Belief, in my opinion, should not be a matter of blind faith, but based on logical deductions and study. It is not enough to say I believe God exists or that he exists in a Trinity without answering (or trying to answer) the how, and why questions. Children believe simply, but as one grows, he should be able to answer the questions, ‘I believe because…’ or ‘God exists because…’ or ‘God loves me because…’ otherwise what’s the point?

That being said, it has to be accepted that no matter how far we delve into our searching we will never get the total answer; because if we did and if we understand God fully then we become equal to him or like him, a sin which was the cause of the fall of the first man and woman. Gregory of Nazianzas is credited to have said that “no man ever yet has discovered or can discover what God is in nature and in essence” and that “God would be altogether circumscript, if He were even comprehensible in thought: for comprehension is one form of circumscription”. And yet, we call Gregory ‘The Thoelogian’, one of the greatest the Church has seen.

So it will eventually come to a point where nothing is left but blind or simple faith.

However, that should not stop us from searching or asking questions, otherwise then we become like other faiths such as Islam who forbid the questioning of their religions.

In sermons we often hear about how the Apostle Thomas was lacking in faith ‘for blessed are those who have not seen and yet belived’, but why can’t his doubt be a strength of character rather than a weakness? He was a person who obviously did not just believe something because he heard it or because everyone else believed it, he wanted to see for himself and not follow blindly. Maybe we should be more, rather than less like ‘doubting’ Thomas.

This may be an inappropriate place to quote The Buddha, but I like this quote. He says, “Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true”.