It’s been two years since I finally admitted to myself that I was not struggling with doubt any more; I no longer believed in God. The creed below is what I can say with some confidence that I believe in today. I got a little silly with the language, and I did so on purpose, to help me remember to hold my new beliefs lightly.
Proposition 1: I believe that there is an objective reality; that what is, is; that a = a.
- Clarification of the above Proposition: I believe that what is, is neither as good, as bad, or even as easily defined or comprehended as it first seems.
- Corollary of the above Clarification: I believe that labels, like all nouns and symbols, are useful tools- if you remember they are not what actually is.
- Addendum upon previous three statements: I believe that observation, experimentation, reason, and logic are the best tools we’ve yet found to learn what actually is.
Proposition 2: I believe that actions have consequences.
- Corollary on Proposition 2: I believe that what we think, say, do, and choose matters.
- Conclusion drawn from above Corollary and previous Clarification: What we think, say, do and choose matters, but rarely in the manner we expect or intend.
- Corollary on above Conclusion and previous Addendum: We don’t really know what we’re doing, but that’s no reason not to do our best. Please refer to Corollary two statements previous.
Proposition 3: I believe that value is extrinsic.
- Addendum on Proposition 3: I believe that we attribute value through ritual and sanctification (blessing, or intentionally making sacred/holy).
- Corollary on Propostions 1 through 3: I believe that we create what meaning and purpose there is, and can, through changing our choices, change what meaning and purpose we create.
- Addendum on above Corollary: I believe that empathy, introspection and reason are the best tools we’ve found yet for choosing what meaning and purpose to create, and that the ethic of reciprocity (popularly summarized as the Golden Rule) is the best starting point from which to employ our empathy, introspection and reason, with special attention paid to the resources we have to draw on and the needs which we can fill (including, but not limited to, our own).
Overly simplistic, yet still valid Conclusion drawn from everything said thus far in this creed (much to my pleasant surprise): I believe in love.
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Hey there!
I stumbled upon your blog somehow which is interesting because I’ve been thinking about much of what you mention here. Allow me to comment if I may…
I would take issue with proposition 1 in particular.
Regardless of whether or not there is such a thing as objective reality there is no such thing as an objective viewer of that reality. Objectivism is a lie purported by modernity. All people everywhere are rooted in a particular place. There is no view from “no where”. Therefore, there is no objective view. All views are religious in nature and faith-based.
If this is the case, that we are all subjective viewers of reality, then things like “observation, experimentation, reason, and logic” really aren’t all that reliable. Pure reason? No such thing because there is no such thing as a pure, objective, reasoner. I’m not suggesting that we can’t use reason, we do every day. I’m just suggesting that putting ones faith in Reason (pure, objective, ‘capital R’ Reason) is just as religious of a view as putting ones faith in God and requires just as much faith (if not more!).
What really interests me though is the following comment:
“It’s been two years since I finally admitted to myself that I was not struggling with doubt any more; I no longer believed in God.”
First of all, what’s wrong with doubt? I think doubt is a natural part of any faith system (by the way, I think all worldviews including one’s based on science and reason are faith based). Doubt I would argue is part of our human experience and I’m not sure you’ll be able to escape it. I think what is perhaps at issue here is the notion of *certainty*. You relate your doubt to God so I’m assuming this means you’ve had a number of doubts and uncertainties pertaining to God and have, therefore, come to the conclusion that God cannot be real. This sort of Cartesian anxiety need not be the case though. Let me ask you this: In order to know something, must we know it for *certain*? Or, is it perhaps possible to talk about knowing without being certain. This I think pertains to God. We can never be *certain* of God (i.e. without particular doubts etc) but this does not mean we cannot *know* God for knowledge is not bound by certainty.
Anyways, you may have already thought about these things but I’d be interested in hearing more from you. I find these sorts of discussion fascinating.
Peace.
JT
Wow, JT; there’s a lot in that comment to address. I hardly know where to start!
All views are religious in nature and faith-based.
You might notice that the title of this post is Statement of Faith.
…things like “observation, experimentation, reason, and logic” really aren’t all that reliable.
Perhaps not, but can you name a tool that is better?
Doubt I would argue is part of our human experience and I’m not sure you’ll be able to escape it.
Is that sufficient reason not to struggle with it?
You relate your doubt to God so I’m assuming this means you’ve had a number of doubts and uncertainties pertaining to God and have, therefore, come to the conclusion that God cannot be real.
Not quite. I have come to realize that there is no way for me to know, to any degree of knowing, anything about any gods: not their character, will, number, composition, desires, powers, or tendencies. Until this changes, gods seem to be unnecessary hypotheses.
I hope this answers your main concerns.