How Do We Know What to Believe?

Knowing, really knowing, what to believe is a lifelong quest. If it were simple, there would be little point to reading and listening in hopes of learning something we don't already know. Isn't it crazy that things we believe so strongly one day, turn out to be wrong the next day? In a world where there are so many different religions and philosophies, how does a person know truth from lies?

Families, schools, churches including synagogues, temples, and mosques all contribute to what we believe. Every person in each of these institutions also come from families, schools, religious institutions and communities that engraved in them a system of beliefs. Getting to the roots of one's beliefs can seem almost impossible.

The books we read are full of bias. The same goes with news articles and blogs like this one. They are all written by a person with a distinctive set of beliefs. While it's easy to get swept up in the hype of what sounds good, it's important to know the underlying agenda. I just read an article about a book on global warming. Does mankind actually think he has the power to affect the climate in the world? I'm reminded of the book of Job when God asks, "where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"

Along with global warming and environmentalism (these are all recently coined words and ideas by the way), we in America have awakened to a new education term called "Common Core." What the heck is common core and how did it come about? Good questions and we all need to research the answers.

As mentioned earlier, our beliefs are shaped by our teachers. So we must choose our teachers wisely. The world is now on the precipice of another world war. Like most wars, it is a war between ideologies. How does one decide which side to take in such a war? It may seem like our beliefs determine that decision. It's one thing for a nation to attack another out of a desire to acquire land and resources. And when the land and people are conquered, peace resumes, at least temporarily. However wars between ideologies are less well defined in a geographical sense and the "sides" are difficult to determine.

So to anyone with "ears to hear," my grandchildren in particular, my advice is to read and listen to lots of viewpoints. Ask lots of questions. And know without a doubt that your brain and your heart are your best teachers, followed by your parents and grandparents. Just know that none of us know everything, but we do our best to base what we believe on truth.