Repost: Sincere Belief

This post--far and away--has generated more attention than any previous post. It's a record, folks, with 170 comments, and counting. I'm tickled pink, though, since I consider this one of my better ones. So without further ado, I'm reposting it for those who maybe missed it the first time around. Feel free to comment as you see fit. Here's the original, for anyone curious enough to wade into the prior comments.

Sincere Belief

Ever heard the old argument, "It doesn't matter what religion you have faith in, so long as you believe in something."? Boy, I sure have--many times, on the internet and within other print media. I realize this view exhibits the quintessence of ecumenism, i.e., the idea that all religious beliefs should be in harmony.

Allow me to demonstrate the absurdity of such an outlook. Sincerity does not equal correctness. For example: Suppose that you and I board a small plane and ascend to 25,000 feet. Snug in our seats, I look over at you and say: "

I sincerely believe that, if I jump out of this plane and flap my arms hard enough, I'll be able to achieve flight." Of course, you'd probably roll your eyes and denounce me as an idiot; or even more likely, you'd assume I'm joking. But a few minutes later, while your attention is averted, I slip out of my retraints, rip open the cabin door, and leap out of the plane. Slicing through mid-air and plummeting to the earth, I begin flapping my arms just as hard as I can.I sincerely believe I can fly. . .and in just a couple of minutes, I'll be sincerely dead. The point of this ridiculous story is that a person may be sincere in his beliefs, and be sincerely wrong.

The sinister idea lurking behind this notion is that there is no absolute truth, no distinct right and wrong. The key to understanding the problem is in recognizing that truth is not dependent upon belief. For example, the law of gravity is real--demonstrable, in fact. If every human being alive stops believing in gravity and its effects tomorrow, will that make its reality less true, its effects less real? Of course not.

Belief, however, is dependent upon truth. In other words, belief is important, yes, but only if what you believe is true.

Look at the contest between the prophets of Baal and God, in the Old Testament. Pieces of a dead ox were placed on an altar. The god who responded to his worshippers' petitions would burn up the sacrifice with fire. The prophets of Baal prayed, pled, danced, mutilated themselves, and performed other foolish, fruitless rituals all day.

Nothing happened. But were these men insincere in their beliefs? Quite to the contrary. They believed in their god so strongly that making fools of themselves in public was an acceptable risk.

Later, when the Lord God of Israel was invoked, He rained fire down out of Heaven, consumed the sacrifice, and even incinerated the very altar upon which it lay.

Baal's false prophets were slain for their evils. So if belief is all that matters, why were these men not spared?

Because faith's value depends on the object of that faith.