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Religion is a thing of the heart
Are there two types of humans, believers and unbelievers? Those who trust and those who
are on one’s own? Those who depend and those who are independent? No, before God all men
are equal also in faith! Everyone believes, the questions is what!
According to old teachings men has three centers: the head and with it the sciences, the heart
and with it the religion, and the stomach and with it the existence. Accordingly religion
is neither a thing of the head nor of the stomach; religion is first and foremost a
thing of the heart. Nowhere is this clearer than in Luther’s explanation of the first
commandment: “That now, I say, upon which you set your heart and put your trust is properly
your god.” Therefore no men is without religion, that
is without faith. Rather everyone reveals his religion in that upon which one sets his
heart. Now many would agree that one should not set ones heart on perishable things such
as house, money or a beloved person. Too fast the heart might be broken by disaster, destiny
or betrayal. But then which of the venerable, since thousands
of years existing religions should one give away ones heart? Here the allegory helps which
says that the different religions are similar to various villages on the foot of a mountain.
From each of these villages a path leads to the summit. Now one could walk around the
mountain visiting village after village investigating their differences and considering from which
of them he might find the easiest ascend. However, through this alone he would never
get any closer to the summit. To reach the top he will have to follow one path from one
village. Faith means to let oneself in for one way. Proceeding on this path he will find
all he requires for his bliss and blessedness and will not require any other path to the
summit. Witness he can bear only for what he experiences on his path! In the confession
of faith Christians confess the unique way which leads them to reconciliation with God.
The one who treads this path experiences ultimate truth. And only this he can share. What about
the others? “ Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”, says the philosopher
Wittgenstein.