Blog #5

People have longed for truth for as long as humanity has existed. Not just in everyday life, but most importantly for the truth of life on Earth’s origin. Wilkens states, “A desire to know the truth of things has been implanted in our souls and is natural to human beings.” It truly is unavoidable for the human mind to not venture into the questions that surround the “unknown.” Augustine, a scholar who Wilken often used to draw his thought, wrote about the Manichaeans, who were to be an independent group of thinkers who were opposed faith and any form of higher being that was responsible of life on Earth. Augustine, who was once intrigued by this way of thinking, realized their ignorance when it came to questions that challenged them. Augustine stated “They mischievously and rashly approach those who accept the authority of the Catholic faith before they can perceive the truth (which only the pure heart can behold), and by believing are fortified and prepared to be enlightened by God.” Finding truth takes time and effort, but believing only what is presented to your eyes is the easy route. This is exactly what the Manichaeans based the entirety of their ideologies around. Belief and faith go hand-in-hand. History is a one-time thing. We, as a society, learn of past endeavors from witnesses of the event, to the people they share, to the people they share, and so on from generation to generation. We do not question some information due to the masses of individuals who believe it and due to the consequences of the event. People, such as the Manichaeans, find the truth not certain due to the long history from the witnesses, or martyrs, to themselves regarding information. The consequences of the events are hidden over thousands of years of life and time. The individuals with undoubted faith are those who accept the information passed down from the martyrs because it is passed down in the same way as any other piece of history from the past. Wilkens says “Historical knowledge requires witnesses, and witness invites faith, or confidence in the word of the one who bears witness.” Those who bear witness to the events that nonbelievers question do not have the ability to change your opinion with further information. This is why faith isn’t easy, but those with faith who believe in the word of those associated with their belief will always be satisfied with their truth.