The point of
wondering about the role of belief is that our entire history
has been determined by what we believe. Reality has never been
all that popular as a subject of debate. It is pretty
pointless after all to argue about things that obviously
exist. One can merely point to some actually existing thing
and render any further commentary redundant. We have little
interest in what exists in the physical world. our passion is
reserved for what we believe about reality.
Plain old reality by itself is not enough however. We enthusiastically
enhance reality by adding bits and pieces of what we believe
should be real. We create mental images of "The
Perfect World" and then try to superimpose them on the actual
world and call the result, "Real". We will then attempt to
convince others to accept our new reality as the really real
reality. This process has been going on for at least six
thousand years so that the process itself has become
sanctified by endless repetition. We rarely question its
legitimacy, only its results.
This phenomenon exists for every "thing" we believe we know.
Whether we think we are discussing philosophy or theology,
politics or economics, good or evil, the underlying, essential
context is belief. The object of our belief may not even
exist, the "fact" of its existence may not even be very
relevant. Our interest, our zeal is for what we believe about
the "thing" we think we're talking about. If Truth is
intrinsic to Reality, if they are fundamentally equivalent,
then we have no serious interest in the Truth either. Truth is
something to which we refer because of its rhetorical effect,
a convenient claim to authority and legitimacy. A claim wholly
empty and valueless.
All of this should be obvious. We should surely be able to
remember that we have been taught everything we claim to know.
Every claim to certainty we can make was derived from some
source outside ourselves. Most of what we believe we know
consists of patterns and processes that existed long before we
were born. These patterns and processes are "about" a world
others have invented and refined over many generations. They
refer to ways others have decided are the "True Ways" and
which are generally accepted by the culture into which you are
born. The chances of you having a genuinely, culturally
neutral insight into "Reality" are approximately zero.
Though obvious, this circumstance is universally ignored.
Modern civilization depends utterly on the acceptance of a
vast collection of "facts" being "True". The fundamental Law
of Civilization is consensus, the necessity that the majority
believe in the same suite of "facts". This majority actually
determines reality, it defines "Truth". The collective belief
in the civilization is its flesh and bones. Why isn't this
understood as basic to our existence? Why do we pretend that
we are talking about reality when we surely must know
that we are talking about our beliefs about reality?
I do not claim to be above this odd species of insanity. I am
just as befuddled as anyone else, at least. If I have any
advantage it is that I stumbled on the question while asking
other questions. Why, for instance, can some people believe so
adamantly that they are justified in murdering strangers? How
can anyone excuse the resort to terrorism or genocide or
brutal oppression? What aspect of "reality" mandates barbarism
and hate? I can think of nothing that either explains or
excuses human savagery.
Yet these acts do get explained and they are excused and they
do continue. There is nothing is the universe that requires us
to inflict ourselves with grief and fear and hopelessness, no
"Natural Law" that compels us to suffer. It is our belief in
our beliefs that has corrupted us. It is our reverence for our
own point of view that makes us indifferent and even hostile to any other point of
view. It is a deep and profoundly malignant arrogance that
values a belief more than human life. A belief is real only
within the mind of the believer, it has no application in the
reality in which the believer actually exists yet it is the central fact of his or her
life.
While it would be convenient to pretend that this phenomenon
only applies to those having religious beliefs, that evil can
only gestate in the womb of some degenerate religion, that
pretence is, itself, an indefensible belief. Secular belief
systems have proved themselves to be far more effective at
terrorizing us. The object of our belief really doesn't matter
very much, it may not even exist in any "real" sense. Nor
does the content of our beliefs. What gives belief its power is
the intensity with which it is believed, how deeply it is
felt, how fundamental we believe it to be.
I don't say this to discourage belief, it is necessary that we
believe in ideas and principles if we are to enjoy the
benefits of civilization after all. Belief is, in itself,
morally neutral, a force indifferent to its effects, similar
to gravity. I mention all this only to make the point that we
have to re-examine our beliefs continually to verify that they
remain relevant and applicable. We can never take anything at
face value, we can never trust any belief we have inherited
from our culture. We have to pay attention to what we are told
to ensure that we are not being manipulated by our innate need
to believe. In short, we have to start over again every day.