For the past few months I have been aware of a change in my thought process regarding my faith.  I have also come to the realization that, for me, belief is the opposite of having faith. 

            There is much in the Bible that one can believe.  It is based on historical fact and stories that have been passed on from generation to generation.  However, vast amounts of the Bible are not logical or historically confirmed and must be taken on Faith.  This, in no way, makes it less important or irrelevant to our lives, but for me, it is important to be aware of the differences, and in some ways it makes my faith even stronger.   I used to think that I believed every single word in the Bible, and to question anything in the Bible was a sin.  After all,” the Bible is the word of God.”  What I have since come to believe, is that much in the Bible is written by men, translated from its original language, be it Aramaic, Greek or Roman, and men with various agendas have interpreted, edited and translated biblical texts. Also stories were verbally passed on from one generation to the other, and with every telling of a story some factual material gets changed.  This in no way diminishes my faith; indeed it makes my faith stronger.  I am Christian.  My faith tells me Jesus is the Son of God who became man, and showed us the way to live our  lives, and by giving his life on the cross, he showed us the way to obtain eternal life.  My feelings are not based on proof or belief.  

There is no proof that Jesus was born of a virgin.  In fact, it was very common in those days to attribute virgin births to charismaticleaders.  My logical mind is skeptical but this in no way takes away the powerful life of Jesus.  I accept the virgin birth, by faith, not belief.  I’m thrilled when reading the stories of the life of Jesus, his parables, the miracles, and the accounts of His death and resurrection.  I. accept these things as they are written, and do not need scientific evidence to prove that they are all scientifically true.  The proof for me is how these stories affect my life and how strongly my faith in God and Jesus influence every facet of my being.

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