Faith: The Human Mind Evolved to Believe in A Higher Power
By: Anisha Masand
Tags: Deep Dives, Life, Faith, Perspective, Religion

Faith is subjective — it can be in a person, in an activity, in a rulebook or in a higher power. Everyone says they have faith — even the atheist will. But what do they have faith in?

Faith is simply the confidence or trust in a person or thing; the obligation of loyalty or fidelity; a belief in God or something similar that cannot be proved.

Can we prove that we have had a thought, that it appeared in our mind just as we said it? Can we prove that we wished well for someone — especially when we accidently happened to do wrong to someone? I could hurt a puppy while driving on the road — but I could also say I wished well upon it and didn’t mean to hurt it. But would everyone believe me? Would it be a plausible statement after having committed a mistake? Belief is something that is not God-given — it is a learning. It is the judgement of right and wrong; how we see an event, an incident, a happening and then what we make of it.

Humans are born with a mentality to believe. The day we are born, we are labelled with a caste, a set of beliefs — this is your God, this is who you will worship and his temples are where you will set foot in times of distress. But do you sometimes wonder whether there are 15 Gods, or just one supernatural being that controls whatever happens in our universe? The origins in every religion are explained using books that are handed down over thousands of generations. But where is the proof that someone actually experienced all that we read? Make-believe is a profitable world — I mean, look at the film industry.

But then again, why do we look up to the sky when we get some good news? Why do we frown up to the sky when there is nothing more we can do in a certain situation?

It is because there is someone — a being — that created you, that you look to for help. Whether it is a survival tactic, or an actual belief born from factual detail — it is a belief. It is something you believe in, something that helps pave the way.

So, let’s ask ourselves — where does religion come from? It begins with the Big Bang, goes on to tribal religions in various destinations — we have the Axials in Greece, ancient Israelis, Vedic India, Confucius in China and Allah himself in the Middle-East. All forms of a higher being, that offers a rulebook to a life-well-lived.

If we want to understand how religion has evolved over the years, decades even, we must strip away all social purposes attached to it. Head deeper into the roots — why our ancestors used religion as a way of being together. For almost each form of belief, God started out as a simple person, who built a following, and then taught them — practices, beliefs, words of wisdom, and some of a higher power. These individuals then began to be worshipped — thus was born belief in a ‘higher power’. A few decades later, we see factions of every kind of religion — turning this belief into a cycle of altruistic behaviours, lethal tests to prove your worthiness (ref. the Appalachians who asked devotees to handle poisonous snakes to prove themselves worthy of God’s blessings) and self-sacrifice. This is a common occurrence in many religions — check ancient Israeli traditions, Incan procedures in 15th century AD, Aztecs in 14th and 15th centuries, et al. Survival of the fittest, the way I see it.

Later on, more recently, perhaps, there was questions — about the existence of a God, the purpose of a God, and the requirement for scientific proof. In all fairness, there is no history of the religion of an individual — our stories are about us. How we perceive. There is question about whether science and religious belief collide or are two entirely separate concepts. In my opinion, science is the base of all evolution. Without geology, biology, anatomy and other sciences, of the mind, body and environment, we wouldn’t know where to begin and where to end with any activity, practice or exercise. We came to exist from evolution, and evolution is a daily happening in all our lives. Each day we wake up with thoughts different from the previous day — each day is a progress into our lives.

A simple example, but a powerful one.

A baby is born. The baby learns over time how to walk. Babies in general, like colourful things. Flame holds a strong yellow-golden shade. A baby is always attracted to flame. Step, step and touch. Loud scream and tears streaming down. A lesson learnt — never touch the burning yell0w-gold. This in itself is evolution — a step further in the life of an infant. What to touch, what not to.

Our genes are constantly evolving. Then why can’t faith? Why can’t we be born with a certain constant knowledge, and as we grow older strive to adapt to newer thoughts and form our own? For the believer, as long as it is personal faith, and not impacting another — why should he/she have to explain his faith scientifically? We do not need to latch God onto a scientific explanation.

For the atheist, experiences made one certain that there is no other higher being. Who are we to judge why he/she must feel this way? The same way we would not like to be judged for certain experiences that mould our behaviours, they deserve the same benefit of the doubt too. At the end of the day, belief is in all of us — in a higher power, in a being, a supernatural force, or just the fact that we walk this Earth ourselves — all that matters is that we let it guide us. We let it drive us.

It is a common phrase — live and let live. Respect others’ religious beliefs. Do not force your belief on others. If you are honest to yourself, and to others; belief comes to you on its own. It may be in God; it may not be. It may be in a higher power; it may not be. The beauty of an atheist, that most people do not see, is a belief in themselves. There is nothing stronger than believing in yourself — to guide you forward, to be brave enough to trust your own judgement and decisions. And similarly, for a young believer that is yet to learn of the world, its upside and its follies — there should be space for them to believe, but also make their own rules and opinions. What matters is, how well we cope with the beliefs we form in our own minds, the path we draw for ourselves.

Above all, a self-belief is the turning point of our lives — our capabilities, our strength, our thoughts and control over our actions. Take on challenges, fight through your fears and come out a winner — all you need at the end of the day, is faith in yourself — higher being or not. In closing, I will remind you of the words of the wise Dalai Lama — ‘With realisation of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.’