Faith and Kierkegaard

Rewinding back to our class on Tuesday, I have done some serious thinking. Doing so, I have adapted my ideas a little better to the text.

This is the third time I am reading Problem I, so this text is not that brand new to me. Honestly, every time that i do read it, though, I am learning new things or I change my ideas. This time I have came to the conclusion that if I were to follow Kierkegaard's idea of faith, I absolutely would agree with him. Kierkegaard's faith is a submission into a paradox. This is true in the sense that if you count irrationality a paradox. And this is what Kierkegaard says himself. When an individual moves beyond the ethical realm, they are moving beyond rationality (or beyond the rationality that can be explained with this telos). This is where I agree with Kierkegaard. Honestly, it may seem like in class that I had a problem with Kierkegaard, I really do not think that he is wrong. But reading this text, I am forced to be skeptical and to ask questions (especially in a text that draws from religion).

Kierkegaard believes that faith is cheapened by the general public. Our model of faith, honestly, lacks understanding from so many of the religious. While Abraham's story is definitely one of a kind, people do not really understand why it is that way. (A) I believe that he is right that he embraces the paradox. (B) He is able to manifest his faith into a test that shows his faith. But also (C) where God has chosen a covenant with him prior to testing his faith.

In the Merriam-Webster, it says, "firm belief in something for which there is no proof."

Dr. J is right in saying that faith is a paradox. While Abraham's story of faith is special, it is not because of the faith, but because he had the opportunity to prove it. However, ordinary people everyday believe in something for which there are no proof. This is not special, even though it is paradoxical. The two things that (in the ethical) cannot happen is the belief and the "no proof". In the ethical, beliefs needs evidence or reason for it.

Even though faith is a belief in the paradox, please tell me how embracing a paradox is special. This is including the idea that there are no real thresholds for faith; if you have it, you have it. But religious people, who believe that there is life after death. This is a belief in the paradox. I am talking about a textbook definition of faith and paradox. While Abraham's story is special because he could prove his faith, faith is not nearly impossible to obtain.

Please tell me what you think.