Faith, not proof

There was time, not that long ago, when I would try to argue with the atheist, evolutionist, miracle denying, Bible twisting crowd, if I was given an opportunity. This nearly always had no fruit to speak of. It was maddening. I'm normally pretty good at making my case, setting people back, systematically taking apart my opponent and then heading them my answer, with a twinkle and a smirk. But these talks never got to that point. In fact, I couldn't even construct a foundation to build on.

My process was systematic. If we disagree on the meaning of a verse, we dig back to the proper interpretation of the bible. If we disagree on that, we dig back to the nature of God's communication, then God, then the universe, etc. what I found was at some point every conversation resolved in a spot where I believed X and they believed Y and we could not be moved.

I would tell you it is because they had a closed mind, refused to see this new truth, the world around them. I would label them as blind and willfully ignorant. After all, they wouldn't even look at the obvious things I could point out to them. I suspect, they saw me the same way.

The reason is not as much of an illusion to me now, as it once was. It is because I was trying to present a proof on an item of faith. I learned this in working with a friend of mine who genuinely wants to know that his faith is in the right system, but has discovered that if you have proof, undeniable, shareable proof, you don't have faith. Also, it is most likely, that whatever proof you have is explainable in multiple ways, which are dependent on what you, at your core, believe.

All people have faith. Not faith in God, although for some that is the answer, but have that core view of the way the world works which shades the lens they see everything through. If you don't believe in God, every miracle claimed by the faithful, is just something not understood by science yet. If you believe in God, then every scientific discovery shows the genius and handiwork of God. The watch shows the watchmaker, even if those non-believer don't see it.

So, what is there to do? First, let's start with what you don't do. Don't engage in these kind of arguments. You can't prove what you believe and they can't prove anything to you. If you have no common foundation, you are two people pretending to debate, but are actually in your own echo chamber. Don't get upset that you can't make them see, it is not your responsibility and their belief is not reflection on you. If they are a friend, they won't reject you because of this. So, here is what you do, do. Remain interested in them, ask open questions, find out why they believe what they believe. Let them have less than perfect logic, because odds are, if they dug deep enough, you would too. Lastly, if you are a person of Faith (in God), as I am, pray. While you can not change what someone believes at their core, God can.

One Month Off

When I started writing this blog I never thought I would take a month off. After all, the point was to sharpen my writing skills and use it as a way to be more transparent to my friends and family. As a note, not writing doesn't help either of these things. Not writing causes my life to fade from view, at least for those not involved with me personally. Not writing means I sit I front of my iPad wondering what to write and when I finally start the words are like pouring cold syrup. At this point, if you ignore one post, I haven't written in two months. I never decided to take a month or two off, I just did.

The thing about this gap, these lost articles is the quiet way the moments slipped away. Yes, day by day I made my excuses, I looked at my work, my con planning, my schedule and told myself I would write tomorrow, or next Monday or just when I had time. It is a psychological game which allows me to never quit, never admit defeat, just push out when I'll actually do what in my mind I'm doing. If on September 25th you had told me I wouldn't be writing for two months, with the exceptions of one rogue article, I would have bucked, balked at the idea.

It is the power of procrastination, it lets you mentally say you do something, you don't actually prioritize doing. I workout everyday, just not today because I had to rush this morning, I'm cleaning out the garage, just not this week, because it is Thanksgiving.

This happened to me for two reasons that I can think of. First, I believed my own lines, my own thoughts I was doing something the evidence shows I was not. Secondly, I bought my own excuses, if I say I'm too busy I must be too busy. So what if I've completed a new game, been playing Minecraft and watched more than a few TV Shows, obviously, I'm too busy.

So, how will I battle this, how will I kill my ability to procrastinate? First, I will not just document what I am doing, but be honest with myself how long I have put something off. This requires some discipline, but a todo list with dates can help me do that. Don't push forward the dates on todo items, own the slipping dates. Secondly, I need a sounding board for my excuses. If I'm slipping on something important, I'll ask an accountability partner to challenge my excuses. Yes, this is annoying, but it is also motivational. You all can do this role, if you would like. If I'm not writing ask me why, don't go easy on me, don't let me make excuses.

On that note, I'll be back tomorrow.