Selah
The last few years of intentional philosophical investigation into life, the Universe and everything have been like walking through tracks in the forest, going on detours along interesting sidetracks, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes to see what is there, but generally in the same direction.
It now feels like I have entered a clearing. As well as the philosophical path I came in on, there are other paths coming in from different directions. Particularly my Spiritual journey which has followed the Christian path for as long as I can remember. As these two paths merge, how does one shed light on the other? Are there any conflicts between my spiritual beliefs and my philosophical investigations? To what extent have my beliefs been influenced, less by objective evidence and reason but more by the environment I was brought up in?
It is a good time to pause, to look around and see what have I discovered on the journey so far. To re-examine beliefs which I have held for a very long time and, perhaps, have taken for granted. What do I believe now after my investigations? Why do I believe what I do? Has my exploration confirmed the beliefs I was brought up with or challenged them? Or both?
Is it is no coincidence that I was brought up Christian and now believe that Theism is the best hypothesis for the Universe and that Christianity is closer to the truth than other belief systems. This is something which concerns me.
So now is the time to examine why I believe what I do, to re-examine the core ideas of the Christian faith which I am committed to, to see how my views and assumptions may have been influenced by my genes and my environment and to see how my philosophical journey meshes with my spiritual one.
As I continue I follow the guidelines:
- Truth is the goal – even if it is uncomfortable
- Be winning to be refuted – that is how we learn – so please refute me!
- Treat the views of others with respect and charity – even if we don’t agree with them
To embrace the responsibility of taking the heretical imperative: by speaking out when necessary or asking awkward questions that will often upset the status quo; by making relationships the priority, and not reputation.
Above all, is the Christian faith I was brought up with and have followed ever since actually true? If not then that would require a serious paradigm shift.
Let’s see where this takes us…
My quest started when I was very young when I was surprised at the fact of my existence and that I was conscious of it. It continued as I pondered how free I really was in the light of the apparent subversion of desire caused by puberty. It was underpinned by the religion in which I was brought up and which led me to believe that there was more to life than the material out of which our bodies are made.
So where am I now, nearly 70 years later? Some things have become clearer but other questions remain. As I look over my life experiences, what can I learn from them? Before I leave the clearing and choose which way to go from here, I will ponder this.