Strengthening Faith

No matter what religion we follow, it's a sure bet that most of us have our moments of doubt. They can come from misfortune, when we feel abandoned by God, or from too rich a 'secular humanist' diet, too much listening to the quick-witted and charmingly articulate spokesmen for the death cult of Humanism. (Carl Sagan was an excellent example.)

Many authorities would suggest that, at least for a Christian, going back to the Scriptures is the best way to bolster faith. I don't doubt that it works for many people...but it doesn't work for me.

Nothing against the Bible, but I find a lot of it a difficult read. In more ways that the literal. (That's a point I'll address in a future post.)

I've found some other devices which help me, and I am given to understand that they help others, too. Here they are...

1. Consider the Illogic of a Creation without God - the world around us is complex to the point where we can't even begin to understand just how complex it is. And yet, it all "works". I'm writing this, and as I'm writing...I'm breathing, and the oxygen in the air is being transferred to my blood through a chemical process taking place in my lungs. I have a PhD in engineering, and I cannot seriously believe that all of this is taking place as the result of a long series of biological accidents, selectively producing me. It's not an ego thing, but if it were just biological accidents (caused, perhaps, by cosmic ray mutation), extinction would have been the more likely outcome.
2. Look Inside - inside all of us is a dichotomy - the desire to do what's wrong and pleasurable versus the knowledge that we should do what's right. Where did the concept of right come from? The herd instinct? last time I checked, 'Man' was not a herd animal, and besides, a lot of what we consider right isn't what one would expect to be better for the herd. Nurturing retarded young does the herd no good at all. It's a waste of resources. And yet, it's right. Why?
3. Statistics - recorded history is full of encounters with the supernatural, which at least speak to the existence of a plane of life beyond this one. To say that there is no God, all of these experiences would have to be conclusively disproved. Conversely, if even one of these supernatural experiences is true, the existence of the supernatural is proven. Q.E.D.
4.  Atheists Can Be Rally Silly - Richard Dawkins was quoted as saying that he believed that life on Earth was planted by extraterrestrials, therefore God is a myth. Sure...and where did the ET's come from? Putting in another degree of separation doesn't obviate the question.

Once I've run through these, my faith is up and running again...often, with a chuckle at my own weakness.

What about you? How do you bring your faith back up to speed?