27.03.2023
understanding of "faith" - distinction between faith as a "belief" and faith as a "conviction"
chad faith as a conviction (choice to stand for something):
although apporoaching wishful/magical thinking in some aspect this is a way to build an axiom because one wants to
because it's beneficial and enriching and aligns with their internal system of values
virgin faith as a belief (embracing as truth without evidence):
it's based on choosing to approach information as real despite lack of evidence rather than consciously adapting something into one's system of values
as such it's just a belief (trust in informations) not a way of life, and if it is to be a way of life the information has to be adapted for it
- probable reason of decline of early christianity is the progression from understanding faith as a conviction to understanding it as a belief
leading to apologetism since it shifted the focus from moral and spiritual alignment to trust in accuracy of information that by definition can very well be inaccurate
also:
- probable reason of why the faith of neophytes/converts tends to be more constructive
and more likely to be a positive force in their lives and actually coherently wrap up or be the base of their value system
because they use it to affirm themselves and appropriate it in the way to "implant" it into their beliefs,
they make it about whatever was already important to them or about what they want to be important in their lives
as opposed to people raised in a religion who believe in it as an information because that's what they were told as a fact since childhood
and they passively accepted it and never made an actual choice to align with it nor developed their own understanding of it
that suits their pre-existing values and their goals in life
thus faith in neophytes tends to be a constructive thing they've chosen for themselves to best affirm what they want from life and themselves
integrated into their principles and what kind of person they want to be and strive towards
while for people raised in religions it tends to be a passive thing they don't feel allowed or feel no need to question
they keep it out of convenience in a version sold to them by someone else, and if it doesn't suit them and their experiences and goals
they find it suffocating and reject it (if strong enough) or move it aside as a separate thing from their actual value system (if not)
the former leading to nu-atheism and the latter to hypocrisy