Common Challenges on the Way to Faith
As discussed in the previous article, A Modern Journey to Faithlessness, faith is a complex mechanism that can be challenging to integrate into our lives, influenced by various factors. I shared my personal journey which represents, in a non detailed manner, only one path out of infinite. Therefore, we can only try to step back and get a glance of what might degrade someone’s faith. Unfortunately, there are numerous ways to fall into the faithless abyss, and for some people, there may seem to be no saving grace.
In this article, we will try to encapsulate the main factors that can degrade our faith along the common challenges they present.
The first significant factor, which resonated strongly with my experience and likely does with many others, is Rational Strength. The ability to navigate our experiences and make decisions based on logic. While logic doesn’t necessarily contradict faith, — as evidenced by brilliant scientific minds such as Newton and Einstein who believed in God — faith and logic often diverge. When our rationality is highly developed, it usually takes the wheel of the current moment, pulling consciousness into interpreting instead of enabling a healthy gap that can lead to creation of, or surrendering to, something beyond understanding.
Second factor, which also had considerable significance in my personal journey, is Poor Psychological & Emotional State. As a teenager with limited social skills, I often felt alone and misunderstood in the world, lacking the emotional tools to navigate these challenges. The overwhelming sense of loneliness provided a fragile foundation for the development of faith. The lonelier I became, the more frustration and mistrust clouded my perspective. While some individuals could still choose faith in such circumstances, I found it immensely difficult to cultivate the feelings of hope and positivity necessary to believe in the powers or mechanisms governing my life.
Identity & Culture play a vital role in shaping our beliefs. Questions about our own identity and our place within our surroundings are deeply significant. Our values and perspectives evolve over time and can sometimes clash with religious associations, especially when confronted with rigid rules and extremist actions. For instance, if someone opposes any form of violence and witnesses acts of violence committed by religious terrorists, they may reject the entire religious value system based on these impressions. Additionally, our social circles and relationships constantly influence and evaluate our beliefs. Fear of change, as well as potential damage to our social value and relationships, often deters us from altering our belief systems or exploring alternative paths.
Communication & Technology, unfortunately, often move in opposite directions. It seems that the better the technology and its ubiquitousness, the poorer our communication with the world, and more importantly, with ourselves. We live in a time where attention is directed externally, constantly distracted and bombarded by an “abundance” of simulations and media. Developing faith, however, requires a calmer mind, a connected heart, and the ability to introspect and listen to our inner voice.
Furthermore, our experiences with Bad Religious Impressions & Education can highly influence our emotional context of faith. Just like any educational process, the manner in which information is communicated to us plays a crucial role. When parents, teachers, or society convey information positively, with confidence, encouragement, openness, and a genuine willingness to listen, it becomes more likely for that information to resonate and be incorporated into our worldview. We may choose to filter out what seems irrelevant or even opt for no change at all, but the process allows us to give the teachings a genuine chance. Unfortunately, many modern religious impressions are communicated in ways that contradict the positive approach described above, resulting in rejection and a desire to distance ourselves as far as possible from any religious context.
Conclusions
These factors are merely the beginning, as there are many more dimensions to the experience of faith, including personality, extreme life events, and community dynamics, among others, each capable of tipping the scales of our faith. It appears to me that the common ground of all the challenging factors mentioned above is doubt. Doubt can emerge from our way of thinking, our emotional state, confusion about our identity, fear of isolation or rejection, a lack of connection with our hearts, or even an escape from self-reflection. All those ways of emerging doubt influence negatively on our life, work, meaning and purpose, on us. A painfull way to live. At least that’s how it was for me.
I believe a bottom-up approach can be very useful here. Any positive development in one of the aforementioned factors can improve our lives, foster a connection to faith and a higher state of being, and ultimately reduce doubt. It is undoubtedly challenging, but the journey is worthwhile as it allows us to take responsibility and appreciate the transformation that occurs.
I wonder, where does doubt appear in your life? What barriers are blocking you from having faith, positiveness and a connected heart? How can your life look different? What can you do today to improve one of the mentioned factors? You’re welcome to share your struggles, and together, let us embark on a journey inward, toward truth.
