded on the teachings and the life of Jesus Christ. Most of these teachings and other things in the life of Jesus Christ are recorded in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.

According to the Bible, Jesus Christ taught many people and also His twelve followers using different parables and also performed various miracles like healing people and raising the dead among others (Frank, 2008). It is also recorded that Jesus Christ died and rose again that through this, people who sincerely repent their sins may receive forgiveness of sins and everlasting life from the God the father.

There have been differences in the interpretation of the bible which has led to many denominations rising and teaching different teachings according to their convictions. It is one of the religions with many groups within professing the same faith but teaching different things.

Islam

This faith has its origin in Prophet Muhammad who is believed to be the last prophet of God sent to tell the truth concerning what was wrongly taught. The Muslims also believe in the ancient prophets like Moses and Abraham. They however, vary with the Christians concerning their belief in Jesus Christ.

The Muslims strongly believe that Jesus was just a prophet and not the son of God and was not nailed on the cross and neither did He resurrect as commonly claimed by the Christians. Considering Jesus as being equal to and the same in essence and substance with God is seen as blasphemy.

Faith and rationality

Since faith in a supreme being is majorly the foundation of many worlds’ religions, it is important to look at how rational faith in a supernatural being is. Many times when there is discussion about faith and rationality, the two have been said to be incompatible by some while to others they have been seen as two complimentary things.

Some argue that, although both faith and rationality have to do with belief, they are two very different entities. In the words of Monsma (2002), Faith has to do with belief on the unseen based on a strong conviction of the mind while rationality has to do with belief based on what is seen and reason.

Faith is therefore a complex idea that can not be easily comprehended by everyone and especially because of the negative interpretation it gets from different people (Morris, 1988). This is because of the inability to give tangible evidence on what one believes in, mostly when dealing with religious faith.

This is so because; it is usually a very hard task to give tangible evidence of the existence of a supernatural being this has led to many people seeing faith as something negative. Very few people, therefore, are willing to see faith as something positive to be embraced and those who are holding to it constantly attract a lot of criticism.

It has also been argued that faith does not always have to be rational for it to make sense. Plantinga & Wolterstorff (1983), however, state that the absence of any logical evidence in some cases of religious faith does not nullify ones belief.

For example, the absence of evidence of existence of God does not imply that there is no God, as has been advanced by atheists. Lack of evidence of existence of something does not out rightly lead to the conclusion that that thing is absent.

Faith therefore, according to the proponents of this school of thought, does not need logical evidence to work (Augustine, 2003). Calvin argues that about this from a Christian perspective. He says that one does not need to believe in God’s existence based on rationality. This is because such an approach would cause one to be on the look out always in case another person comes with a different more convincing argument about the evidence that God does not exist.

He therefore refutes the idea that faith has to be rational for it to be valid. Another reason that has been given for why belief in God should not be based on logical evidence is because God is a supernatural being who is not limited by people’s thinking and who has the ability to do beyond what a human mind could possibly imagine.

Crisis of faith

A period of crisis of faith may occur to people who profess different religious faiths. These are times of uncertainty concerning what they believe in and trying to reconcile this with what may seem logical or what others think is the right belief.

For example, when different religions suffer from the problem of different interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, regarding the right belief, there is usually a crisis of faith to the followers who are left wondering which about the possible right doctrine.

The Christians, for example, have a lot of splinter groups due different beliefs emanating from reading the same bible. The situation is so because of various reasons. For example, some choose to interpret some bible verses in isolation, while others have different doctrines because of putting a lot of emphasis in some attributes of God.

There are those who see God as merciful and emphasize on this attribute, while others emphasize on the attribute of God being a harsh judge. All these cause a major crisis of faith within the religion (Parks, 2003). The crisis of faith has not only been witnessed within the Christian religion but has been there even in other religions for example the Islam. Within the Islam religion there are the Sunnites and the Shiites.

The two groups are divided on the basis of where true leadership should emanate (Palmquist, 1984). The Sunnites, who are the majority, believe that Islamic leadership should emanate from Prophet Muhammad’s lineage, while the Shiites believe that their religious leaders should come from Ali, Prophet Muhammad’s cousin’s, lineage.

Although such periods of uncertainty about ones faith are common for many people who have certain religious faith, they are also there in other areas of ones life apart from just the area of religion. For example, people suffer periods of crisis of faith when it comes to choice of spouses, careers and other major choices which someone makes during their lifetime. One may reach a point when they are extremely unsure about whether their choice is right or they are going to regret at some point of their lives.

Conclusion

There have been numerous arguments about the concept of faith for many years. Some people choose to be more rational when doing things instead of just following a certain belief on something that they have no enough proof of while others choose to believe in the existence of a supernatural being even without enough proof.

The question about whether to believe or not to believe solely lies in an individual because faith has to do with strong conviction of ones mind. This explains the emergence of numerous religious groups with different beliefs.

Although the concept of faith is applicable in other aspects of life, for example, one needs faith to trust that they are making the right decision at any particular time, faith is more pronounced in religion. With the different types of faiths in the world, it has become very hard to tell the right faith to have (Hein, 2006).

However, with close examination, some teachings in certain major world religions seem to make sense because of the ability of that faith to produce supernatural results. For example, some of those who profess the Christian faith have been seen to work miracles like supernatural healing through belief in their God.

Reference List

Anon. (2011).Types of Religion: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism & Judaism Retrieved from <http://www.typesofreligion.com/>

Augustine, A. (2003). On the Free Choice of Will: Medieval Philosophy . Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Frank, V.J., 2008. The Concept of Faith. Longwood, FL: Xulon Press, 2008

Hein, D., 2006. “Faith and Doubt in Rose Macaulay’s The Towers of Trebizond.” Anglican Theological Review Winter2006, Vol. 88 Issue 1, p47-68.

Morris, R., 1988. The concept of faith in James. US: Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Monsma, W. (2002). Faith and Rationality. Retrieved from <http://www.leaderu.com/aip/docs/monsma.html>

Palmquist, S., 1984. “Faith as Kant’s Key to the Justification of Transcendental Reflection”, The Heythrop Journal, 25:4 (October 1984), pp. 442–455.

Parks, D., 2003. “Faith/Faithfulness” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Eds. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England. Nashville: Holman Publishers.

Plantinga, A & Wolterstorff, N. (1983). Faith and Rationality: Reason and Belief in

God. Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press. Web.

Smoller, P., 1930. The concept of faith in biblical literature. US: H.U.C.,

Every individual has a right to believe or not to believe. Faith is something subjective that related to all people independently. The authors of the article “Our faith in science” are Kirszner and Mandell who touch upon different issues, finally making an emphasis on ethics in science and application of ethical decision-making strategies to scientific researches. When the faith is questioned, it is necessary to ask monks for help while modern science is capable of escaping unethical decisions that can take human lives away.

The article “Our faith in science” on behalf Tenzin Gyatso, Dalai Lama XIV is taken from The Blair Reader (20o4) written by Kirszner and Mandell. Though this article seems to be realistic enough, it also lacks convergence.

This source is written on behalf of Tenzin Gyatso though the authors are Kirszner and Mandell. The authors start to write about the faith and his trips, proceed with explanation of positive consequences of meditation on bran functions, and conclude with analysis of contemporary scientific methods with regard to ethical decision-making.

As the authors begin their story with mention of Tenzin Gyatso’s childhood: “As a child in Tibet, I was keenly curious about how things worked” (Kirszner & Mandell, 2010, p. 527), the article resembles a letter to a friend. In this respect, Kirszner and Mandell make the readers feel confident about what they say and be sure about the veracity of their words.

The article is full of inconsistent statements because the authors intended to compare incomparable concepts and apply some religious theories and meditation strategies to scientific innovations. For instance, the authors claim that Tenzin Gyatso was interested in observing the sky through the telescope and saw that there were shadows on the moon surface (Kirszner & Mandell, 2010, p. 527).

They approached this issue questioning the science instead of questioning Tenzin Gyatso’s own knowledge. “…this was contrary to the ancient version of cosmology I had been taught, which held that moon … emitted its own light” (Kirszner & Mandell, 2010, p. 527). As such, the authors do not try to find the truth but rather attempt to find explanation to why something does not correspond to what Tenzin Gyatso has been taught.

The authors imply that scientific methods can help to prove the positive effect of Tenzin Gyatso’s practices in order to tell about this phenomenon to the international community.

However, tradition of meditating was introduced by the authors as a way toward “alleviating human suffering” (Kirszner & Mandell, 2010, p. 528) whereas scientific methods can simply support or refute this idea instead of making certain contribution to making the human lives better. Alternatively, the authors do not mention the positive effects of scientific innovations on human life in terms of manufacturing, farming, and healthcare.

Scientific research methods are questioned by the authors with regard to moral thinking and empathy. Science should avoid emotions such as empathy; otherwise, no inventions would be made even when vitally needed. “…Our moral thinking simply has not been able to keep pace with speed of scientific advancement” (Kirszner & Mandell, 2010, p. 529).

In this respect, the authors start using the personal pronoun in plural form in order to identify Tenzin Gyatso with each and every reader. This approach can be analyzed as an attempt to persuade the audience in its own lack of moral thinking that lags behind the scientific progress.

To sum up, the authors question the concepts of faith and tell about his childhood to gain the readers’ favor. Besides, Kirszner and Mandell spend many arguments on making people realize the positive effect of meditations whereas Tenzin Gyatso wants to reach collaboration between Buddhism and science. Finally, the authors question ethical decision-making with regard to advancement of scientific methods trying to persuade the readers that they have the same insight.

References

Kirszner, L., & Mandell, S. (2004). The Blair Reader (5th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 527-529.

Introduction

Religion creates mechanisms that help individuals move through the complex limitations encountered in life. Considering the modern skepticism, it is evident that the story of religion has not been a consistently enlightening one. Religion describes human activities inclined to some form of religious beliefs. The religious life and activities demonstrate the tendencies toward resentments, ethnocentrisms, sexism absolutism, elitism and other important aspects of human life.

One of the most significant ways to understand religion is to view it as an instrument used by humans to find routes through the most rigorous barriers that interfere with the stability and continuity of life. Life impediments and limits are those unexpected, bothering situations encountered through life. According to (Haught 4), religion provides solutions to the most inflexible obstacles that interfere with the human way of life (Mencken, Bader and Stark 196).

Spirituality

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, the knowledge and recognition that spirituality greatly contributes to the well being of humans expanded speedily. Scientific study and interpretation as well as humanistic research explored the connections between peoples’ understanding of God and spirituality as well as the aspects of the human wellness, which proved that spiritual health is strongly linked to an individual’s well being.

Awareness of the significance of spirituality to human wellness exists in almost every facet of life. Spirituality instills human existence and has a significant influence on every human activity. Therefore studying spirituality remains relevant and helpful for all people (Mencken, Bader and Stark 197).

Biblical and historical Background of Christianity

Weaver and Brakke (6) explain that Christianity is an open religion in which Christians believe that God is evidenced in words and in the history of redemptive events. The Christians believe that God communicates with them through the bible. They also believe that the life of Christ together with his death and resurrection form the basis of faith and the foundation of Christianity as a religion.

Christians believe in the presence of the Holy Spirit in the church and that God is the creator and the savior of mankind. According to the Christian faith, Jesus Christ is God’s most central self-revelation and the Holy Spirit is the power through which God works among the Christians. The development of Christianity was not easy.

There were serious arguments among the believers and between the believers and the Jews regarding the person and the mission of Christ. For a long time, Christianity has grown and changed since its humble beginnings in the early centuries (Weaver and Brakke 5).

The Jewish Bible, Tanakh contains the Torah, Nevi’im which are the books of prophecy and the Ketuvim commonly referred to as writings. It is divided into three sections which include the Torah, the prophets and the writings. Christians reorganized the Tanakh and renamed it as the Old Testament for the Christian believers.

The bible comprises of two parts, the old and the new testaments and exists in many versions such as the Hebrew bible, new standard version and so on. There is no common understanding between the Protestants and the Catholics regarding how many books should make up the Old Testament (Mencken, Bader and Stark 198).

The word bible refers to “book”, because it’s a holy book for the Jews and the Christians separated from other books because of the holy nature of its components and the source. It has a central point in the Jewish and Christian worship across the globe. The Jewish and Christian believers use the biblical text to keep in touch with God’s actions since they believe that the actions are God’s saving power. The liturgical use of the scriptures allows believers to access God’s saving actions.

The bible has been converted into a variety of languages and it exists in numerous versions. It is continuously deliberated, quoted and referenced. Many of the believers do not understand the whole book and the Old Testament in particular. Parts of the bible appear hard to understand while other parts appear incomprehensible or strange. For example, the list of early genealogies appears unrelated to the present life (Weaver and Brakke 6).

The believers agree that the bible is instigated though they do not have a common agreements regarding which parts are inspired and which parts are not. Some believers are satisfied with the fact that God determined every word of the Bible. There is a large disagreement among Christian believers regarding how the bible should be read.

A few believe that the bible should be read and understood directly and plainly while others believe that the bible was created by specific individuals and that there is a need to understand its historical framework before it can be well interpreted and understood. Other people approach the Bible with the tools of research and study and they aim at understanding the bible from a scientific point of view (Weaver and Brakke 6).

Peculiarity and the Universality of the Gospel

There are internal and external factors that prompted the spread and development contextual Christology. Many Christians across Africa, Asia and Latin America, are convinced that their theological reflection must respond to their distinctive non-western cultures and mind-set.

They scrape the non-western imperialism that has accompanied the spread of Christianity into their regions. Many of them marvel why the faith in Christ can be articulated with the help of western theoretical conceptualities but not with the help of the American or Asian structures of thought. Several black and Asian Christian believers in Europe and Northern America of all races assert that traditional theologies have neglected their specific histories and struggles.

The Christian gospel centralizes on the work of God and His aim to reconcile man to Himself through His son Jesus Christ. The scriptural witness and the ecumenical creed explain that God appears to the believers, not in theoretical principles, but in concrete historical accounts. Christianity as a religion is a chronological and a manifestation of faith that focuses on God’s activity in the calling of His people, Israel and most importantly in the coming of God Himself and the work of His son Christ.

God’s activity among the people of Israel and the superiority of Christ is said to have worldwide importance. The fact of Christ’s life, crucifixion, death and resurrection from the dead is considered the principal reason and the most significant phenomenon in the Christian faith (Mencken, Bader and Stark 200). This has had profound implications for the witness of the church of Christ all over the world.

God’s crucial self-communication is through the manifestation in human life and so the spread of the gospel of the church uses concrete and different languages, knowledge, theoretical conceptualities, and cultural practices. The practice of the early church presents sufficient evidence of the translation principle and the spread of the gospel. There are four gospels that present Jesus in a unique way.

The acknowledgement of the inseparable bond between the particularities and universalities of the gospel assists in explaining the necessity and the challenge of theology. In order to emphasize on the universality of the gospel, the believers must stress on its historical contingency and the peculiarity and its power to transform human life of all diversity.

Cosmologies East and West

The Christian Old testament

The Old Testament has a straightforward account of the source of the universe. It emphasizes that God is above the world that He made the world and that He is completely separated from the universe. The world is an objective actuality and God’s last action of creation was to place man in the Garden of Eden. The creation was made for man to enjoy as his heritage and inheritance.

The garden however does have its hazards and vices and lures man from a righteous living. The prevalence of evil in the world created by God has been a theoretical problem that has never been resolved. The aim of man’s struggles on earth is to strengthen and prepare his soul for the salvation and entry into the eternal life. The universe is principal objective, which means that it comprises of a material world which can be explained by laws of physics and chemistry as part of God’s work of creation.

God is considered separate, above and outside of it. When the souls of mankind detach from the material world, the Christians believe that it goes beyond the physical and to the place where God lives. The believers claim that every person has one soul and that it is the soul that does not lose its individuality even when the physical death takes place in the material world (Weaver and Brakke 7).

Modern scientific cosmology

The modern scientific cosmology does not consider the earth as the center of the universe, but rather expresses the idea that the earth is a component of the larger solar system and a part of the galactic structure within the universe.

Many people who view the matter today accept the scientific theories such as the big bang theory that gives scientific explanation regarding the origin of the universe (Magueijo and Baskerville 3227). The theory explains that there was once a spectacle of all matter which was compressed in a single substance and which at one point exploded scattering matter in all directions.

The forces of gravity attracted some matter to each other under extreme pressure causing a fusion to establish the sun while other lesser mixtures of the matter created the planets which became conducive to life in the conditions around and near the sun. Several other scientific theories have been formulated and used to explain the possible origin of the planets, the sun and the stars (Magueijo and Baskerville 3226).

Religious beliefs and practices of the East and West

Native American religions

The present theories have explained that the Native Americans descended from the people who arrived in the new world about twelve thousand years ago. By the time of Columbus, there existed over 200 cultural groups with different tribal religions and languages. The Native Americans traditionally believe that the natural world is alive and that human beings form an essential part of it.

Nature and mankind interact in equally significant ways and that humans should demonstrate a keen interest in nature and respect it in all its fullness. The natives believe that a significant fact about nature is that it changes from day to night, seed to plant, and material to immaterial, spiritual beings to human beings, and from young to old. The belief is that humans are responsible for the steadiness and stability of the world status and have the power to interfere and to significantly influence the occurrences.

Two important religious points include (1) Shamans who have a sacred partner and who have the power to cure diseases and to get back lost souls and (2) priests, who put on masks and dance as gods in the rites and customs that are profitable to humans. Nature is occupied by godly beings to which people present their prayers and sacrifice. Other kinds of beings, both beneficial and harmful reside in the forests, streams, air, oceans and even underground. The religious practices aim at a number of things.

Firstly, they aim at establishing and maintaining a fair and just relation with other humans and with nature and all its populace. Secondly, the practices aim at maintaining personal and communal health and to facilitate a long and successful living (Hubbard, Hatfield and Santucci 133).

Sacred books and scriptures

The Native Americans initially had no writing. They memorized the sacred histories and mythology using special techniques such as singing, story telling, drawings, carvings, dancing and other rituals. The histories and myths illustrate how everything came to be as it is today.

They explain to the Native Americans how to live and the next thing after the present life they live. By enacting the past events and myths in ceremonies and art, the Native Americans make the activities of the story concrete in their own lives (Hubbard, Hatfield and Santucci 135).

Religious practices

All the tribes have one or more leaders. Some Native Americans use charms and songs in order to communicate to the sacred world. A few of them rely on the dreams, visions and spirits. Apart from the myths there are several other stories of other scared beings and activities. All Native American religious practices involve dancing, singing drumming and rattling in the ceremonies.

Two common religious practices are the “sweat lodge” and the “sacred pipe” (Irwin 45). The sweat lodge ceremonies are characterized by a dome shape representation of the word. Participants pour water on hot stones and believe that the steam purifies them spiritually. On the other hand, for the sacred pipe, tobacco is used to talk with the sacred creatures and to heal.

The pipe signifies the cosmos and its creation together with the good connection between the human beings and the holy creatures. The participants sit in a circular manner and every individual smokes the pipe and extends it in six different directions which include up, down, west, north, south and east. This, according to the participant calls for the attention of the natural world in all its proportions (Mencken, Bader and Stark 205).

Conclusion

Religion is one of the most essential and unique features of human life. It is universal and exists across all cultures but in a spectacle of diverse forms. It forms a fundamental aspect of human politics, education, economics cultural invention and social life. It has become a central feature to the self understanding of an individual and a group of individuals.

Religion has had an important impact in every civilization and cultural framework and has helped inspire historical and scientific perceptions regarding human conditions in general (Haught 4).

Works Cited

Haught, John. What is religion?, an introduction. New York: Paulist Press, 1990. Print.

Hubbard, Benjamin, John Hatfield and James Santucci. An educator’s classroom guide to America’s religious beliefs and practices. Westport: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.print.

Irwin, Lee. “Freedom, law, and prophecy: A brief history of native Americans’ religious resistance. University of Nebraska Press.21.1 (1997): 35-55. print.

Magueijo, João and Kim Baskerville. Big bang riddles and their revelations. The Royal Society. 357.1763 (1999). 3221-3236.print.

Mencken, Carson., Christopher Bader and Rodney Stark. Conventional Christian beliefs and experimentation with the paranormal. Religious Research Association, Inc. 50.2 (2008): 194-205.print.

Weaver, MZary and Mary Brakke. Introduction to Christianity (4^th ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning. 2008.print.

Religion and science have been at each other’s throats since the dawn of times, which has given people the opportunity to note the principal difference between the two. While science tended to explain specific phenomena and statements, religion relied on people’s faith.

However, things changed when presuppositional apologetics came into existence; trying to promote Christian beliefs as the explanation point for all the phenomena and events that occur in the world, presuppositional apologetics opened a door to the whole new world of arguments and misconceptions. Despite the fact that presuppositional apologetics still focuses on the idea of faith as the ultimate manifestation of religiousness, it can be considered that presuppositional apologetics lacks reasonability.

However, the novelty of the approach wears off quickly, since the only original idea of the presuppositional apologetics is that Christian religion is the only rational explanation for everything that happens in the world. As Fernandes explains, “This technique for defending the faith teaches that a believer must assume or presuppose the truth claims of Christianity rather than argue for them”^[1].

As it has been mentioned, though Presuppositional apologetics was offered as a new approach towards exploring the specifics of the Christian belief and offering grounds for its existence, it had many problems. One of these problems was that, though defined as a new method, presuppositional apologetics was actually another interpretation of the absolute faith, i.e., believing without questioning the reasonability of the religion.

While the above-mentioned actually is the basic principle of the Christianity, it seems that there was no obvious need for establishing teeth-grindingly old principles as something entirely new. In addition, presuppositional apologetics also aimed at convincing people despite the existing evidence of the completely opposite.

According to Sproul, Gerstner and Lindsley, the problem of presuppositional apologetics is that, trying to make people reach absolute faith, it neglected even the Biblical evidence: “This school of thought has not suffered from a lack of nerve but has boldly rejected the traditional theistic proofs and Christian evidences”^[2].

Therefore, the key problem of presuppositional apologetics is that it not only tries to explain everything from a theistic point of view, but also does not accept any proofs concerning the Christian religion, even if these proofs come from Bible.

To its credit, presuppositional apologetics could also be considered as a step forward for the Christian religion. For example, it offered a new idea of relationships between a believer ad god. To be more exact, it offered a new portrayal of God. As Hindson said, the principles of presuppositional apologetics “correctly guide man’s cognitive faculties to a genuine knowledge of God and the world”^[3].

Therefore, it can be considered that suppositional apologetics is a huge step backwards for the adepts of the Christian religion and a retreat into giving no reasons for Christianity to exist. As it has been mentioned, its problem is that it conveys the idea that faith does not need any proof and belief is the only fundament for religion to exist; therefore, suppositional apologetics somewhat questions the very idea of religion.

However, suppositional apologetics can also be viewed as an attempt to protect the faith from those who question its sanity. With that in mind, it must be admitted that presuppositional apologetics offers a lot of food for thoughts.

The following people are considered or believed that they followed presuppositional apologetics:

• Van Til
• Gordon Clark
• Greg Bahnsen
• JohnFrame
• Francis Schaeffer.^[4]

Reference List

Beilby, James K. Thinking about Christian Apologetics: What It Is and Why We Do It. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2011.

Fernandes, Phil. Contend Earnestly for the Faith. Baltimore, MD: Publish America, 2009.

Hindson, Ergum C. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics: Surveying the Evidence for the Truth of Christianity. Bloomington, MN: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

Sproul, Robert C., John H. Gerstner and Arthur W. Lindsley. A Rational Defense of the Christian Faith and a Critique of Presuppositional Apologetics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984.

Footnotes

1. Phil Fernandes, Contend Earnestly for the Faith (Baltimore, MD: Publish America, 2009), 21.
2. Robert C. Sproul, John H. Gerstner and Arthur W. Lindsley. A Rational Defense of the Christian Faith and a Critique of Presuppositional Apologetics (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), 185.
3. Ergum C. Hindson, The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics: Surveying the Evidence for the Truth of Christianity (Bloomington, MN: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 226-227.
4. James K. Beilby, Thinking about Christian Apologetics: What It Is and Why We Do It (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2011), 100.

The belief in the existence of God is contentious in the philosophical domain. In the philosophical argument presented by the book, Pascal’s Wager, by Jeff Jordan with regard to the existence and work of God, it emerges that people’s belief in God is often enhanced by self-interests rather than the unending desire to appreciate and acquire evidence that God exists through reasoning.

Human beings have the unending self interest to believe that God exists so as to fulfill their emotional, psychological and earthly desires. Logical arguments on the existence of God are therefore considered vague in enhancing the conviction that God exists (Jordan, 13).

People believe in God’s existence and his good deeds The approach also helps to fulfill the spiritual desires and expectations of human nature. However, I fully object to this argument due to my strong conviction that believing in God as a means of fulfilling self interests could be vague and confusing (Jordan 18).Reasoning and exploiting all intellectual capabilities should be an important guiding principle for understanding the existence of God.

This objection is based on the fact that Wager contends that God is incomprehensible. The aspect argues that it is safe and human to put one’s hopes in God rather than on earthly beings. People who believe in God and are ready to acknowledge his presence in their lives are safer since in the eventuality that God truly exists; those who believe in him would go to heaven while those who do not believe in his existence would go to hell.

However, in the eventuality that God does not exist, those who believe in him and those who do not believe in him would not lose anything. The author focuses on identifying vital human characteristics that define human behavior and response to challenges. Focusing on fulfilling spiritual self-interests is a fundamental aspect of recognizing the presence of God in life (Jordan 9).

Objection The belief in God that is based on the prevailing evidence of his existence is an important approach to living a more fulfilling, desirable, treasured and happy life. The belief is a means of ensuring that people’s arguments about God’s existence do not remain to be mere illusions. Evidence-based arguments help to reinforce the fact that favor, blessings and grace that come from God have the ability of transforming human life.

The attributes also help to emphasize the fact that self interests could be misguiding due to the likelihood of the interests being different. The variation could occur as a result of a change in circumstances, environment, situations, prevailing practices, cultural and religious beliefs and issues related to one’s pious denomination. The danger with believing in God’s existence based on the appeal on our self interests is a challenge that lies on the unspecified assumption that all people know the “god” in question.

However, it is likely that not all people have a clear understanding of who God really is. It is likely that not many people believe in God. In fact, certain people do not mind whether or not God’s existence has any impact on the kind of lives they live. People have the inability to believe that God exists. Although God is widely believed to be a supernatural being, people have continuously failed to believe in his deeds due to lack of evidence on his existence.

This fact has complicated the need for human beings to accommodate different arguments on the role and place of God in human life. Strengths and weaknesses In his argument, the author consistently manages to put into consideration the various arguments already put in place by other authors with regard to the belief and existence of God. In line with the above analysis, it evident that human nature and the existence of God are interlinked issues.

The author’s argument also appreciates the fact that human life is sacred and the belief in God is an important spiritual issue of concern. These issues are critical as they clearly reveal the purpose for which human beings exist and the fundamental role that God has placed in people’s lives.

Failure to reinforce the significance of trusting in reason reveals the weakness of the argument that self-interests should always be the guiding principle for our belief in the existence of God. This argument fails to understand the fact that regardless of one’s approach to matters of God, reliance on the broad-spectrum concept of theism without dwelling on a specific doctrine could lead to unfounded theological conclusions.

The possession of favorable arguments on humanity is good though it has the possibility of threatening human belief. The author has failed to acknowledge the fact that human nature should be understood through the use of a rational approach. The presence of God or any supernatural being in life should never be determined by human desires but rather by reasoning.

It should also be guided by the understanding that life has a foundation that can only be best defined by understanding the role of God and origin of mankind. Uncertainties in the purpose of mankind, reason, science, religion and skepticism should be conceptualized by people who constantly strive to acquire evidence of the existence of God. Belief in the existence of God is an alternative that presents the greatest good. It is not a rational means of understanding the existence of God.

The belief in the existence of God based on people’s self interest is an approach that is subject to manipulation. Just as people’s lives and approaches to life are different, so are their self interests. Failure to explain the specific religious doctrines in which the aspect of believing in God is founded is considered as spiritual ignorance.

This aspect is brought about by the need of fulfilling self interests. It is considered to be a better alternative to a belief that is based on the existing evidence. This concept remains to be a serious challenge. Although it could be in any person’s interest to believe in God, Jordan (13) is of the view that lack of any supportive consideration of the need to believe or not to believe in God without any proof of his deeds is an unacceptable approach.

Infinite punishment, reward and fulfillment of self-interest as a result of believing in God’s existence should never be a motivating factor towards believing in God. What the author says The author is likely to say that God does not always indulge in what people say or think. To boost his argument, the author would say that it is through addressing self interest that people would best understand and thus believe in God.

To the author, losing something due to misguided faith is better than believing in God without addressing one’s self interests. Sadly, this response would not be adequate. The response would not help in addressing both the intrinsic and extrinsic needs of people with regard to religion and the belief in God. It is important to fully exploit rationality and ability to reason and acquire a genuine belief that God exists.

Works Cited

Jordan, Jeff. Pascal’s Wager: Pragmatic Arguments and Belief in God, University of Delaware, Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 2006.Print.