I am a little tardy linking to this – I didn’t want to lump it into a “round-up” because it is a thoughtful bit of writing that needs to be read and pondered, from Sigmund, Carl and Alfred.

Inasmuch as belief in a deity is now fodder for a journalistic inquisition into the beliefs of a potential Supreme Court Justice, there is one point that is rarely acknowledged.

We have to be talked out of our belief in God. We believe our instinctive beliefs point to a deity.

In other words, belief is God is a more natural state of affairs than non belief. Notwithstanding the inevitable (and shallow) arguments that belief in God is for weak people, and other such arguments, ad nauseum, the fact remains that while we may all argue over exactly what He/She/It is, we believe each of us is born with that inherent belief.

Non believers tell us about injustice and inequity, about the dark side of religion and a thousand and one other such notions. They want to engage us, to argue with us, so as to shake our beliefs, whatever they are.

There is no point in arguing, no point in defending belief in God. It is like trying to describe a painting to a blind person- or, as the Chinese say, “A frog in a well cannot be talked to about the ocean.”

Read the whole thing. And then you might want to scroll up and read more and more continuing thoughts.

Faith is a tough thing to explain. I have had friends who tell me they “envy” my faith and wish they could have it. I always tell them the same thing. “It’s a gift. Ask for it. It’s a choice. Make it.”

UPDATE: This article on Chesterton speaks a little to the whole idea that faith is an argument.

[Via The Anchoress]