WillSpirit!

This post is one in a string of essays about spirituality. It may make sense to start with the first entry in the series.

Maybe this time I will finally get to the first of the keys to faith I listed earlier: Faith Works.

It works in several ways. The following list gives three examples or categories of the benefits of faith.

How Faith Works:

• By motivating effective behavior.
• By easing the pain of isolation.
• By providing meaning.

Let’s take these one by one.

Healthy faith motivates effective behavior: On the personal level, faith helps people get past the petty and materialistic priorities of the ego, and make their choices on the basis of deeper stirrings. The way I said it before was, “The act of faith…allows instinct, intuition, and deep parts of the mind to step into the fray. They are often more competent when it comes to making choices…” This, of course, is a prosaic portrayal of faith, and leaves out any benefit that might come from contact with a ‘higher power,’ ‘God,’ or BIOPE. We’ll get to the loftier views of faith before long, but let’s start with the fruits of faith that one might derive even if it happens that no mystical forces actually exist. I’d like to show that contrary to the views of militant atheists, embracing a mystical stance can be beneficial even if it turns out there is no God-like entity at play.

One of the best arguments for the efficacy of faith is Alcoholics Anonymous. Founded during the Great Depresssion, AA is a ‘spiritual program of recovery,’ according to its own literature. One of its founders, the revered Bill W., broke free from the stranglehold of alcoholism after an awe-inspiring spiritual experience. Here is one description he gave of it:

The place seemed to light up, blinding white. I knew only ecstasy and seemed on a mountain. A great wind blew, enveloping and penetrating me. To me, it was not of air but of Spirit. Blazing, there came the tremendous thought, “you are a free man.” Then the ecstasy subsided. Still on the bed, I now found myself in a new world of consciousness which was suffused by a Presence. One with the Universe, a great peace came over me. (N.Y. Med. Soc©. Alcsm., April 28,1958

In its fundamentals, this episode sounds a lot like something I went through in 2000, which I’ve described briefly in my About section. I’ll be coming back to this kind of experience in later posts. For Bill W., the lightning bolt of spiritual ecstasy changed both his relationship with intoxication, and his future. He learned that he could parlay his newfound faith into sobriety, provided he ‘carried the message to other alcoholics.’ He and others devised a series of ‘steps’ one can take to break free of dependence on alcohol, which addicts of all sorts have subsequently found useful. By finding a spiritual basis for living, Bill W. found a remedy for an affliction that had destroyed his life many times over, and also found a way to convey the same salvation to millions. In his case, at least, faith proved quite effective.

By the way, the 12 Steps have often been criticized, perhaps most cogently and extensively by Charlotte Davis Kasl in the book ‘Many Roads, One Journey, Moving Beyond the 12 Steps‘ (the link to Amazon is for the reader’s convenience; I derive no revenue from purchases.) The critiques possess a lot of validity, in that some of the ‘Steps’ skirt close to encouraging self-condemnation. This can be a real problem for people who came from abusive childhoods, among others.

However, regardless of that criticism, the 12 steps have benefitted countless men and women, in large part by helping those who suffer from substance abuse find spiritual faith. The sense of hopelessness, terror, and guilt get replaced by trust in a ‘higher power.’ The person ‘in recovery’ turns to this higher power for support and inner strength, rather than turning to intoxication for relief. With the underlying angst relieved, and within the context of a support group, the person in 12-step recovery can escape the daily demoralization of addiction. As someone with a history of substance problems, I can attest to the tremendous improvement in life that follows. Every day, new people enter AA and enjoy these benefits. Whether or not there actually is a transcendent higher power, relaxing into the belief that one exists helps addicts get well. This is established fact.

Say what you will about the childishness of religious sentiment; if belief in ‘God’ can help an addict to freedom, it’s worth it. Better to be a little ungrounded and unrealistic than to spend one’s life in an endless and futile pursuit of chemically-induced sunshine in the brain. Better to reach a hand out to something that only might exist, than watch helplessly as love, social standing, friendship, and financial security drain out of your life.

From PostSecret

Throughout history, numerous saints, prophets, and ordinary people have found similar benefits. Faith changes lives. For whatever reason, religious belief and the emotional currents it stirs motivate people to act in ways more consistent with their own welfare, and the well-being of those around them. Faith motivates effective behavior.

I realize my posts often run far too long. The next step as I develop this series will be to explore in more depth why faith has these helpful effects. We will consider the benefits first psychologically, i.e., from the stance that no divine force is actually ‘out there,’ and then from the perspective that a BIOPE actually exists to assist us. In order to provide the material in bite-sized chunks, I’ll put that off until next time.

***Click here for the next entry in this series.