Such a simple question.....but not as simple answer

As noted in my previous post, I was asked the question Why?

Why do you believe?
Why Theism?
Why Christianity?
Why the ECC ?


For myself, it comes to direct empirical evidence. I believe (and believe in the Divine, whom I will call 'God') because I have had 'an experience' which I cannot explain by methods other than to say that the Divine was directly involved. That experience has fundamentally affected my outlook on the world.

During my searching for the Divine in philosophy and religion, I found a commonality which rings true throughout all of them in the day-to-day application, with most of the differences between the groups being in the theoretical and/or culture-specific stuff. As I was raised as a Judeo-Christian in a Judeo-Christian society, remaining within general religion that is my socio-cultural norm is comfortable and has no direct conflicts with the underlying philosophy.

As to the specifics, I found and remain with the faith community I am at because I have seen/felt the Divine actively at work in the lives of those who I share this faith community with. Upon investigation, the underlying beliefs of said community accurately reflect the core values and general revelations which I have had regarding the nature of the Divine and how we, as mature members of the world community, should guide ourselves in word and deed from day to day. Finally, I would add that the leadership, both local and distant, official and unofficial, are consistent in their support of a personally directed, individualistic spiritual journey (no matter where it may lead), something which I have never experienced previously.

Such a simple question.....

For those of you who do not know, my partner is an active agnostic. I mean that to say that he thinks about matters of philosophy and religion with some frequency and is honestly seeking Truth, but he withholds belief in any higher power without adequate support or rational basis for the existence of said higher power. As you can imagine, this leads to substantive and interesting discussions which can be highly disturbing to some folk.

He has put to me this question, which I wish to put to you as well.

Why?

Why do you believe? Why Theism? Why (general religion here)? Why (specific brand of faith here)?

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” - Gautama Siddharta, the Buddha

In a day or so, I will post my answer (if you've not divined it from earlier posts), but I would entreat you all to post your own reflections to his question.

inner conscience vs. outer commandments

Last week, the church bulletin had a short blurb in it, tucked away on page three, which said that our parish priest was going to hold an adult education meeting on Wednesday evening to talk about the role of conscience in the daily life and touch upon his doctoral thesis work (his PhD was conferred just last month). Last night, there were fully 30 people who showed up to listen and to discuss the concepts regarding the primacy of conscience and how it relates to individual parishioners, specifically on the topic of sexuality and contraception. I'll not attempt in 50 words to recount what he outlines in a 300 page thesis, but the ensuing discussion brought out at least one point which wasn't central (or, perhaps, even mentioned) in the document - to wit, the changes in the laity and the affects on the clergy/laity relationship (and the Church/laity relationship).

For a great deal of the history of the Church, the vast majority of the laity had only the most rudimentary of formal educations. They were workers, farmers and tradesmen whose livelihood depended on what they could do, not what they knew. Ergo, the clergy existed as the bulwark of erudition in an otherwise featureless plain. In the last 150 years or so, however, the balance of intellectual power has significantly shifted in the nations of the first world (especially the US).

Particularly after the second World War, the pervasive spread of both secondary and post-secondary education has led to parishes overflowing with men and women who are highly educated in both the arts and sciences. In our county specifically, over 50% of the adult population has at least a bachelor's degree. When a substantive portion of the laity has as much (or more) formal education as the episcopate, let alone the presbyterate, the pre-Vatican II 'Papa knows best' line, as recently echoed by our local arch-bishop "Catholics must accept the Church's teachings", smacks as both offensive and condescending. The days of the Church, any Church, telling people how to think, believe and even vote are a relic of a bygone era (despite what our local prelate may propound) as the parishioners have the mental faculties and education needed to do that for ourselves.

Whenever our conscience condemns us, we will be reassured that God is greater than our conscience and knows everything. Dear friends, if our conscience doesn't condemn us, we can boldly look to God and receive from him anything we ask. We receive it because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. This is his commandment: to believe in his Son, the one named Jesus Christ, and to love each other as he commanded us. Those who obey Christ's commandments live in God, and God lives in them. We know that he lives in us because he has given us the Spirit. (1 John 3:20-24)

I am not saying that those who have devoted their lives to the study and discussion of these things are not experts in their field or that their advice and counsel should be thrown away out of hand. Rather, that it is advice and counsel, rather than edict and commandment...thoughts of mortal and imperfect men about immortal and perfect things, not infallible pronouncements. If the senior leadership is to teach, then they should recall that one learns as much from the students as they from the teacher....and we are all students of the Great Teacher.