Most of us believe what we choose to believe. Our acceptance of a truth depends on our perception of the person telling us that truth. If we trust the person we accept if we do not we reject. Facts have little to do with which we choose.
When children who are ten, twelve, fourteen years-old are baptized are they capable of understanding what they are doing or are they just responding to someone they trust? For that matter do adults just respond to someone they trust? Faith is not enough. Who does not have “…confidence in what they hope for and assurance about what they do not see.” in something? Remember those in “the” denominations, Muslims, Hindus etc all have “faith” as we have faith even atheists have confidence in something and hope for something.
Is it odd that what someone called “The Christian Age” is for first time since Creation that God does not interface directly with his creation? I realize many believe God answers their requests but factual evidence calls that belief into question. We are expected to believe without evidence of any type. We are not even allowed the Gideon test. In fact, I am told testing God is sin; relying upon God is testing God which is sin; God helps those who help themselves. Our belief is based on our perception of the person telling us which is, in turn, based on their perception of the person telling them which is … you get the picture.
At some point shouldn’t belief rely on fact, on knowledge? Are we the first of all creation expected to take somebody’s word? God had been speaking directly but now…silence.
Studies have shown we are more likely to believe that a statement is true if we have heard it before---whether or not it is actually true: “illusion-of-truth effect.” Subjects rated the validity of plausible sentences every two weeks. Without letting on, the experimenters snuck in some repeat sentences (both true and false ones) across the testing sessions. And they found a clear result: if subjects had heard a sentence in previous weeks, they were more likely to now rate it as true, even if they swore they had never heard it before. This is the case even when the experimenter tells the subjects that the sentences they are about to hear are false: despite this, mere exposure to an idea is enough to boost its believability upon later contact. The illusion-of-truth effect highlights the potential danger for people who are repeatedly exposed to the same religious edicts or political slogans.
How many untruths do Christians believe only because they have heard it all of their lives? How many untruths do Christians believe only because they are in the songs we sing most of which, by the way, were written by people we believe are destined for Hell.
If we understand what we believe and why we believe we might get insight into why the church is they way it is.
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