100% Faith May Not Be Possible All Time.

By: Maged Taman

I red the excellent article to David Brooks on 05/05/05 "Stuck in Lincoln's Land" in New York Times. It explains how Lincoln had faith with some doubts but he led with religious conviction. It was quite of coincidence since I wrote the same day my article "Too much coincidences is no coincidence".

Man can have 100% belief but more likely he would have his faith goes up and down. That is why I suggested that we review in our mind all these proofs or the too much of coincidences that make it hard to believe it is a coincidence that there is faith in God. Even the prophets themselves had say few seconds of doubt. That is why we use the word faith. 100% faith all the time would likely equal reality. You do not say I have faith that I see my T.V in my room now. Faith is a word usually used to the belief in the unseen.

Though faith is a mental process, the feeling part is strong and comes if the knowledge and understanding are equally strong. Faith gets stronger as we read daily the bible and Quran or pray. When we do the good and feel more pure at heart we feel our faith is stronger. 100% faith does not mean that your faith is right you could have a strong faith in something that is wrong like the idol worshipers over the ages.

This time in history there is a lot of confusion. This is related to a lot of injustices and evil. The religious intolerance and hypocrisy make it even worse. The inability of people to think if we were them what we will be our feelings is largely contributing. This is actually the time to have atheists and secular thinkers to read and think religion. Some suspicion is essential to avoid fanaticism and blind believing.

David was very right of his saying "Lincoln's core lesson is that while the faithful and the faithless go at each other in their symbiotic culture war, those of us trapped wrestling with faith are not without the means to get up and lead". Muhammad (PBUH) had many of his relatives followed faithfully his religion. The most close to him and raised him Abi Taleb did not believe. His disbelief was one of wander than hate, corruption or arrogance like other Arabs at that time.

I am sure I have faith enough to be called faithful. Even at the times of my lowest percent of faith when I had a lot of injustices I loved the righteousness God had planned to us. It looked always to me that there is too much coincidences that it is not a coincidence. There is just too much evil to make believers doubt their belief and disbelievers difficult to believe. This is well described by prophet Muhammad about the time of tribulation. But we need the best of us to be on the right side of faith even though a little suspicion may be unavoidable. When we will see the kingdom of God with our own eyes and the wolf a guest to the lamb faith will be almost a reality.