DOES BELIEF MATTER?

There are two sayings that drive me crazy. One is that "perception is everything," and the other is that "what you believe doesn't matter just as long as you believe something." To me, these phrases capture our current fascination with the superficial and the politically correct. I will eventually say something about both of them, but today I will try to make the case that what we believe DOES matter. I first heard the phrase back in Omaha. It was in the late 70s- maybe the early 80s- and I had just joined the Reformed Church in America. I met a friend from AA, as I often did, for lunch, and as we were enjoying our meal, my friend said "it didn't matter what you believe just as long as you believe something." For some time now, I have considered this statement to be one of the silliest statements I've ever heard, but at the time, it sounded sort of profound. It sounded inclusive, tolerant, and non-judgmental. Good qualities no doubt, but shouldn't it matter what one believes? Indeed, how can it not matter? If I'm a devout Christian, I am a person who has chosen to "die to self" (to use Bonhoeffer's phrase) and live for Christ. Since I believe that Christ will enable me to live a full life, I can make this decision, but it would've seemed ridiculous before I believed. In fact, being a Christian DID seem foolish to me and so, I sought meaning and purpose in a variety of other ways. Why would I "turn my life over" to someone or something I didn't believe in? I wouldn't, and neither would anyone else because an important choice is always based on belief (getting married, having a child, relocating for a job or a lover).

Before he departed, Joshua told the Israelites to choose whom they would follow. If they chose to follow Yahweh, they needed to be serious about the laws He had established. On the other hand, if they chose to follow Baal (or any one of the lesser gods), then they should worship the idol they chose with every fiber of their being. Jesus himself noted that we cannot serve both God and money (or power, or work, or sexual pleasure) and He urged his would-be disciples to "measure the costs" of serving Him. Doesn't the very notion of making a choice indicate that belief matters? How can we say that it doesn't matter if I believe in playing fair and you believe in winning at all costs? If I believe that each one of us is endowed with the image of God, I am likely to treat others with the greatest respect. If I believe that we're all connected to one another, my chances of reaching out to, or looking after, my neighbor is greatly enhanced. If I believe that my glass is half-full, I will redouble my efforts to fill it entirely, and if I believe that God hears me when I pray and actually cares about what I have to say, I am likely to pray far more frequently than someone who doesn't believe that God cares. It seems obvious that what we believe will motivate us... or deflate us, give us peace... or bring us into conflict, encourage to trust in what we own... or what we give away. I'm not an expert on world religions, but I do know that a devout Buddhist believes in Karma and is committed to the eight-fold path as a way of life.  There is a lot to be said for both cause-and-effect and a disciplined way of living, but a good Buddhist is not a good Christian. The same thing can be said about a devout Jew, or a devout Hindu, or a devout Atheist, for that matter. What we believe, especially if we REALLY believe, creates its own particular set of choices, values, and behaviors. If I believe that money will make me happy, I will do whatever I have to do to get it, and if I trust in money for future security, I will go to any length to hang on to it... because belief matters.

In fact, the more fervently you believe, the more it matters. Perhaps my friend was just being kind when he said that it doesn't matter what one believes, or perhaps, he simply didn't believe in anything passionately, or much at all. When we don't believe in anything ourselves, then- to us at least- every belief is pretty much the same. Those who don't believe in anything passionately can say that beliefs are all "spokes on the same wheel." But that's just the rambling of someone who hasn't made a choice yet. In truth, as the poet laureate of my era (Bob Dylan) noted, "you gotta' serve somebody," and the somebody you serve may lead you to heights you never dreamed of, or drag you to the depths of hell. Whom (or what) you choose to worship may fill you entirely, or it may leave you completely empty. Your god may give you a sense of peace or put you on an emotional and spiritual roller coaster. There are many beliefs to choose from. You can say that. You can make a list, comparing what each one asks from you for the promises given. You can champion any choice you choose, but you cannot say that all beliefs are the same. It is an insult to each of them when you say that what you believe doesn't matter.