DAY 172
CHALLENGE
“I would love to believe. I see the benefits religious faith brings people, and I wish I could embrace it. Yet I find myself unable to do so.”
DEFENSE
This problem is common because it’s based on our psychological makeup, but it is not insurmountable.
The possibility of overcoming it is indicated by the fact that the vast majority of people have some form of religious faith. It is not contrary to human nature. Indeed, religion is a human universal found in all cultures, both historical and present.
Similarly, choosing one religion over another is not impossible. This is illustrated by the growth of Christianity. As the Christian message spread, evangelists urged people to believe it, and many did. Otherwise, no growth would have occurred. This shows that people are capable of choosing to adopt it, regardless of their prior belief.
Difficulties a particular person feels in this regard are due to circumstance rather than human nature itself. William James’s essay “The Will to Believe” (available online) contains a helpful discussion. He describes views as either “live” or “dead.” Live views are those that one feels it possible to accept, while dead ones are those that seem impossible to accept.
Which views are live depends on circumstances. Some today feel that being an agnostic is a live option, but being a Christian is not. They have a psychological impediment—which others do not have— against being a Christian. While this impediment remains, it will be hard for them to choose to embrace the Faith.
Having identified Christian faith as desirable (evidentially or otherwise), the solution is to work on the psychological impediment so that it becomes a live option. This can be accomplished more than one way.
One way is by studying Christian apologetics and seeing the evidences that support the Christian faith and answer opposing views. Another is by choosing to live as a Christian. This is discussed by Blaise Pascal: “Follow the way by which [believers] began; by acting as if they believed, taking the holy water, having masses said, etc. Even this will naturally make you believe, and deaden your acuteness” (Pensées 233).
Choosing to act on the premise that the Faith is true will gradually lead to it becoming psychologically acceptable and thus make it a live option.