I know one thing: that I know nothing

Faith is usually considered a virtue but I consider it a vice. Faith is not a sign of strength, it is something to fall back on. Faith is all-consuming. Its arms as tight as a boa constrictor’s squeeze, yet soft as a puppy’s fur, so you do not notice it choking you to death. Faith is the mad scientist that keeps his/her patient alive just to run a few more cruel tests.

I know what faith is. Faith is the father or mother who you just know is going to come home today, but never does. Faith is false hope. Faith is hope for things not seen, which are never true. Faith is not based on evidence, it is based on what makes you feel good. How many times have you heard the words, “I knew it in my heart that it was true,” or, “I know blah blah blah is true?” If you are reading this, then those words probably surrounded you every Sunday at church, every night during scripture study, and every time you went to any church function during the week.

I have one question for those who “know:” How? How do you KNOW that your church is true, and not the Catholic church, or Islam, or Judaism, or any other church? How can you absolutely KNOW if you have not studied those other religions just as thoroughly as you have your own? I already know your answer.

“I have faith.”

“I have felt the spirit.”

“The spirit has testified to me that it is true.”

I have a follow-up question: why do other people KNOW that their individual church’s are true? You might say that they do not, and I would agree completely. Every believer who has ever lived, believed that his or her church was true to the exclusion of all others. We will forget the fact that no individual religion has been on the earth since the dawn of man. If only a single church can be true, then how are we supposed to know? The Abrahamic religions usually believe in a spiritual confirmation, often a burning of the bosom or something similar. Millions and millions of people have received personal confirmations as to the truthfulness of their particular faith. How is this possible when these people all belong to different religions? Frisson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_chill

Frisson is simply an emotional response to something particularly moving: a speech, music, a memory, etc. Thus emotions are used as evidence for faith, and without faith what do we have? Well, in all honesty, probably a much better world. Without faith, the Dark Ages never would have occurred, and we would be hundreds, if not thousands of years more technologically advanced. Without faith, the Crusades and Inquisitions never would have happened. Without faith, we would not have religious extremists and terrorists today. Without faith, many “witches” would never have been burned. Without faith, no one would desire for the earth to be destroyed (apocalypse). Without faith, slavery could have been abolished much, much sooner. Without faith, women, blacks, and all other minorities could have equality. Without faith, countless wars would have never happened.

Faith leads to many horrible things, and we need to leave it behind. Science can more satisfactorily answer our questions about what we are, where we came from, and where we are going–if we are strong enough to accept the nature of death. We no longer need these chains that keep us bound in our ways. Without faith, we can move forward and never look back! After all, it is wrong to assume to know something when you have no evidence. I know one thing: that I know nothing…

And that is all I need.