As might be surmised, faith and reason aren’t the same thing, and certainly we do so find in Western nations, that our educational system of what governance considers to be of import centers almost exclusively around reason, above all. That is to say, we are meant to look at the world rationally, and thereby to measure and to learn what we need to learn through our rational mind, which thus brings us insights into the nature and being of things, and provides us therefore with the opportunity, to make progress, in the sense of not only ever improving knowledge, but also the modern-day conveniences invented and manufactured that so many of us, pretty much take now for granted.
While it is true that we should be appreciative of all the material benefits that we have accomplished and obtained over the last two centuries, it has to be recognized though, that despite all the growth in our economy, and all the accouterments added to our arsenal, that at the end of the day, people and the societies that are made up of those people, don’t seem to be all that much happier or satisfied than they were before these modern day conveniences came into existence.
So too, we are taught oftentimes to ignore our intuition, and basically all those types of things that cannot be measured by human instruments, and to concentrate instead upon that which can be reasoned upon, and reasoned out, as if this is the most important objective of our lives. Regrettably, what has been left behind, in many Western nations, is our capacity to appreciate all that is beyond our material knowledge, that if we were to pursue, would be well beyond reason – that then would touch us intuitively and insightfully, if we were inclined to pursue such, which would fairly represent the pursuit of the meaning of life, and therefore of our true purpose and thereby the truth of our existence.
That which is philosophical or religious in nature, is seen by many a person, as that which should ever be shunted completely, or engaged only on religious holidays, or within the confines of a religious institution; for many a person, perceives religion as nothing much more than a mythology or a delusion, meant to provide us with some general comfort, but because it is outside of reason, should be properly ignored or dismissed.
Indeed, each of us falls short of what we could be and what we should be, when we fail to properly comprehend that mankind is not the measure of all things, never has been, and never will be. Rather, all of us have been created for a purpose, and that purpose presupposes that we search for the actuator of that purpose, which must, by definition, reside outside of time and space, be immortal, and omnipotent. Those then, that have the faith to believe that their little world is truly and comprehensively superseded by a power that can provide true enlightenment if only we would seek that Light, are the very same, that walk outside of reason, to embrace what we might call “unreasonableness,” because it is by doing thus, that they find that which is everlasting, true, and revealing.