Last night I gave a half-hour lecture to the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship on belief and evidence, taking off from the William James essay I've recommended here before. I've posted my lecture notes in ascii and handout in powerpoint. They don't include the dig at Harvard that I, a Yale and Indiana man, added at the last minute (Harvard's seal says "Veritas"; those of Yale and Indiana University say "Lux et Veritas", Light *and* Truth).
Two verses are relevant to my September 13 post.
First,
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy
6:4-5)
Love, like belief, is something that might seem to be inescapable rather than
volitional. But it is not. And it takes not just the heart, but soul and might.
Second, from the sermon I heard today, on the father of the child who needed healing
but could not be healed by the Disciples,
And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?"
One can believe, but not strongly, and can wish to increase the strength of one's
belief. This is what is involved in courage, actually. I may know rationally that a rope
bridge will support my weight, and I may say I believe it, but when it comes time to
cross, I wish my belief were emotionally stronger.
And he said, "From
childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him;
but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us."
And Jesus said to him, "If
you can! All things are possible to him who believes."
Immediately the father of the
child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:21-24)
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