Another reason that faith can die is that it was never firmly based on a solid foundation in the first place. Jesus’ parable of the houses built on the rock and on the sand comes to mind (see Matthew 7:24-29). When good reasons have been thought through for why particular beliefs are true (whether those beliefs are religious or not), those beliefs are far more likely to hold firm even when emotions challenge them. Furthermore, when counter-claims come forward, the balance of evidence can be better evaluated if the supporting evidence has previously been considered. For a considered faith, such challenges are less likely to produce a knee-jerk reaction that either puts up the barriers in order desperately to cling onto a blind faith or, conversely, rejects one’s previous beliefs as false without appropriate further consideration. The writer of Proverbs puts it well: ‘The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him’. Beliefs, especially those as important as religious beliefs, should be adopted with knowledge of the evidence for and against. It is dangerous to accept a view based only on the evidence put forward by its strongest advocates. A reasonable belief comes about by understanding the strongest arguments for and against and assessing that evidence to come to a conclusion. ~ Chris Knight
