Is Faith A Choice?
20 Jan 2010 17 Comments
in Blogging, Opinion Tags: Islam Faith Choice Freedom Religion Belief
I was reading a thread on the Army Rumour Service ( http://www.arrse.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/t=139988.html) about a young, male, Sunni Muslim, who basically said that he was born a Sunni Muslim so therefore he is one. Now this just doesn’t sit comfortably with me because by saying this he is making the Islamic religion a race, not a faith.
I was born female, so therefore I am a woman. (Yep, and happy to be one, no pending ops to have a penis added and be surgically enhanced) I was born Caucasian so therefore that is the colour of my skin. I was born in Britain, therefore I am British.
Faith (according to my online dictionary):
strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
• a system of religious belief : such as the Christian faith or Islamic Faith.
• a strongly held belief or theory : the faith that life will expand until it fills the universe.
Belief (according to my online dictionary):
an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists : his belief in God | a belief that solitude nourishes creativity.
In order to have faith you need to believe it to be true. You are not born believing, but faith and belief are learned over time. You choose to believe if something is right or wrong, based on teachings and learning.
Surely, religion is an individual choice. You have to believe it to be right, non? Is this religious apathy? I am Catholic because my mum and dad are Catholics. Surely, you are a Catholic if you believe in the doctrines of the Catholic faith.
I was recently interviewed by Radio 4 and I said that I felt very strongly that I didn’t want to be Islamic and be ruled by Sharia Law.
Hagar the horrible said, “you can’t say that it could be perceived as racist.”
To which I replied, “Islam is a faith not a race. It is not racism, it is about the right to choose a belief system, and I was simply saying that Islam is not the belief system for me.”
My understanding is that every individual has the right to choose what they believe in, and also to change their mind. You are not born to a religion you choose to believe in the teachings of one.
Jan 20, 2010 @ 12:03:31
I agree.
Although this is certainly an area where the lines seem to get blurred as people get more fundamentalist in their faith.
Jan 20, 2010 @ 12:22:10
I think that is why I have been itching to write this blog so that we start putting back some clarity on the situation.
Jan 20, 2010 @ 13:04:20
I agree with your every word.
Jan 20, 2010 @ 13:18:07
I agree, I don’t think you are born religious is as much as your parents are and therefore you have to be and that is that.
At the same time I don’t think religion is a choice either, as such. From an atheists point of view, I didn’t ‘choose’ to be one. I just am one, the same way I am a woman, not because my parents were (they weren’t) but just because it is who I am. I do not believe in God and at no point did I ‘choose’ to have these views. So, that being the case, I imagine that religion is the same. you either believe or you don’t in which case you could well be born with or without faith.
The difference is which religion to follow and is it possible to choose your branch of religion. Do you automatically follow the one your parents do, do you shop around for one that fits or do you just know what faith you are and choice doesn’t come into it? I think faith could well be born in but i find it hard to understand the argument that says I was born ‘this’ religion, or this branch of that religion. but then what do I know, being an atheist?
Jan 20, 2010 @ 13:32:23
By the way – one of your parents was definitely a woman!
I imagine you would consider atheism a choice if the right to be one was taken away from you.
I think religion or atheism like medicine is learnt. If you were born alone into the world and grew without education you wouldn’t be religious. It isn’t programmed into us genetically. Religions are human made devices to create social order and values.
Jan 20, 2010 @ 22:39:19
Clare,
While I agree with your sentiments. I think there is some misunderstanding culturally and with how religion is defined between the cultures.
Ironically, Islam is a close cousin to Christianity with the split coming after Abraham.
Culturally however, Sunni are more like Jews in that you are born into both a religion and a “tribe”. Where to them, there is no distinction between creed and religion and what he is saying makes sense in a way.
Sunni = Muslim, Tribe = Sunni, therefore he is Muslim. Jews see this the same way. If your mother is a jew, then you are a jew. Period. No proclaimation of faith, no indoctrination, you simply .. are.
I agree with you very much about religion being man made devices for social order, or more like primitive forms of government.
I also see it as a primitive form of science. An attempt for man to explain and understand his surroundings and existence.
One thing I have always said. When man asks the question, why am I here” What is my purpose? No one ever asks… Why do I feel compelled to ask that question?
Until we can answer that, I don’t think we can answer the others.
Jan 20, 2010 @ 23:02:09
But surely by decreeing that you are a faith through birth, then it is a form of religious indoctrination? It saying this mandate is fact and you must believe in it because it the truth without question. Under this mandate are then faith and race are intertwined? So do Sunni Muslims and Jews consider themselves a race, not followers of a faith that they believe in? What if through education they decide they actually believe in the laws of Buddhism and don’t buy into Judaism or Islam – can they walk freely and renounce their faith?
Man asks the question because life without purpose seems meaningless but really it’s no different than a women asking a man ‘what are you thinking?’ and he replies “nothing.” She doesn’t believe him because it’s not possible for a woman to think of nothing but really it’s true sometimes men just have moments of vacancy. It’s not possible for humans to understand there is no purpose to existence so they create one so there is something to do. Mainly fight over whose ‘sense of purpose’ is most accurate.
Jan 24, 2010 @ 23:49:53
Of course it’s possible for humans to understand / imagine that there is no purpose to existence. It’s called depression / hedonism /spiritual contentment. IT’S ALL THE SAME.
Jan 21, 2010 @ 10:45:22
I think religion is a definition of what ‘tribe’ you belong to, whereas ‘faith’ is a choice. In our increasingly secular Western world there is a difference but there isn’t so much in other parts of the world. Remember when we were kids and they would write down your religion as Christian on your school forms? These days if you fill in that box you would typically put a denomination – Baptist, Anglican, Pentecostal etc. Watching Ross Kemp in the Gaza the other night, seeing the ardent suicide bomber make his video I remembered that there is fundamentalism in every religion, and that is the evil we must fight against.
Jan 21, 2010 @ 11:00:01
I have never been religiously educated so don’t align myself to any ‘tribe’ so its difficult for me to understand those who are influenced by these religious conditionings and had religious belief systems imposed on them through childhood. This leads me to belief/tribe is learned not intrinisic or genetic. I am genuinely a religious blank canvas. I know very little. I only recently learned that Jesus was Jewish.
Jan 21, 2010 @ 11:06:42
Funnily enough that’s the very reason why I didn’t have my children christened. I did not want them to be ready-made Christians (Catholic, or anything else). I believe it’s a choice you make when you are old enough to think for yourself.
Jan 21, 2010 @ 15:36:16
Clare,
The decree is a result of the indoctrination, not the method itself.
I think the indoctrination comes from the parents, structured learning, and imprinting. The rituals, the guidance, and the belief structure start there. Then there are schools that further continue the process. Religious schools seem to be pervasive throughout every religion.
It is believed without question, because until (most) hit adulthood, what your parents teach you about the world is the gospel. They decree it, because they were taught to do so.
Christian fundamentalists use a term called “Absolute Morality” and it refers to religious teachings being the “only truth” or “Absolute truth”. These concepts are hammered home in youth. There is also another concept used to “argue” or in my opinion, attempt to argue the logic of it. Vantillian Pre-Suppositional Apologetics argues that the biblical world view is an absolute and as such, no other view is feasible, therefore the biblical world view is the only possible logical conclusion (Yeah, I know about the ton of holes in that one ).
Is hebrew or sunni a race? I don’t think sunni is considered but the jews have a bit of ambiguity in this area. I think depending on who you ask, jews are considered a race in a way. The are more often referred to as a tribe of peoples than a race, but I think due to the nature of their history having been displaced a lot, it’s like saying they’re a race without a geographical reference.
Can jews walk away from the religion: yes, can sunni’s walk away from Islam: In the fundamental sense.. no. To become “Kafir” is a capital offense in some parts of the world.
For jews, there is a new religion that has sprung up lately, Jews for Jesus, which to me is silly. Aren’t they just Christians then? But if they said that, they lose their Racial/Tribal/Ethnic identity I suppose.
I would like to agree to disagree with you on the point of humans not being able to comprehend “nothingness”. There is an entire philosophical ideology behind that very concept. Take a look at existentialism and try to find the actual philosophers regarding it.
Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche are two fairly famous names in that arena. It’s some heavy reading but interesting nonetheless.
Differences between men and women and how they think is an entirely different discussion altogether.
Jan 26, 2010 @ 11:01:34
It is a very complex subject but I do think we should each be entitled to the choice of faith. I have lost friendships in the past because of my spiritual beliefs in the afterlife, friendships of those who are strongly religious, either Baptist or CofE. Their views have offended me, as mine has probably offended them. But we are all equal; we should all be given the option of choice without having to sacrifice a friend.
CJ xx
Mar 08, 2010 @ 20:43:29
I was brought up in the Catholic Tradition, and I chose to stay there. When we are young, we do whatever mom and dad do because that is how it is. My friend was not a “God person” when we first met. Faith and religion were not something she really cared about. Near four years from that first meeting with my friend, she chose to be confirmed into the Catholic Church. It was a choice of faith and religion. I believe when we grow up in a certain tradition we are not as aware and take for granted what we have. When someone comes to faith or joins a certain tradition, there is more awareness and respect for it. I leave you with a quote. I am not exactly sure who said it, but I really like it.
“Just because you don’t believe in God doesn’t mean that God doesn’t believe in you!”
Mar 08, 2010 @ 22:39:15
Thanks for this. I think what you say is really interesting …’and I chose to stay there’. Do you think if you were born to Islam that you would eventually find Catholicism?
Mar 09, 2010 @ 01:26:17
That is a question I ask myself often, if I were raised else wise, would I have been as passionate there or would I have found myself Catholic in due time? It is almost an unfair question to ask of myself, though it makes me wonder. It brings up the topic of conditioning. I have no idea what life would have brought me. Change one thing, everything there-after would be different. It certainly makes me think a lot, especially in light of my discerning religious life. What ifs are dangerous questions I must say. We could have really good conversations. I don’t consider myself the type of Catholic who hates everyone else.
Mar 09, 2010 @ 08:20:03
I think faith is a choice. I want faith to be a choice. Belief is at its foundation. I have since learnt that you are born Jewish, which to me means that being Jewish is a race. I want to choose my faith and my belief systems. I want to work it out for myself and not be labeled at birth, or subjugated by ruling governance. This was the point I was hoping to make.