Rhoneisms

You can’t fight faith with facts. Faith will always win. Despite your evidence. Regardless of your proof. Faith will beat facts every time.

Facts are impersonal. We can’t control them. They don’t easily change. When they do change it makes us question them further.

Faith is personal. Faith can grow and evolve. Faith can roll with the changes. We rarely question our faith.

It’s hard-wired into us; this need to believe. Why? Because faith is better at fighting fear. And, far too often the facts are frightening. The facts are the very thing that is the source of the fear. Therefore, faith is used to fight that fear.

Example: The fact is that we are all going to die. All available facts say that’s it. The end. There is nothing more. That’s frightening.

Faith tells us it can’t be true. There must be more. There is everlasting life or reincarnation or a spirit world or… Something more. That gives us solace and peace. That soothes our fear. No amount of facts will fight that fear the way faith does.

There is only one way that facts can win over faith: One must have faith in the facts without fear.

One must be convinced that the truth is worth having faith in, no matter how frightening. That believing in the truth will best equip them to navigate the world as it is — not as one wishes it to be. That facts are the only thing one can solidly hang their hat on. And that some faith is OK too, if it’s not hurting anyone. If it helps one sleep better at night or approach the unknown with courage. But, faith is not fact and isn’t intended to be. That there is, and needs to be, a place for both.