Is Faith a Choice?
“ Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord” - Isaiah 1:18 (NRSV) Here’s a question that’s been on my mind for several months: is faith a choice? For every question of truth, you can gather all the evidence on both sides and depending on the quality and quantity of evidence, you believe one side or the other. But what’s happening when being convinced happens? Do you consciously select a side to believe or do you just believe what you believe as a natural response to the evidence processed? Is the verdict a decision or is it more like a shiver in the cold or sweat in the sun? I’ve judged enough High School debate rounds to say that there definitely are belief-decisions that are consciously made. As a judge, I have to write an “RFD” or “reason for decision” indicating why I chose to side with the affirmative or the negative. But even then, sometimes my decision and its reason is contrary to what I actually believe. In spite of the way the debate added up like tally marks on th