G.L 350 Does History contribute/bolster faith or does the past limit faith.

            Throughout history there have been a great many schisms within the multiple practices of religion. In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses upon a church door sparking the Protestant Reformation, which deviated from the Catholic Church. The Great Western Schism was a profound split within the Roman Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Several individuals claimed to be the true, indefatigable true pope. The end result was a split into the Eastern and Western churches, which were the Orthodox churches of the East, and the Roman Church of the West. In the year 622 A.D, Mohammed the ancient prophet founded Islam. Now I could provide several more examples of schisms within the history of faith and religion but that would be excessive. I enumerated the previous examples so as to better help answer the following question. Does history contribute/bolster faith or does the past limit faith? I strongly believe that history contributes to faith. Let me elucidate why.

            The three main religions of the West are Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. In current times most people believe that these three religions are separated in profound ways. While they are different and have particular customs and beliefs, which does not mean that they are not similar. For example, all three of them believe that the “founder” of their religion is Abraham. Their sacred texts, Quran for Islam, Bible for Islam and Judaism are incredibly similar. All three of them also believe in the same ultimate reality, there is only one God. History bolsters faith in this regard, for if one understands the happenings of the past then one can understand the current standing of religions of the present day. This is extremely important because it fosters knowledge of the traditions and origins of how religions have come to be. If more people of contemporary society understood this concept it would greatly benefit the world, in the manner that it might eliminate hatred of other religions, that don’t necessarily follow one’s own beliefs.

            The evangelization of Saint Peter and Paul was powerfully dynamic in ancient Rome. They both preached about the ever-burning love that Jesus Christ invites us all to share in. As a result of their love for their creator, they died for him and are now resting in eternal glory with him. Appreciating and understanding the journey of these two men perhaps can illuminate one as to the story of Christianity. Most religions of the world have a common focal point and Christianity is definitely one of the earliest. In Saint Peters first letter he says that, “slaves must be respectful and obedient to their masters, not only when they are kind and gentle but also when they are unfair.” Saint Paul makes the same argument in his letter to the Church of Rome, “this is also the reason why you must pay taxes, since all government officials are Gods officers.” These citations are incredibly important in the regard that it eliminates the falsified assertion most ignorant people of today believe. Many of them think that Saint Peter and Paul were two evangelists who went around preaching the evils of Rome and their pagan beliefs. Saint Peter and Paul rather informed their followers that the decay of this world should be their cross to bear and that they will be rewarded in the next life. They said that citizens should adhere to the workings of the government for God wants us all to be good citizens. Again, it is important to believe that history contributes to faith for it unveils the curtain of uncertainty.

            Is it possible for the past to limit faith? I believe that the past limits faith if one gets caught up in old traditions and is not open to reform and change. This limits an individual’s worldview and can lead to forms of extremism in multitudinous fashions. For example, if one person of modern day, let’s say believes that the Quran is the one true holy book in the world based off of what ancient Islamic people have said, then that could lead to forms of extremism. They could take what someone of the past said about a particular word and then twist the meaning to make horrific acts somehow seem justified. A perfect example of this would be 9/11. Islamic extremists looked to the Quran, interpreted a section in a negative manner, and then acted upon their beliefs in the form of mass murder. Another example would be the Crusades. Catholic Europe believed that Jerusalem or the holy land should belong to them and not to the Islamics. Any collection of people that attribute divine interpretation to sacred text will never believe that they are wrong. The past can indeed limit faith, for we are all brothers and sisters and should look to each other in a loving manner. Faith will always be a topic of great controversy for it gains its confidence from the human soul and we are individuals rooted in sin and are therefore not perfect.