Ya Gotta Believe

Catchy phrase isn't it??? One that is a rallying cry. I recall in 1973, I was still in New Jersey and baseball season began. As the season wore on the Mets were in the hunt for winning their division and making the playoffs. Tug McGraw (father to Tim McGraw btw ladies for your info) lol kept saying this phrase all season as a cheer to pump the team and the fans up. I think it really hits at our deepest core of our life though. Ultimately we all have to believe something. What is it that causes our beliefs to be what they are??? What is that causes our beliefs to be what they aren't??? Hmmmmmm

South Pacific is a very famous well-loved musical by the renowned playwrights Rogers and Hammerstein- hope i have the first one right anyway. A romantic story of love found by 2 very different people during WW2. A young sailor falls for an island girl and yet prejudices threaten to make the relationship fail. The girls mother sings a song, *You've Got To Be Taught* which is all about the origins of prejudice and bigotry and how they get passed down within families. Very poignant song and timeless in its meaning. I think it can hold true in many ways to how we develop our beliefs. We learn from our parents or other close family members, as well as authority figures and ant religious traditions we grow up in. Piaget, famous psychologist of early childhood development, taught in his research that we are a *tabula rasa* or empty slate as far as our minds go upon birth. We acquire learning and develop beliefs as we begin to age. The older and more developed we become the more we can make choices as to what we believe. No doubt though that our early beliefs are largely influenced by our home environment, especially at the emotional level.

It is quite interesting within Christianity that there is a wide disparity amongst believers on beliefs they hold. Ask a group of christians what their beliefs are regarding various doctrines or ideas and you will likely get a multiple of differing answers, as well as some close to the same. I wonder if that holds true across the board. Do wiccans have a wide variety of varying beliefs within wicca??? Scientologists??? Unitarian Universalists??? I know from experience that moslems, buddhists,hindus ,atheists and mormons do. Just as all of us are indivdually so unique, also are our beliefs.

One solidifying center is the absoluteness of belief where it is called for. Christianity asserts that Jesus Christ is Messiah, Lord and Savior who came to earth and lived a perfect sinless life and was the perfect sacrifice and final sacrifice to God to satisfy the judgment placed upon all humanity for the sin of Adam & Eve. Jesus resurrected from death and makes it possible for all who believe in Him to have eternal life. The way God states this allows for no maneuvering. Jesus is it or he isn't.

We all have alot of room to maneuver in our beliefs we have, and we have many things which have influenced us and will continue to do so everyday we live life. A lot of things we believe do not have ultimate consequences attached to them. We all can have relationship, friendship and community amongst each other no matter how wide and apart our beliefs may range. Loving each other has no limits, regardless of our differences.

That being said, I do go back to the previous point. Jesus made the claim of Himself. He overcame death to make it absolutely perfect and unique. Beliefs originate in varying ways and can be challenged. What are the evidences to support whether a belief holds up or should be discarded?? How do we discover what the ultimate results should be from the evidence?? Do we hold onto a belief depending on our thoughts and feelings about it???? What if our thoughts and feelings change???

I raise these questions in my own seeking to explore. So much of what once was absolutely solid ground has become more like shifting sand and definitely want to pursue what is true. I hope to be challenged and stimulated in thought and action by any and all who come and comment, and especially any who hold to other beliefs. The absolute way in which Jesus declares Himself has been the ultimate issue to me Very much want to hear what touches and is most ultimate to any one of you. Grace and peace always!!