This page is part of “Creating a New Positive Religion or Spiritual Tradition”.
This is still a DRAFT.
When we speak of “our faith”, we do not mean believing something without evidence, or dogmatically holding on to a doctrine no matter what reason and experience show. We mean something else.
Faith as trust and commitment
We have faith in our values, in our worldview, and in our philosophy of life. We have faith in the goodness of most people.
This is faith in the older sense of the word: trust, loyalty, and steadfastness. The Hebrew word emunah comes from the same root as “amen”, and carries the sense of firmness and trustworthiness. The Latin word fides, from which the English word “faith” comes, means trust and loyalty, as in the phrase “in good faith”.
Faith without dogma
Faith in this sense fits with our principle of anti-dogmatism. We hold our values with conviction and act on them, while our understanding of truth, ethics, and practice stays open to free inquiry and revision. Having faith in our values does not require claiming certainty about God, the afterlife, or the nature of consciousness.
Why faith matters
Faith gives us something to hold onto in difficult times, and the courage to act on our values even when the outcome is uncertain. Faith in the goodness of most people lets us approach others with trust and good will, rather than with suspicion.