Faith can be expressed in different ways. Believing in others and yourself and believing in the deeper. Here you are offered a basis of the difference between these two and the 3 dimensions of that deeper belief. Also not curious why some people among us have such a hard time entering into and maintaining relationships? And what can you consider as true belief? Does faith always testify to authenticity? We believe in two possible ways, on 2 levels. On a general-human level or on a religious-religious level.
Level 1: General- human beliefs
During birth we are confronted with a moment of loneliness. For a few moments we are disconnected from the mother. This is normally followed by a period of total dependence on the mother. This is called primal trust and is crucial in our lives to build relationships. This primal trust is then linked in its own way to the primal faith. Believing in one thing without doubting for a single moment.
All people need this faith. If they have not been able to build up primal trust with the mother and the rest of the close circle during their first years of life, they run a great risk of having problems in their relationships later in life. Due to the lack of this primal trust, their trust has been damaged or has never been able to fully develop, and as a result, as adults, they will never dare to give themselves fully to someone else. Not even to their life partner. It is therefore extremely important to give a child a lot of love and attention during the first years of life, so that it does not lack primal confidence later on. In this way we can grow into a balanced adult. Faith is seen here as believing in people, trusting yourself and others.
Level 2: Religious- religious beliefs
This takes place on 3 dimensions. We go from the most external to the most internal; the core of faith and belief.
Believe in 3 dimensions
First dimension of belief: Behavior
This is the superficial outer layer of belief. These are all cult and church practices that people participate in. The negative thing about this is that we can only say something with certainty about the behavior when we know from which belief this behavior comes and to what extent it is a true reflection of the inner belief.
Since there is no depth yet at this level, we have to dig further.
Second dimension of belief: Opinion
These are all expressions, discussions, … surrounding belief. This already shows some depth, but cannot yet be trusted. Words are often deceptive. Words are often ambiguous or multi-entendre. A word can mean different things, therefore the reliability of words is limited. Furthermore, these words can be a way for people to escape existential questions and a fundamental choice of faith. So here they can serve as an invisible curtain behind which they hide and keep themselves and their truths hidden.
To get to the true core of faith, we have to go one step further.
Third dimension of belief: Option
Belief is seen here as an inner element of man. It is a part of man and is deep in the heart of man. It is a sincere choice from within, from our heart and soul. This is the decisive level that can prove the (in)authenticity of a person’s beliefs. Here we are at the core of faith that cannot deceive us.
Need for cooperation between option and opinion
In opinion, the acceptance of matters, contents, … is greater than the confidence they have in them. They follow the content very strictly. Words and concepts gain importance here.
With option it is different. Since belief is seen here as an inner element of man, this means that trust is greater and more important than acceptance. Here it is not so much the content that is of great importance, but especially the fundamental. The trust here is so great that one surrenders to the other.
We can distinguish between options and opinions, but we cannot separate them. We cannot trust without agreeing with the other person’s ideas. Conversely, we cannot adhere to the contents if there is no existential component involved.
Finally, we should not forget about behavior. Because without the behavior the other dimensions would not be expressed. Gel oven is therefore an interplay of these three dimensions if we consider it as real.
Decision
So we can conclude that some of us have difficulty with relationships because they lack that primal trust. This primal trust is a must to gain confidence in people. To arrive at true belief we must believe on all three dimensions, with the third option being the most fundamental. In believing, there must be an effect between option and opinion, otherwise we cannot speak of true belief. The behavior then realizes the content of the other two dimensions. To truly believe, all dimensions must work together.