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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 15, No. 15. August 7, 1952

A Matter of Faith

A Matter of Faith

Sir,—We delved into G.A.'s letter; we digested the contents; we deplore the fact that in the display of mental gymnastics, G.A. has given for our enllghtment, he has unfortunately tied himself into a knot on the "parallel-bars" of rationalism and intolerance, G.A. is confused; and he has a persecution complex—a member of the E.U. refuses to notice him.

Sir, your correspondent stated that the E.U. had not understood the human race; true, does any man, does G.A.. does G.A. understand his own self? At least the E.U. are seeking to know the only one who does understand the human race: Christ.

You want a proof of the existence of God. G.A. You know of course that the Pauline Epistles were written only 30 years after the time of Christ and the Gospels some time after this (40 years). These are sufficient proof that Christ lived. We find that Christ regarded himself as the Son of God. Either He was right or wrong, and if He was wrong, either mad or bad. Christ's life, teaching an example disprove these two latter possibilities. Do you want further evidence? Consider the believers of every age who by their experience of faith not only think but know there is a God. It is their faith and hope against your forcible views, whatever those may be or may not be.

Faith, "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" cannot be entirely rational. The mind takes us a certain way on the road to truth, it does not carry us completely there. It can't provide us with the proof or "scientific demonstration" of this, the most important step we take in life. "Whatever that step may be, it is bound to stand for any of us, initially at least, as a certain way of setting our personalities and confronting the universe: whatever answer we give, we make a venture of faith."

R. M. Jansen,

C. G. Hubbard.

P.S.—To those worst men who oft give the best evidence—"Be not wise in your own conceits. . . . Get wisdom and with all your getting, get understanding. . . ." Proverbs.