On faith and fundamentals

I never forget reading that in Nazi Germany it was men and women of simple faith who gave safety to Jewish people. It was not the rich, the powerful or the intellectuals. I am a rationalist (rationalism does not exclude feeling or intuition) but am persuaded by the significance of faith

In the defense of faith, one might be moved to argue one’s detractors. It is remarkable that, in the end, Christ did not

Instead of arguing against those who argue against you, you devote time to securing the foundation of your own faith; I presume Christ was secure in the foundation of his faith

There are two parallel points of view: ‘my faith is secure’ and ‘there is no place for faith beyond x;’ where ‘x’ depends on the times and the context—today, x could be secularism or, perhaps, secular humanism. I have not encountered many persons for whom I have found these attitudes to be justified

It may be assumed that some security in faith is valuable to the faithful. In On miracles, you may read why the person ‘x’ may have room for a return to fundamentals—‘shaking the foundation’—and the possible roles of rationality, faith, and intuition in the return

Although Christ may have been secure in his faith—that is not something into which I have insight, we cannot say that the foundation of Christianity is secure today. It is not enough to criticize the arguments of the detractors. That only shows that one 'obstacle' to the truth of the faith is invalid (if your arguments are correct)

Do you merely want a faith about which you may think ‘I've slain an opponent?’

Or do you want a faith whose truth is manifest? A faith about which excuses do not have to be made? Where it need not be argued that a 'day' is not a day? Where God and evolution 'can' be consistent? If science can evolve why not faith?

Therefore, if, in the desert, Christ returned to fundamentals, why cannot we do so as well?

(I think that those who do not return to fundamentals are often innocent of truth, misguided, or peer or power but not truth oriented… And this perhaps applies equally to liberal and conservative)

Someone will surely counter that Christ was the Son of God and that there was a bridge that is not available to us

My answer will not be, ‘how do you know that is true of me,’ but, except ultimately on faith alone, ‘how do you that it is true of you.’