What Does Your Religious Faith Mean To You?

Christopher Hitchens, in his book God is Not Great, carefully lays out four "irreducible objections to religious faith." "Faith," he writes, "wholly misrepresents the origins of man and the cosmos". It "manages to combine the maximum of servility with the maximum of solipsism". It is the "result and cause of dangerous sexual repression" and it is grounded on "wish-thinking".

(It is my hope that this religious monologue will make people take a different look at themselves, while gaining a new perspective into other known religions that are based on faith.)

How many of you have ever heard of the term Fideism?  If this the first time you've encounter the term, don't fret only a handful of us have.  Fideism, is a sociology term that means faith. A Fideist believes his or her religion does not need earthly artifacts, proven theories or personal encounters to attest what they believe is true. Fideists prosper under Judaism, Christianity, Muslim, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, to name a few.

The intent of this resourceful elucidation, is to obtain your opinions about what faith means to you. There are so many different meanings to faith, and quite of few different aspects in which faith can be view upon and measured. Such as, faith to many people is a peaceful solution of obtaining hope. Faith can be a way for a person to communicate there views and religious theories.

The great thing about the world wide web is that, people can now take a different approach in sharing old and new ideas. Like utilizing Internet outlets such as BlogCatalog.com, Gather.com, and HubPages.com. The desired outcome for writing an article based on faith, is to gather different views of what faith means to you, or how faith has impacted your life. There are so many controversial religious debates, but none that reflect or involve an personal inclination platform to common religious rifts sealed together in faith. Some of these concerning topics might include Abortion, Separation of Church and State, Dualism, Creation, War, Israel, the Political Impact of Religion, Gay Rights, Beliefs and Values- and how faith plays a pivotal role in your ideals about these listed subject matters.

It is my hope, that through communicational dialog, that many of us can now read what others have to say about how faith plays a role in their lives and discussion making; without the fear and worry of discrimination, retaliation or retribution. This is an open forum to anyone who wants to voice comments based on insight, directives, values, beliefs, fables, challenges and values. I would like to take a faithful journey into these religious conflicts with you, while acquiring a hopeful, yet different personal point of view.

I would like to learn how other Fideism-based religions compare to one another. Let us challenge each others intellect on the particulars of the Creation Story, Jesus Birth, Muhammad, Allah, Moses, Abraham, the Apostleship of Jesus Christ's Disciples, the Gospels and the Books included in the Torah, but are missing from the Old Testament. Therefore, if you have a comment, story or viewpoint please make it known here.

Wouldn't you say that communication is the key to peace? However, many people have closed their ears and have stopped listening. In the hope of peace, let us try to understand each other and our differences. For the sake of the children, we need to find the time to stop moving in a destructive manner, and find a common denominator that could bind us together. I have faith in the human race that we can do this.

The different voices, that make up this world, need to have a say. More importantly, I feel people need to have a unified chance at understanding what it is, that separates us one from each other. It is my personal opinion, that religion plays an integral part in dividing and separating mankind. In believing this, I also feel that faith plays a key role to obtaining many of the solutions needed to finding peace and harmony. As brother and sisters of something bigger than us, why is so impossible to embrace each other differences? Many people have all but silenced their voices, but those voices, desperately need to be heard. If everyone as an individual would respect the history of a tribe, township, city, country or nation; we could then show a sincere understanding and respect for the people who occupy and share this planet with us. Basic fundamental understanding, should be a binding governorship over the different parts of the world, in which we all live in. I believe that religion plays a dual role in acquiring this type of relationship between people, and the faithful destruction of the very same people of a territory

How Faith Works in My Life

I have the fundamental belief that Christ is the son of God otherwise known to others as Allah, Supreme Being, Heavenly Father, etc. It is my belief, that God chose many different ways to appear in the hearts of men, all over this world. I don't believe that a Buddhist Monk, is denied a place in Paradise, because he doesn't believe in Jesus Christ. It is my belief that God, brought forth many different religions or lifestyles, to avoid isolating people whose intellects were structured to understand that concept more easily, and in such a way as it seemed to fit those persons the best. I feel that way about all religions that believe in a Supreme Higher Power or many Higher Beings.

From the beginning of time, God gave people 'free will' to decide for themselves what religion would best fit their needs. Christianity happens to be better suited to fit my needs, same as Islam might fit another's. Trusting in those ideals, has help me to put a new spin on faithful thinking. Allow me to explain my meaning. I have faith in God, moreover, I have faith that God knows what he is doing, and that he knows what is best for this world. More importantly, I have faith in God, that if he didn't want these other religions to exist- they would have been exterminated long ago. With that said- I think God wanted people to educate themselves in many different cultural aspects. I think that the key to heaven, is through love and devotion. Have you ever considered that maybe God put forth, many different nationalities of religious facets, to provide a "treasure map" to Heaven's "pot-of-gold" known as the eternal life ever-after?

I realize, that it takes a lot of time to be studious, and to develop conceptional ideas about how the "earthly religious puzzle" may be pieced and joined together. Thereby, for me as a fideist believer in God's plan, there isn't a shadow of doubt in my mine, that somehow our different religions are truly connected to one another. It is also my formative belief, that faith plays a vital role in compiling all the different puzzle pieces together, to complete a perfect picture of God's divine plan for mankind. Man's influence on religious beliefs has caused, a fatal cloud to appear over the true meaning in which religion arrange itself upon. People have forgotten how to have faith in God. I firmly believe that people don't think of God's plan, before they think of theirs. It is as if many of us Christians have become bitter and judgmental- causing us to impose our will instead of his. That is my belief, now what's your take?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fideism