Is it possible to be intellectually alive, awake and active while still retaining or building faith?
It seems that one of the great challenges of life and current society is to be able to hold onto and perhaps even build faith, during an onslaught of facts and arguments that would seem to undermine the good that holds our lives and societies together.
It’s been reported, that in America, there has never been a time where so many people are abandoning organized religion and Christianity.
I believe this is, in part, due to the frustration people feel when they grow in their ability to ask thoughtful, informed questions and are met with unsatisfying answers from those who refuse to adjust their positions when new (and credible) information comes to light.
Saying to people
“Don’t ask those questions” or “please be satisfied with the answers we gave you when you were 9, even though you now have a 40 year old brain.” – doesn’t seem to be, the best we can do.
Additionally, I don’t think it’s helpful to look at ‘doubt’ as some form of sin.
“He who never doubted, never thought.”
One who is questioning is in the thinking stage.
“The glory of God is intelligence” we say in the one hand while silencing or shunning our best students in the other.
Understanding truth is a process.
If we are not willing to admit where we’ve been wrong and evolve in our thinking and conversations around important topics of faith, we will continue to lose those who are.
2 Great Intellectuals And Their Latter Life Faith
I’m inspired by 2 men who were well-read and well informed in both history and literature, and the ‘late in life’ conclusions they reached.
The first is Mortimer Adler who was at one time, the chief editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
He wrote a great book called ‘How To Read A Book‘ which was both a guide for better reading and a call for the general population to read the great classics of literature.
This was indeed, a very educated man.
He included The Bible, on his list of The Great Classics one should place on his intellectual buffet table and after a long life of tasting, chewing and dissecting, settled in on his chosen faith.
“In December 1999, in San Mateo, where he had moved to spend his last years, Adler was formally received into the Catholic Church by a long-time friend and admirer, Bishop Pierre DuMaine.[19] “Finally,” wrote another friend, Ralph McInerny, “he became the Roman Catholic he had been training to be all his life.” -Wikipedia
The 2nd man is one of the great historians of the 20th century, Will Durant. He and his wife Ariel, wrote ‘The Story of Civilization’ along with a plethora of other great historical books during their long marriage together.
Mr. Durant also wrote books on philosophy, himself being an extremely well read and well studied intellectual.
In chapter 11 of one of his very last books, ‘Fallen Leaves‘, written in his 90’s, he reflects upon his long and successful career as a historian and asks himself the following question.
“Knowing what I know now, if I had the choice to live my life over again, would I do what I’ve done up to this point with my life and career?”
The plot twister is the answer he gives.
“If I could live another life endowed with my present mind and mood, I would not write history or philosophy but would devote myself to establishing an association of men and women, free to have any tolerant theology or no theology at all,
…but pledged to follow as far as possible the ethics of Christ. Including chastity before marriage, fidelity within it, extensive charity and peaceful opposition to any but the most clearly defensive war.
He went on to say ‘I can imagine what fun the wits of the world could have with this paragraph. And I know how unpopular and precarious my proposed fellowship of semi-saints would be.
But I would rather contribute a microscopic mite to improving the conduct of men and statesman than write the 100 best books.’
Conclusions
Yes indeed, it is possible to be both intellectually alive and honest and have faith in the goodness of the traditions of the past and the divinity they point us to when they’re doing their jobs in the best way.
That faith may not be an exact replica to the faith of every one around you.
It may look a bit different than it did when the first step of the journey was taken.
(and after all, shouldn’t it?)
But faith, it remains.
Either there is God and Goodness (refer to them by whatever brand or flavor you will) or there is not.
For happiness, meaning, purpose and harmonious living with each other, it seems to me that it’s wise to strive to support each other in our journeys to understand and build faith with whatever paths and pointers we each might use to get there.
It will require humility, patience, courage, and tact.
It will require wisdom and situational awareness.
It will require love for our fellow beings, regardless of where they may be sitting amongst the pews of the church of life.
It will require us to become, as so many have preached in the great books and churches of the past.
I believe we can do it.
I believe it will be worth it.