What say you, Interwebs?

[clarentine]

Posit: faith is submission.

Discuss.

(Yes, this is pertinent, and I do want others' opinions on the subject, preferably those of people who consider themselves to have religious faith.)

Comments

[clarentine]

I suppose I do.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Hm. I don't think I do. I...don't seem to think about this stuff in words, so let's see if I make sense.

For me, faith and trust are synonymous. I believe in God and His mercy. I trust Him to give me the tools I need to take care of myself. (Metaphysically, that is. I think the so-called "prosperity gospel" is blasphemy. I love and am loved; what else matters? But I've never been hungry a day in my life, so please keep my privilege in mind.)

Submission is something I need to consider carefully every time it's required; I left a job once because I couldn't bear to submit to my nominal superior. I can't submit to someone I don't trust. It's possible for me to like someone without trusting them, but once my trust is lost that's it. I'd make a rotten soldier!

Was that what you wanted to know?

[clarentine]

Half my battle is putting what I'm thinking into words. *g*

And yeah, I think it is what I was after - my impression is that, if a person trusts or has faith in someone/something, that person is willing to submit to their leadership. To be led.

(My conclusions are far from empirical; thus, the request for feedback.)

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's a good way of putting it.

But I'm not one of those people who says "God is testing you" or "oh your child died, it's part of God's plan" AUGH I hate that...I believe in science and vaccines and chance and bad luck.

[clarentine]

::nod:: - faith is an individual concept, I think. We each choose what we will believe in (to the degree we're capable of choice).

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's true.

...having thought about it some more, I should make clear that even when I trust someone enough to submit to their wishes, I still think about what they want me to do. It's never blind obedience. At most, I'll stop asking questions if they say "Please trust me, I'll explain when I can." So for me, choice is a constant part of belief, trust, faith, whatever. If I stop feeling like I have a choice, I leave, the end.