Cynthia wrote: Because it is an intrinsic Christian tenet that these are matters of FAITH, and Faith is a gift of God, freely available to any who will ask for it
Shall we discuss it ? Faith , per se, rests on belief. Belief does not rest on truth always. It is the reason that directs belief in order that it is , in no way detrimental to the person. When, a belief system is handed down in disciplic succession without allowing for the reasoning of its tenets, it is an aggression on individual freedom. When every individual is given freedom to discuss, criticize, accept and or reject it, that religion is scientific or it has the intrinsic strength of reason behind it. So, we see that faith, after all, is a human choice. It is never God given. I am not debating the fact that everything is God given including the so called faith. Hence, the choice to reject is also God given. Why do not accept that ? What one believes is bitter to another. For example, a pig lover has no place in Islam and a witch has no place in Christianity. Are these people not created by God? A belief system that discriminates between people is never complete. So faith is not a valid qualifier in spirituality. There is a Pasuram (a song) in Thevaram in Tamil which goes like this :- "Ennappan Embiran Ellarkkum Thaneesan...." meaning "my father , my Lord who is God to Everyone..." This is the spirit of a sound religion. Restrictions in religion is restricting God Himself. Venkat
