The search for objectivity

In class we discussed after reading the allegory of the cave that we should search for objectivity. The more we know and the more we search the closer we are to enlightenment. This might seem like an odd statement coming from someone with such strong spiritual beliefs but I don't really believe in absolute truths. I would gamble in saying that there is no way to prove something is absolutely true. There is no Truth, only opinions and everyone's opinions are relative to their life experience and the way they have been nurtured and taught. if your goal is knowledge and you believe that learning as much as you can will enlighten you or even bring you joy, you are certainly not me. I would say that I am a person who is uncomfortable with ambiguity.

I don't like being unsure of things but I think I am pretty sure that in searching for "Truth", proof, and more knowledge with only bring more confusion. What I am sure of is that on this earth I am not going to find proof that I was I believe is absolute truth without someone finding some reasonable explanation of why what I think to be true is doubtable. I think that this is true in everyone's life. I have found peace and solace in the fact that I dont have proof,and that I don't need to have proof. That is where faith steps in.

Faith is necessary for what philosophers refer to as enlightenment. The knowledge found here on earth is temporary. we live short lives and I don't want to spend my short time her trying to figure out things that, if I was supposed to know, would be revealed to me. I trust that there is someone who has much more control over my enlightenment than I do, so instead of searching for knowledge on this earth which in my opinion is temporary, I chose to search for love and dig deep for love, because love never fails and never dies. But once again this is a subjective point of view and I have little power to change what someone believes to be absolute truth. Only God has the power to do that. my absolute truth come from the Bible.

In John 2:23-24 Jesus explains that he doesnt trust the kind of faith that comes from seeing miraculous things. Its not difficult to imagine why. Such faith is likely to be fair-weather faith. It will believe when signs are performed, prayers are answered, things are going well. Bit it is not the sort of faith that will survive the loss of a child, a period of illness or some other trauma. Persevering faith comes through the word of God.

Once again this is my subjective view, based on my life experiences and what my teachings growing up taught me. I have been through severe trauma in my life, more than the vast majority, if not all the 20 year olds, I know. If I spent my time searching for proof that there was a God, instead of spending time trying to help others heal, love God, be loved by God, and love other people, i would be in a world of hurt. Because if I would have been looking for proof, I would have never found it. I need faith in order survive, to find joy and peace in my life. I need faith, not objectivity.

God is true to me and he has the power to change what someone feels about him or anything else. People chose to react in whichever way they chose based on their opinions based on their perception of reality based on their experiences. My point being, everything is subjective. In this line of thinking, of faith, I wont know if I'm right but whatever the cost of believing, its worth it for the hope and peace that believing brings. the ideas of a rationalist, believing that reason is the only way to reach absolute truth seams like a very sad life. Life as a philosopher, always searching for something that is unattainable and having faith in your own self, in nothing else, seems like a shallow and miserable life. Im so glad I dont aspire to be a philosopher. To spend every day revolved around my own knowledge and my own thoughts. Getting lost in my own brain everyday. I think it is a shallow existence. i want to live for something bigger than myself. Philosopher's seem to be very self absorbed. People are in pain, they struggle with death, and life and depression and philosophy only seems to confuse them further.

If people knew the answers,we wouldnt spend hours discussing why something is wrong or right and never come up with a definitive answer. so instead of telling a hurting person to search for objectivity, I am going to love them, to listen to them, pray for them, feed them and try to bring them a little bit of joy in hopes that the person who has all the answers to all the hard questions no one here on earth knows, will bring them the peace that he brought me in my struggle and hard times.