“Faith is believing what you know ain’t true” Mark Twain
No. No. No. Not so! Faith, true faith, is trust and we need evidence to be able to trust! We need evidence.
That is how we live, e.g., we trust surgeons and flight captains with our lives. We trust that others will obey the road rules when we are driving. And we trust those we love. We cant see it, but we trust that there is this thing called love. The scientist trusts that the world is really there, that her brain is working well, and that the laws of nature are in place.
We base such trust on evidence.
It is truly true that reality is that which is actually there even when you don’t believe in it and it’s an absolute certainty that disbelieving in God won’t make Him go away.
However it is fashionable in some circles to say “nothing is certain”. But there is this human desire for ‘certainty’. It’s everywhere. Here’s a good example.
In John’s biography of Jesus, Thomas was told by the others, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” But then eight days later Jesus appeared and said to Thomas “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” The record says that Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? How blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
I wonder if doubting Thomas actually put in his finger or his hand to Jesus’ wounds, evidence of who he was, evidence of his suffering and death, and of course, of his bodily resurrection?
I can’t be certain, but one day I will find out.
Ian Thomson 