Any time we make a shift in our beliefs, we will, inevitably bring with us, residual philosophical beliefs. To my mind, this is negative. We ought, as living, thinking human beings, to strive for consistency and coherence in our worldview. Any kind of radical shift or change in our belief system ought to include a comprehensive analysis of what we previously believed in comparison to what we currently believe.
Unfortunately, many do not make this effort. Instead, they carry into the new system, previous beliefs. This results in two things. One, in communicating their new belief, they impose false beliefs onto their hearers. Two, this is intellectual dishonesty. One cannot claim to believe, for instance, in election (as in Calvinism) and yet claim to be an Orthodox Christian. These two are diametrically opposed.
It is, in my opinion, extremely important to know and understand exactly what it is that you believe and to be cognizant of beliefs from one’s past. At a bare minimum, one can become part of a belief collective, and claim adherence to that systems beliefs. At the same time, one can also admit to embracing some aspects of that same system on “faith”. In other words, you do not have to have a perfect understanding of each tenet in order to be faithful. But you must be aware of what you actually do believe.
No comments:
Post a Comment