What is Faith? Journal


• One paragraph summary of the key idea summarizing the major idea of the section.

The major idea of this section is faith and Faith. Secular faith is complete trust, loyalty, and allegiance in or to something. Such faith is a risk, but it is a "calculated risk". Before we develop faith in something, thus placing complete trust in it, we must determine the risks involved. We must consider all the possibilites, and determine whether faith outweighs the risk involved. Calculated risk helps use to choose our faiths wisely and for good purpose. Furthermore, everyone has faith and uses faith. However, people must choose what to put faith in to. When we put our faith into positive and worthwhile things, we put our faith in the "right place' and are able to pursue a good life. Religous Faith is defined as "an intellectual assent to a loving God and His revelation. By possessing Faith, we are deeply committed to God and doing His work on earth despite any difficulties we encounter. Both Faith and faith have many components and requirements, such as grace, free human response, riskiness, reason, certainty, understanding, and virtue. Faith in God is a grace that God bestows on us, for He wants us to trust Him and be with Him. However, in both Faith and faith, we must respond to and accept an invitation to faith/Faith using our free will. Faith/faith is also a risk because there is no certain future and we do not know what the affects of our Faith/faith will be. Furthormore, we must use reason to guide our Faith/faith so that we can determine the right path to follow and calculate risks well. A goal of Faith/faith is understanding. When we put faith in something or Faith is God, we are hoping to establish a relationship and understnad the opposite so that we may grow in our faith/Faith. Finally, Faith and faith are virtues, for they establish goodness, righteousness, and moral excellence that we can only acquire with practice and patience. Faith also is a biblical idea. Faith is not completely related to intellect, but it is more based on love and trust. Faith does consist of doubt and stuggle at times, as well as risks and "darkness. Also, Faith is a constant chain of decisions, which either hinder or develop our faith.Finally, despite the many approaches to religion or life, we must know that faith is the best way to approach, for faith/Faith are beliefs and reason incorporated in one another, and neither is lacking.

• List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this week.

The Characteristics of Biblical Faith-The four characteristics of Biblical Faith are important for me to remember because they can help me to understand Faith more completely and help me to realize the negatives of Faith. Biblical Faith states that Faith is not completely intellectual, rather it is a "loving turst", Faith involves a period of douby, suffereing, and struggle, Faith involves risk and periods of darkness, and Faith is a constant series of decisions that we must make. These characteristics help me to understand that Faith does have negative effects, such as doubt, struggle, and risk, but that I should use these to grow in Faith, not lose Faith.

Ignatian Ideals-I would like to remember the ideals and ideas of Ignatius discussed in class. I would like to remember the Examen of Consciousness and concepts of desolation and consolation. The Examen of Consciousness was Ignatius' way to life a guided life and do what God called him to do. I would like to remember this so that I can follow the Examen of Consciousness daily and effectively and remember to ask myself wheter or not I am doing God's will. I would also like to rememebr consolation and desolation. Consolation is doing something that gives us a lasting good feeling, whereas desolation is doing something that gives us a good feeling that we regret afterward. I can use my understanding of these definitions to guide my life and pin-point what actions I perform lead to consolation and which I perform that lead to desolation. Furthermore, I want to remember Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises' first principle and basic premise. The first principle is that God created us with love and He wants us to be with Him and that we should do anything that can be done to help furhter us as people. The basic premise is that the "growth in a liveliness of the Spirit is made in proportion to self-sacrifice", meaning that we grow in Faith only if we sacrifice ourselves. Both the first principle and basic premise are important to remember because they can help me to realize God's love and help me to grow in my Faith in Him.

Faith is the Golden Way-Another part of the section I would like to remember is the concept that Faith is the golden way. In the many approaches to Faith/faith, many people get caught up in reason and beliefs. Some people are Radicals, who believe in things without reason. Other people are Nihilists, who reason, but surprisingly have no beliefs. However, Faith is the perfect medium bewteen the two, for Faith/faith is beliefs supported by reason. Both Nihilism and Radicalism are insufficient choices for us, because neither makes sense. Beliefs require reason and reason often yield beliefs. One can not exist without the other. Therefore, Faith/faith is the ultimate and best choise to make. This is important for me to remember so that I can remember to use both reason and beliefs hand in hand so I can develop faith/Faith, rather than Radicalism or Nihilism.

•One or two good images that remind you of key ideas.

http://www.khm.at/system2E.html?/staticE/page441.html

http://www.itsablackthang.com/African-American-Art-Religious2.html



•One good question you should keep with you to ponder.

Am I focusing my faiths/Faith correctly in my life?

•What should you try to do to make you a better person, a more faithful person, from this study?.

To become a better person from this study, I will efficiently perform the Examen of Consciousness, attempt to grow in Faith and faith, and to approach Faith/faith in a better, more educated way. Also, I will remember the Ignatian ideals so that I can underrstand and control my actions for the better. Learning about Faith/faith has educated me in their matters, which helps me to understand and grow in my Faith/faith. Ultimately, doing these actions will lead to me an examined life focused on God and virtue, so that I can become a true man for others and performer of God's will.

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