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THE SUBLIME TRUTH ( Page 4)
There are also people who will go to any extent, inflict any amount of damage or destruction on others to fight and destroy any system that may pose a ‘threat’ to their faith. It is as if these fundamentalists and fanatics have a fear or an instinctive feeling that the foundations on which the edifice of their faith is built is very shaky. True faith or strong faith does not need any defenders of this sort. More than anything else these people fear knowledge - new knowledge - that may force them to realise that what they had been convinced of all these days was wrong. It is as if they are afraid of some light that may shine into the darkness, which they have embraced. Theirs is the blind faith that has no place for reason. I will cite two instances to illustrate the point I am trying to make.
It is said that when the leader of the invading Arab forces saw the library of Alexandria he asked, “What are all these books?” When he was told that those were great books of knowledge and wisdom he ordered them all to be burned saying, “We have one book, the Holy Quran. We do not need any knowledge or wisdom that cannot be found in the Quran”. His orders were carried out in what is called the rape of Alexandria, though it is believed that some of the books were saved from the fire by some conscientious curator.
Christian theologians of the dark ages in Europe were not any better. The invention of the printing press caused much panic among these. Till then the only books were those written or copied in the Christian monasteries and they decided what books were to be written. These theologians also were afraid of the proliferation of knowledge among the common men, which may threaten their supremacy. The books they made in their monasteries were meant for the clergy. All the knowledge the layman should have access to, have to come from the mouth of the clergy. Secular knowledge was a threat to them. They wanted every one to remain ignorant and believe whatever they taught them.
It would appear that today the main obstacle to accepting scientific facts without jeopardising one’s faith is the principle of evolution. Is there a competition between the scientist and the theologian? By accepting evolution of life as a fact is the theologian losing against the scientist? It is not as if the whole process of evolution was masterminded by some scientist. When we believe that the God who created heaven and earth and all that is seen and unseen is the one who guides and controls every step of evolution - when we believe that evolution is a continuing act of creation - the apparent contradiction between science and faith shall soon disappear. This will make one’s faith strong and unassailable.
In my personal experience scientific knowledge and religious faith were never contradictory but often complementary. Our faith can provide many answers that science cannot give and science can provide certain answers not found in religious texts. It is only when we are able to find such correlation between science and religion in place of contradiction that our knowledge becomes balanced and complete. For a Christian, true faith means believing in Jesus. But “to believe in Jesus” means different things to different people. The attitudes of believers may vary as stated below.
1) I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and my saviour. Therefore I am saved.
2) Jesus has performed many miracles, even brought back to life the dead man, Lazarus. So I believe in him and I shall be saved.
3) I believe in the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and the second coming of Jesus and meditate on these. This will save me.
4) I believe in Jesus and so I am saved.
These and similar attitudes can be attributed to some of the passages from the letters of Paul in the Bible where he emphasises that salvation is brought about by faith in Jesus. Many people have taken this literally and out of context and believe firmly that salvation comes by faith and faith alone. It is such people that I call Paulists.