Fringe Faith

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Leaving Orble

July 9th 2009 08:00

I have decided to leave Orble. I have not been banned, purged or pushed out by anybody. It’s just that I have realised Orble is not a place where I really want to be anymore.

When I first started, I liked the freedom of being able to express my true opinion about things. I feel like I can’t do that now. Instead, I have to watch what I write, making sure it doesn’t offend anybody or put them offside.

It has been pointed out to me that my views have shifted. They haven’t shifted that much. What has shifted though is people’s opinions of my views. They see what I write differently. And they’re quicker to point out its faults.

I am worried that Orble will turn into a place where nobody can say what they really think. Where we tiptoe around debates and send our comments with fear. Where we don’t speak up when we disagree with someone, in case they report us. I don’t want to blog in that kind of atmosphere.

I would like to say thank you to the people that did make Orble a great place to be. I won’t mention all of them, but just a special thank you to SL, Samantha Elley, Lilla, Damo and Nevar.

I’d also like to thank David. Your comments taught me things that I will take with me for the rest of my life. The best thing I got out of Orble was ‘virtually meeting’ you. I loved our discussions on religion. Orble was worth joining just for that.

Now to retire on my Adsense dollars. What can you buy for $12 nowadays?

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Doubting Thomas - proof that Jesus rose from the dead

April 27th 2009 09:32

Doubting Thomas by Caravaggio

When Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas refused to believe it until he had seen and put his fingers into the nail marks in Jesus’ hands, and put his hand in his side. Jesus later appeared to Thomas and asked him to touch his wounds. Thomas then said ‘My Lord and my God’. Jesus said that Thomas believed because he had seen, but said that those who believed but did not see were blessed.

I admit to having a bit of a soft spot for Thomas. I kind of felt sorry for him. Sure, he refused to believe that Jesus had rose from the dead. But who could blame him? And who seriously could be absolutely certain that they wouldn’t doubt as well? Many Christians can say that they believe in Jesus’ resurrection, despite not having seen him. But I tend to think that it’s a lot easier to believe when you have 2000 years of history of people who believed the same thing. It would be a bit different if you were one of the first people to accept it solely on faith. I admit to having doubts now sometimes. I know that I would have found it difficult if I was in Thomas’ position.

But Thomas did more than just doubt. He didn’t just have a few moments when he wondered and asked a few questions. Thomas refused to believed unless he could had hard scientific proof. He wanted something he could see and touch, not just someone’s word for it. If he couldn’t believe to an absolute certainty, then he wasn’t going to believe at all. He wanted to be sure.

Many of us would like to be a bit more sure about the resurrection. Those who believe it would like something more tangible that they could point to to say that proves that it actually happened. Those who don’t believe it either want the same thing so that they can believe in it, or want the opposite to prove their case. Those that aren’t sure either way would like God to show them something that makes them sure.

Sometimes we go searching for that proof that Thomas wanted. Sometimes we try to create it ourselves. Christians write books on apologetics trying to prove that the resurrection is real. Or they pray for that deep certainty inside of us that it happened. But faith isn’t about being certain. And it’s certainly not about hard scientific proof. Faith is about believing anyway.

I don’t think Thomas did anything wrong in doubting that Jesus had actually risen. As I said, who among us can be certain that we wouldn’t also doubt in his position? And I really don’t think he did anything wrong in asking for proof either. If he did, then why did Jesus give him that proof that he wanted? But what I think we can learn from Thomas is that it is better to believe without wanting that proof.

Jesus said ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’. I don’t think this was just a message to all those that would come afterwards, and would not have the proof that Thomas did, that they just had to believe anyway. It was a message that there is something good about believing without proof. We are blessed when we do that. There is something special that we gain. We can be thankful that we don’t have the hard scientific proof because it allows us to believe solely on faith. Faith is not something that should be proven. It is better when it is not proven.

Some people cannot believe without proof. It’s hard to criticise that. Jesus himself did not criticise Thomas for wanting to actually see and feel the wounds. Instead he gave him that opportunity. And in response to this, Thomas recognised him as his lord and his God. So why doesn’t Jesus give people that proof now? Why doesn't God prove he exists, instead of asking people to believe solely on faith? Maybe he doesn’t offer us that proof because he knows it is better for us if we don’t have it. Maybe he doesn’t want us to miss out on the blessing that comes through believing by faith.

Leaving Orble

Doubting Thomas - proof that Jesus rose from the dead

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