I wish to assert this point: in order to gain faith in God, you must first divest yourself of faith in everything else.
Reason, the God that Failed
(I must parenthetically note something of an important distinction. I do not support the abandoning of reason, but I do not support reason in the way our “Enlightenment” “philosophers” have. To consider human reason the only valid litmus test, and to ignore classical metaphysics (quite reasonable, mind you) is to shoot one’s entire philosophy in the foot by leaving nothing but unfounded opinions to consider.)
To open this subject, let us consider G.K. Chesterton’s thoughts on reason’s relationship to faith:
“Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all. If you are merely a sceptic, you must sooner or later ask yourself the question, “Why should anything go right; even observation and deduction? Why should not good logic be as misleading as bad logic? They are both movements in the brain of a bewildered ape?” The young sceptic says, “I have a right to think for myself.” But the old sceptic, the complete sceptic, says, “I have no right to think for myself. I have no right to think at all…Man, by a blind instinct, knew that if once things were wildly questioned, reason could be questioned first." – G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
According to Chesterton, even the precious sacred cow of the Enlightenment, reason, could not validate itself and is ultimately dependent upon human faith. We simply have to believe that our rational faculties are correct, because there is no way to validate their truthfulness. Earlier in the same work, Chesterton gives the example of the madman who, to himself, is rational, but to those of us with sound minds, is clearly insane. Were reason so trustworthy a shepherd, I should think that it would know whether or not it is functioning correctly. The very statement that “it is functioning correctly” is a judgment I can only make on faith that my faculties are functioning correctly.
Faith in Men
One of the saddest cases of misplaced faith is in men. When we elect/select some great leader, of any party or ideology, we can only trust that they will do their best to lead us. We must believe that they will fulfil their campaign promises, because we can produce no empirical evidence to demonstrate their intentions; even if we could, fickleness to political whims is the cornerstone of maintaining power. Even a normie can see the absurdity of what I have described, but oftentimes the most intelligent of people fall for the tricks of politicians; even after said politicians break their promises, the believers still support them all the way, even if only to save their personal pride.
That blind trust is faith, but it is not a good faith, for it is faith in the wrong things.
“No minds are more holden, today, than those still blinded, despite proven futility, by belief in the adequacy of human physical wisdom.” – Dr. Ulric Williams, Terrain Therapy pg. 65
We must understand that, despite our best efforts and most earnest belief, human wisdom is desperately insufficient. It stands impotent to the grandest questions and falls short in every aspect. Whether the typical “faithless” will admit it or not, they are quite faithful in the belief that human wisdom will save us from whatever problem we shall face and whatever question shall present itself. This is the faith of the lunatic, basing his belief upon shifting sands which are readily washed away as the tide approaches. So much for great men.
Consider the sheer harm done to entire civilizations that put their “faith” in men. I could mention historical figures but how about the silly neo-cons who faithfully worship at the altars of Trump or Elon Musk, as if billionaires make great saviors from leftists? Not to be too tangential, but the man under whom the lockdowns occurred and the man who works on brain chips cannot possibly be the good guys, and they certainly are not to be faithfully followed.
Losing Faith in Vanity
Perhaps now, it is clear why I titled this piece, “Lose Your Faith to Gain It.” Once a man plunges the depths of the black-pill, knowing that nothing but vanity can come of physical wisdom, and knowing that faith in said wisdom imbued in great men is fraudulent, our man must either find the good faith in the Divine, fall into utter nihilistic despair, or commit suicide (which often follows nihilistic despair). It is therefore necessary for intelligent human life that we lose our foolish faith in vain wisdom, put our faith in the Divine, and submit to that Divine faith even when we do not fully and cannot fully comprehend it.
Why the Divine? Primarily, because God does not change unlike all other things existing.
“The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.” – Isaiah 40:8
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8
The so-called black-pill and white-pill at this point do not seem so different after all; it is more of an attitudinal difference: the black-piller has surrendered to the despairing void of human physical wisdom, while the white-piller, knowing that the great void is vain, seeks to transcend it in search of Divine wisdom. The black-piller has lost his faith in humanity and can no longer cope with existence, the white-piller has lost his faith in humanity and put it into God, the only Being Who can be truly and faithfully trusted.
Unlearning
This is not an argument for selfishness or other antisocial behavior, especially in Christians, but an argument to not place one’s heart in what or who cannot be eternal. Faithfully supporting a candidate for public office, or always unfailingly trusting our own sense of reason, is not a tenable position. Faithfully seeking that which is above mere reason is the one true Faith. Therefore, losing faith in man’s ability to build paradise on earth is a strong step towards the one true faith in God. Once faith in vain materialism and human reason is gone, faith in God can take root.