Faith
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Introduction
Why do so many people believe in a supernatural God that interacts in the world and who we can direct our petitions and requests? It is not a question that can be answered "al regel echad" - on one foot. There are many sources that discuss the evolution of religion.
A new film "Oh My God" suggested four reasons why faith has survived into a rational age:
1. The mystery of creation
We have a very strong theory on how creatures on this planet evolved from single celled organisms to the human beings of today. But we still have no idea what triggered the creation of everything - what was behind the Big Bang. This mystery begs an answer; in absence of one, we have developed a concept of God.
2. Fear of death
As with creation, we have no way of knowing what happens to us after we die. But we are terrified that there might be nothing. And so, we use religion with its promise of an afterlife where we will see our loved ones again and, particularly in Jewish tradition, where we will all be resurrected in our bodies and live again.
3. God as policeman
It pains us to think that our actions make no difference; we want to believe that if we do good, we will be rewarded. If we pray, we will receive health, prosperity, love. The world doesn't seem to support this hypothesis, but without it our lives would seem meaningless.
4. Someone to blame
When something doesn't go as we'd hope, we don't want to leave the world up to total chance. We want to affix our blame on something or someone.
The Placebo Effect of Faith
A fascinating explanation can be derived from the work of Richard Dawkins, the British scientist perhaps most famously known for his anti-theistic book "The God Delusion." In the BBC television program "The Enemies of Reason," Dawkins attempts to debunk non-rational alternative medicine. But despite his insistence that non-traditional cures such as homeopathy, energy healing and acupuncture have no scientific basis, anecdotal evidence show that many people are healed by these treatments.
Why?
Dawkins explains it as the placebo effect. Human beings have a remarkable ability to self heal, he says. What often sets this into motion is a strong belief that what is being offered will help. And the practitioners of alternative medicine tend to be very nice people who spend a lot of time with their patients, doing long intakes and getting to know them from both a physical and psychological point of view. An alternative medicine doctor can spend up to an hour with a patient (it's not free of course) vs. a Western medical doctor who on average spends no more than 8 minutes.
This confidence building prompts patients to more strongly believe that the medicine they are receiving will really make a difference. And that in turn spurs the body to self-heal. Dawkins suggests that if a traditional medical doctor spent as much time with patients as the homeopathic practitioner does, the placebo effect might be just as strong.
Could this also be applied to faith?
If belief in a supernatural God is particularly strong, this may lead the believer to feel more calm, more at ease that there is in order in the world and ultimately everything will work out for the best. In this way, belief in God may actually be good for a person psychologically even if it isn't real. Wouldn't you rather substitute for anti-depressants natural faith with no side effects? Perhaps that's why when people first begin exploring religion, it's suggested that they act "as if."
Violence spurred by faith
How should we relate to the increasing prevalence of religious extremists (Jewish or otherwise) who seem to make a mockery of the concept of faith doing good by doing bad, either physically or in the political arena.
In this case, it does not seem that these people truly have faith. Rather they have the opposite. They are terrified that if they displease God they will be punished. We should be suspicious when someone has too much "awe" and "trembling" before his or her God concept or when a religious leader claims to "know" God's specific intentions.
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