I believe

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, my cabin is not located in a remote corner of the Catskill Mountains. It exists in very close proximity to several neighboring abodes. As in the more traditional suburbs, it is imperative (well at least beneficial) to get along with your neighbors. To that end, one of the first things my new friend and neighbor across the road said to me is we should never discuss politics or religion. As a general rule of thumb I would venture to say most people would agree with this advice. It has been my experience, however, that most people love talking about their views on religion and faith based matters (I will ignore politics for now as opposing positions to mine may indeed be untenable).

I am certainly no scholar on the subject but I have always been fascinated by man's need for faith in something other than himself. And no matter what one believes, I have always granted that the universe would indeed seem a lonely place if we were but an accident. So it was with intellectual enthusiasm that I looked forward to reading "The Future of Faith" by a Harvard professor of comparative religions, Harvey Cox. The book was given to me by my father in law when I let it be known that even a doubting Thomas (a wink to a certain controversial Gospel) has a stake in the internecine conflicts of the world's great religions.

The ideas put forth by the author are not backed up by a plethora of hard statistical data but rather are more like insights after 50 years of studying and observing the world's theological and mystical traditions. It is as much about Mr Cox's personal journey as it is about the world's spiritual journey. And as such, I could fully relate to it as could any person who has ever said I am really more spiritual than religious. He verifies what many people have already come to feel in their hearts. As someone who has always existed outside the realm of organized religion, his insights are not so revelatory to me, but his ideas are put forth in such a way that any person of faith can rally around them. And in fact, one of his major postulates is that we are all people of faith, even atheists. It is this fundamental belief that has allowed me to coexist with one of the most spiritual persons I know, my wife Tammy. Confusing the difference between faith and belief is what causes all the turmoil.

And it is in this context that I have put forth all my ideas in this forum. The blurb "About Me" in my blog even alludes to this concept. Beliefs are nothing if they cannot be backed up by facts, but faith is an enduring, universal emotion that allows us to wake up every day in spite of sometimes insurmountable obstacles. I recommend this book to atheists and theists alike because even the most cynical among us cannot deny the mystery of life.