Faith, like reason, is an acceptable belief system

Editor,

The Bible is the most well-documented and extensively evaluated book in existence. There are 500 copies of the New Testament dating earlier than 500 A.D. Other manuscripts such as the Dead Sea scrolls further serve to back up the validity of the Bible. The other most-reliable ancient book we have is The Iliad, with only 50 original copies in existence. If the Bible did not make such seemingly radical and unaccountable claims, such as the resurrection of Jesus and the miracles performed by him, it would be accepted worldwide by renowned scholars.

In David Gonzalez's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Monday, he claimed that "anyone who has faith in the Bible is believing without evidence." I beg to differ. No book has been attacked and investigated as much as the Bible, yet it still stands today. Is it then such madness to believe in it?

I was raised in a family of scientists, and I was taught to think constructively and outside the box rather than depend on blind faith. Yet, I am a Christian. The reason for this stems from simple premises. When I look at the stars, seeing the vastness and the intricacy of the universe, I do not believe it could have all happened merely by the laws of physics or natural chance. And, examining the evidence, it seems to point toward the God of the Bible. Therefore, I am not afraid to have my faith put under the microscope. I am not afraid to ask the hard questions and seek the answers to them.

A supposition Gonzalez brought up is where to draw the line between reason and faith, saying, "In any other situation in our lives, we would and should ask for evidence." From this excerpt, I conceived that Gonzalez has faith in evolution. To believe that the laws of physics account for everything in our world, that every single factor comes into place with no help from an outside source, stretches my faith beyond its limits. Yet, everything in this world is arbitrary and cannot be proven. You believe the world is round, don't you? Just 500 years ago, everyone believed the earth was flat, and Galileo was declared a madman for thinking otherwise. You believe in gravity, don't you? Yet, you can't see it - you can only see its effects. You believe in the wind. But you can't see it, only feel it.

Christians assert that they have not seen God, but they have definitely felt him and he has touched their lives in very real ways. So, where does the dogmatic belief in natural laws stop and faith begin? Everyone has faith in something, whether it be evolution or the God above. I choose to believe in the Bible.

Laura Bracht and

Havah S. Johnson

UNM students