Don't fake faith

What the Jesus Seminar and other contemporary historical Jesus (e.g. Professor Borg), OT (e.g Rabbi Wolpe) and NT (Professor Fredriksen) exegetes have concluded:

See:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20E1EFE35540C7A8CDDAA0894DA404482

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/theories.html

Yeals, yes, I'm aware that Ms. Thistlethwaite is a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress. She is also a teaching Professor of Theology at Chicago Theological Seminary. That's probably another $200,000-$300,000 a year added to her windfall at CFAP. She probably only has to spend a few hours a month with CFAP at a Coffee Klatch to discuss the latest in worldly philosophy. I'm sure she could still handle that as Obama's Czar of Religion. Just think of the prestige she would enjoy as being a part of the New Awakening, the era of Hope and Change! Wow, that's heady! When that ride is over, think of the millions she'll make in speaking fees and book royalties! And all it's going to cost her is her soul. But, I think she's already done that with her present teachings.

"I'm surprised that Barack hasn't tapped you yet to become his Czar of Religion. Isn't that why you resigned as president of Chicago Theological Seminary? What's the holdup? "

Susan now works Center for American Progress.

John Podesta is the president of the CFAP making over $250,000/yr with eight managers and senior fellow averaging $200,000/yr. Contributions made to CFAP for 2008 were in excess of $28 million. The Rev. Thistlewighth is a senior fellow at CFAP and therefore is making a lot more than she would as Barack's Religion czar. Obviously she has not taken the vow of poverty. Ref. guidestar.org

(To continue . . .)

Doubt, skepticism, reserving judgment and admitting you do not know are the keys to happiness and human progress. Faith is a prison. Anyway, you don't have to make an effort to believe things. On the contrary, the problem with human nature is that we believe too readily. We cling to our beliefs too tightly. In another thread here, I quoted Francis Bacon:

"The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down, (either from general admission and belief, or from the pleasure it affords,) forces every thing else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent and abundant instances may exist to the contrary, yet either does not observe or despises them, or gets rid of and rejects them by some distinction, with violent and injurious prejudice, rather than sacrifice the authority of its first conclusions."

If you are going to agonize about anything, or practice jujitsu with your own mind, you should practice doubting propositions that seem irrefutable. Any time you can call into question a belief, or go from certainty to maybe, or to no -- that's wrong -- consider it a victory. You should toss out what Bacon called the idols of the mind, the half-baked misunderstandings, and the myths, to makes space for the truth.

You wrote:

"The great Medieval mystics teach us that the journey of doubt, what they sometimes called 'the dark night of the soul,' is part of the mystery of faith. When you stand in the pulpit and look out at the congregation, you need to know that many of those sitting in the pews are struggling with doubt."

This, above all, is what I find inexplicable and unnatural about religion in intelligent people. If the evidence is not self-evident, if it is not compelling, then OBVIOUSLY YOU SHOULD NOT BELIEVE IT, for crying out loud. Okay, you might lean toward belief. Or you might say you can't tell. Or you are skeptical. But why agonize over it?!? Leave it undecided.

In no other area of life do I see people "struggling with belief." If a programmer doubts that a proposed design will work, she does not try to persuade herself it will. She expresses doubt. If a doctor does not think a drug will work, he does not prescribe it. He doesn't tell the patient: "I am struggling with doubt, trying to overcome my concerns, and I am going to ask you to take this stuff even thought I don't think it will help." That would be malpractice! So it would be if a preacher recommend prayer if he doesn't believe in it.

If on Monday you are convinced God exists, go ahead and believe. If on Tuesday you have doubts, stop believing. Put it aside. If you find compelling evidence later on, go ahead and believe again. There is never any harm to changing your mind, withholding judgment, or admitting you do not know the answer. (I suppose this would be awkward for a preacher.)

You say "grave doubts" are "part of the life-long journey of faith." It seems insane to me that anyone would feel "grave doubts" about any assertion or course of action and yet still try to compel themselves to believe it. "Grave doubts" means your mind is warning you that you are making a mistake. Trying to will yourself to believe against the evidence, or when there is no evidence, is an abuse of the mind. Nothing good can come of it. You will only give yourself a headache.

Don't be DeCeived.
Susan's prices are not posted.

Someone contact Mystic Enforcement.

I've seen a not insignificant number of television episodes and movies that have this as primary topic, and I've started to get bothered by it. Often people treat the loss of faith by a clergy member (or even a devout church goer) as something that will permanently ruin their lives and outlook if it is not resolved. But I fail to see how someone denying their common sense or scientific knowledge to stay with a faith just because they've been with it for a long time is necessarily a good thing. At one point I realized that the comfort of an afterlife and some sort of exterior moral judge was just an illusion to make ourselves feel better in a world that is often unjust, and ends with our deaths. Sure, I could have talked with pastors and other members of church, but what do they really have as proof?

At the same time, I can understand where these clergy are coming from. Its hard enough to realize that you don't believe in God, but its even harder to admit it to others, especially for clergy, because it means ostracism and unemployment. I can only imagine, seeing the amount of hate that gets slung at atheists, what it would be like to have that come from the very people you've devoted much of your life tending to.

Well, Susan, I've been examining your teachings for about a year now and I've been sharing biblical truths, citing scripture that refutes your theological philosophy, but all to no avail. Unfortunately, you've closed your mind and ears to Truth. What a shame. And to think that you get paid for what you do!

I'm surprised that Barack hasn't tapped you yet to become his Czar of Religion. Isn't that why you resigned as president of Chicago Theological Seminary? What's the holdup?

I decided to go Blue Oyster Cult and keep it real rock and rollie. Let's see what sort of near death experience I can find today. Will I end up in jail, the hospital or hell? You never know, so courage can't be faked that's why we need coward politicians. We can't let Hollywood have a monopoly on fake faith.