This Morning 5/5/12 - Choose to Believe

Choice

A friend who is about to embark on a difficult prayer fast for four days used to be an ardent atheist.   She once squared herself firmly with Sartre and Kierkegaard.  Her quest to "not be fooled" by belief, but to actually know the Truth of human existence has led her down various paths, with Buddhism and the Red Road having become the most comfortable.  Neither Buddhism nor the Red Road are heavy on religion, as much as spiritual awareness, respect, and understanding of the equanimity and inter-connectedness of all this creation.

The comfort level of our spiritual belief system is a very important aspect of our comfort with ourselves.  But belief is separate from knowledge.  The quest for knowledge has to be considered, but knowledge, in its purest sense, is completely unattainable.  We are not omniscient beings.  Therefore, no matter how intuitive, intelligent, or well-read, we cannot know everything about everything.

While it's true we can know why a microscopic virus like Smallpox can spread and wipe out a specific population of humans, we cannot know definitively what happens when we die.  We can know how to create instantaneous communication between a small village in remote Nairobi and San Francisco, but we cannot know why someone falls out of love.  We can figure out how to land a robotic spacecraft and take photos on Mars, but we cannot peacefully resolve differences between countries.  There is so much we do not know.

Knowledge is not king.  Knowledge is fun.  Knowledge is comforting.  Knowledge is invigorating. But knowledge is not king.

I told her this:
You cannot really know the Truth you are seeking.  You cannot truly know something visceral or existential until you have experienced it.  What do you believe?  It's okay to believe.  It's okay to not believe.  But you will never absolutely know what happens when you die until you die.

I believe in the way I walk because this is the way that's good for me.  If others walk this way, that's great.  If not, this is not my concern.  I have no investment in another's choice - only mine, which makes me comfortable and happy in my life; more grounded, open and loving.  A better person.

Whether human beings have invented God or whether God exists doesn't matter.

It's a good choice.