I have been contemplating writing an opinion about faith for some time now, but have shied away from the subject recognizing that it is a topic often associated with strong beliefs and not exactly ripe for persuasion. I was ultimately inspired to act after editing my sister’s opinion for posting on this site. She evokes a proper noun, ‘the Universal Source’, that I am not familiar with. In the context, I interpreted ‘the Universal Source’ as perhaps Divine Love(another proper noun with imprecise meaning) or God him/her/it-self(another more precise but ultimately imprecise term). Not being familiar, I dutifully Googled it and found little material and certainly no consensus definition. My first reaction was to suggest to my sister to modify her writing to make her meaning more clear but after some thought, I realized that she was using a poetic device, inviting the reader to find their own meaning. Faith is a very personal thing, I can only share a little of what it means to me in the hope that it may help when you reflect on your own. I will intentionally steer clear of religion as it would only invite controversy and would not add to my point. I do not feel that faith and religion are inextricably intertwined.
My faith journey has been largely focused on reconciling scientism and theism from a very early age. I can recall as a young child contemplating many existential questions. How did it all start? Before there was something, there must have been nothing, but how can something start from nothing? Where does the universe end? What is beyond it? Is there only one reality? What is the point of it all? I have always had a mind with a preference for reason having ultimately chosen a career in engineering as a digital systems designer, a discipline rooted in formal logic no less. I recognize that my mind is most comfortable seeking understanding from science but I also recognize that there is a vast gulf between what science can now explain and the answers to these existential questions. The frequency of my existential contemplation diminished over time as my efforts became more practically focused but I did, somewhat subconsciously, settle on a philosophy that could accommodate faith in both science and God.
The universe of the potentially knowable is vast and perhaps limitless giving rise to the possibility of the unknowable. Throughout human history, we have assigned God as the default explanation of the unknown. With time we have resolved some instances of unknown to known and we have had to adjust our theological understanding accordingly. Some people have resisted these adjustments more than others, seeing them as threats to their faith. I see this conflict very differently. I see that as we gain additional understanding we also learn that what we still do not understand is even more vast than we had imagined and there is no threat to the need for a divine explanation. I also note that with additional understanding the wonder of the universe is not diminished but instead enhanced. We find both elegant simplicity as well as awe-inspiring complexity. We find instances of astounding order and beautiful chaos. We find rigid rules with apparently miraculous exceptions. When I think about faith I am drawn to the existential queries from my youth and to one in particular, ‘What is the point of it all?’. To me, the point is the shared acquisition of knowledge and understanding, pursuing a full understanding of the knowable and thereby a better understanding of the unknowable, of God. The enormity of this endeavor necessitates a unity of purpose, with the living striving to work together in harmony as one. We all must faithfully play our part in this shared journey to enlightenment. This understanding works for me to focus my faith and give me purpose but I fully acknowledge that it may not work as well for all. My only hope is that whatever form your faith takes, that it too includes this notion of unity, this oneness.
Having established a faith focus for the living, it is natural to then contemplate the role of the no-longer living. My science-focused mind has a much harder time settling on a clear answer here and I fear if I try too hard I will wander into the weeds of religion which I pledged to avoid. Rather than trying to resolve questions about a spiritual afterlife, I will instead focus on the less controversial physical afterlife. By this, I am referring to the piece of us that lives on through the generations that follow after we pass. I am not only speaking of a genetic piece but of the piece we contributed to the shared knowledge that lives on in survivors. With this understanding, a spiritual afterlife, though a welcome possibility, is not necessary to give a life eternal purpose.
I am sure that this reason-driven approach to faith seems quite alien to the more spiritual among us, some may not consider it faith at all. I have spent my life thus far with a laser-focus on reason as the primary means to enlightenment, but I have witnessed a more spiritual approach to faith in loved ones who have lived enviably enlightened lives. I have found my laser-focus soften as of late as I have found more spiritual inspiration. It is this spiritual inspiration that has compelled me to add my voice in the form of this website to the much-needed message of unity.
I hope I have convinced you that science and faith are not incompatible and can instead complement each other in powerful ways. Scientists must acknowledge that it is arrogant and unscientific to assume that science will have all the answers. It is noble to pursue the answer to any question through science but it is not noble to assume that all questions can be answered. Remember those existential questions? There is room for the unknowable, for God(the Universal Source?). The faithful must acknowledge that although faith is a good thing, blind faith is not. We have been given the gift of reason, to be able to work together to build a clear understanding of a great many things. The more we understand, the better we can understand the unknowable. The better we can understand God.