"Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will." (Stein)
"Faith means not wanting to know what is true." (Neitzsche)
"Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to." (Seaton)
If any of these things are true, then who can say they have faith? Who can say they even want it?
You might have questioned the role of faith in your daily life. Can it exist side-by-side with science? Can you question matters of religious doctrine and still consider yourself faithful? Can you be uncertain and faithful at the same time?
But what sort of person never questions what they are told? Certainly the faith of a child is unquestioning - a child has yet to learn the hard lesson that authority figures are not infallible and not always honest. In an adult, however, such unquestioning faith can only be considered an act of denial or irresponsibility. It's not only alright to question your beliefs, it's a sign of maturity in faith!
A critical examination of your beliefs can be frightening. We are talking about the foundation of our lives - the very thing upon which we base our view of the world and our response to it. One of the most difficult things I ever did was read the Canonical Gospels with a critical eye.
The good news is that by entertaining questions you can only gain: either you will find your faith well supported and gain confidence in your beliefs, or you will come around to a better understanding and new beliefs in which your confidence can grow anyway. Reading Christian scripture critically was like reading it with my eyes open for the first time. Having come through it, I have found a faith that isn't threatened by new discoveries.
Once you have reasoned through your faith, you can in fact, find equilibrium between reason and faith. Believing dogma that conflicts with scientifically established facts is foolishness. But insisting on proofs for everything you believe in is constricting. True faith doesn't conflict with reason, but it can take us where reason cannot reach.
Have you ever prayed, doubting all along whether your prayer was heard? Can you admit that nobody really knows what God is or whether God exists, or that we continue (or do not) after death, and yet live your life as if these things were known? Can you be comfortable with the uncertainty?
Then congratulations - you have faith. Faith is admitting you don't have all the answers, and being okay with that. Faith is trusting that whatever you don't know is taken care of regardless of what you believe.
