How Faith Works in Mysterious Ways

What is faith? I believe it is an unwavering belief in something. Although its use has been mainly delegated to questions of religion, you can also have faith in yourself, in your government, in your future. Its trademark is a strong and positive conviction and outlook influencing the actions of your present and projecting optimism into the future.

Yet where does faith come from? Are you born with it or can you acquire it in later life? And how is it different from having confidence and trust in an outcome or oneself? Because of its overwhelming effect on and tie with religion, I will first try to examine its spiritual aspects before I turn to psychological matters. So what does Christian religion say about faith?

For a Christian, faith is mainly believing in God, often in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Redeemer of the world and human sins. In many cases, it is a strong feeling that illuminates your belief system and sheds light into your core being. Your life suddenly becomes imbued with a sense of direction, purpose and vocation.

Did Jesus Abandon and Forsake His Family?

There is generally little discussion about the legitimate family of Jesus. He has been called the Son of Man; he is defined as the Son of God Himself, and he is the child of Joseph and Mary. According to a host of religious sources, he was begotten by the Holy Spirit, which implies that Joseph was not his biological father and that Mary was a virgin.

Yet the image of Mary as a virgin persists despite the fact that she had other children after Christ. It is known that Jesus had siblings, but apart from a few passages, we know very little about them, nor are we told much about his extended family.

One could counter that Jesus may have been physically brought into this world by his mother Mary and may have been taken care of, protected and educated by Joseph, his father, but that all this time, Jesus has been beyond the scope of this realm and is a unique and spiritual Child of Heaven.

But regardless of the motives and circumstances, Jesus did leave and abandon his family. Jesus seemed to have broken the commandment about honoring your parents. He follows his own path and picks strangers as his disciples, basically anyone willing to love him and follow his path. When he meets his mother years later, he answers that she may be his mother, but that essentially, he is motherless.

In other words, Jesus did not only abandon and forsake his family, he denied them. Why would such a person who is filled with love and who inspires others to love and forgive each other, be so cruel to members of his own flesh and blood? Did he himself not follow what he preached?

The problem is more complex. In fact, he probably had no other choice. Familial love and concern would have limited the impact and the grand ambitions of this exceptional and influential man. For example, his parents would have never agreed with his lifestyle – a nomadic life with prostitutes and cripples – along with the dangers that their son would face, leading eventually to his tragic and painful death.

In many ways, if he had not abandoned his family, he would have felt limited and constricted by their protective love for him. It was a liberating and even necessary move to remove the familial shackles and to create something that would last far and beyond into the future. As such, he extended the human notion of family to include and embrace all of humanity.

Does God Love Homosexuals?

According to most researchers, genetics plays a major role when it comes to sexual orientation. Although the environment and experiences may also affect one's choice and preference, it is rarely the case that a person should suddenly become or turn gay overnight. In those instances, it may be that the person already had genetic predisposition, but decided to ignore or reject those tendencies.

The dilemma concerning sexual orientation and religion may run something like this: Should the person give in to his sexual urges or should he fight against them? If, as some religious groups claim, it is against nature and hence against God's will, then why are they created in this manner in the first place by God Himself? Does God like to make people suffer? Or is God testing the faith of homosexual people by giving them extra challenges?

Dualism and the Problem and Necessity of Evil

One of the main characteristics of the universe is its dualism. Everything appears to come in twos, everything from binary numbers, to the Cartesian mind and body, heaven and hell as well as good and evil of the Christian religion. Even matter has its counterpart in the form of antimatter. It seems that after all, the yin and yang of Taoism applies to all creation in the universe.

We can say that evil is the opposite of good since the one cannot really exist without the other. But what is evil? Evil can be seen as that which creates disruption or disorder. When the universe is in balance and harmony, there is peace and quiet, but the moment something intrudes upon and shakes up the state of equilibrium, there is chaos.