Certainly, That's Delusional

Faith is just a belief in something without empirical proof that it is real or true.

So how is that any different than delusion? Depending on whom you ask and what you’re asking, it’s not.

One person may have an unshakable faith that God does not exist, nor does any other supernatural force. To many who hold that belief, religious people are often seen as simply delusional, believers in fairytales designed to keep simpleminded people helplessly hopeful — and in line.

And the reverse is also true. To people of religious faith, those who actively and knowingly deny the existence of a God are the delusional ones.

In the words of Scott Adams, maybe the best any of us can do is find faith the delusion that helps us get through the day.

Doubt And Delusion: Faithful Cousins

This question of faith, in whatever secular or religious form it may take, is the underlying theme of my upcoming novel, Doubting Nikki – A Tale of Faith and Delusion.

As the story unfolds, a string of inexplicable medical “miracles” get Nikki and her husband Cami entangled in a media firestorm, stoked on by two controversial religious figures, an unscrupulous Hollywood producer and an ex-con turned self-anointed “Christian soldier.”

The chaos and controversy that embroils the young couple gets Cami murdered. Or so it would seem.

Increasingly unable to distinguish reality from rumor, Nikki descends into a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. More than looking for the truth, she finds herself desperately searching for her truth, any faith or delusion that will help her “get through the day” and come to grips with her shattered life.

Without Doubt, There Can Be No Faith

As touched on in an earlier blog post, once something is proven to be unquestionably true, it no longer requires faith. It’s fact. The delusional people are those who knowingly refute what has been proven to be true.

But how much of what we believe or know to be true actually is?

A lot, to be sure. But everything? Hardly.

There’s beauty in doubt. Especially when it comes to faith, either secular or religious.

And there’s a parallel to temptation. If someone does haven't the option to do bad and therefore cannot be tempted, can they ever really be good?

So it is with faith. Once something is proven, faith is no longer required. The beguiling beauty of faith is that it cannot be proven, yet we believe it anyway.

The mystery provides the allure — and the convenience and comfort of embracing whatever it is we choose to believe.

Again, this does not apply only to religious faith. It is just as strongly embedded into any secular belief.

God exists. God doesn’t exist.

Heaven is real. There is no heaven or anything else after death.

As Nonna, a key character in Doubting Nikki, asserts on multiple occasions, “believing or not believing doesn’t change the truth.”

So as we all navigate the murky waters of life, I think the best we can do is embrace our doubts and choose what others may view as our "delusions." And try to put off discovering the indisputable truth for as long as we can.

“The best any human can do is to pick a delusion that helps him get through the day."

— Scott Adams, Dilbert creator