Hum 325- 3 History and Faith

The major religions of the West, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, all promise some sort of future salvation. However, all are inextricably linked to the past. Does history contribute/bolster faith, or does the past limit faith?

I feel that history both bolsters and limits faith.  In Christianity, many stories of the lives of saints help to strengthen modern faith.  When rituals are performed, such as in Islam and Judaism, history works in the favor of faith. By this I mean that rituals which call back to historical times strengthen modern faith.  However, negative forces in history also limit faith.  The Roman Inquisition of believers to promote sound orthodoxy forever marred the faith in the eyes of nonbelievers.  Terrorist attacks ruined the name of Isalm for many Americans, and the Israeli-Palestini conflict, on a smaller scale, portrays Jerusalem in a negative light.  From what I've learned about this conflict, which is by no means extensive, it has been a source of conflict in Jerusalem for years.  In Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, history strengthens faith in some ways and limits it in others. 
 
Faith is bolstered by history at times.  For Christians, the story of St. Paul's conversion is a historical event that helps to bolster the faith.  Because St. Paul originally persecuted Christians as Saul, but turned his life around on the Road to Damascus, we can apply his persistence in our own lives.  No matter what wrongs we have committed, God has the grace to transform us into instruments of his Word.
 
The ritual that Muslims must pray facing Mecca five times a day is another example of history bolstering faith.  This ritual likely brings Muslims close to God because it has been done for so many years every day by Muslims all over the world.  Visser explains the power of ritual.  Though she is referring to the ritual of attending a Christian church, it can be applied to rituals of many faiths.  She relates the purpose of religious rituals: "the whole point of the proceedings is to help them (believers) change the orientation of their souls, even though they are also confirming the foundation of their beliefs" (Cahill 94).  

Similarly, when the circumcision ceremony is performed in a synagogue, I would posit that this ritual helps to bolster the faith of the believers.  By recalling a ceremony given by God to his people, Jews can strengthen the faith of everyone present and inaugurate the baby's life in the faith.  God told his people: "'This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised'" (Genesis 17:10).  God also promised Abram that he would have many descendants.  The history of circumcision and the covenant with God enriches the Jewish faith in this way.      
 
History limits faith in the sense that sometimes people judge a faith negatively on basis of that religion's past.  For example, the Roman Inquisition is  cited as an example of the scandals of the Roman Catholic church.  Pope Paul III in 1542 began the Inquisition to combat Protestantism (galileo.rice.edu).  The Church would seek out improper orthodoxy and punish the perpetrators of it.  Many people feel that the Roman Catholic faith is controlling and coercive as a result of this historical event, when in fact the modern Church has moved far away from its inquisitorial activities.   

People continue to judge the Muslim faith as one of violent terrorism due to the attacks of September 11th. However, we know that the group responsible for these attacks is a radical extremist group that in no way represents the true doctrine of the Islamic faith. Because these attacks were committed in the name of Islam, it will be a long time before many Americans can see the Islamic faith in a positive light. History is limiting the tolerance and flourishment of Islam.

The modern Israeli-Palestinian conflict might similarly present Judaism in a negative light (cfr.org). Though it is not really history yet, as the violence still continues, I would imagine that it does not promote the spread of Judaism. The continuing conflict from the late 19th century to the present day can potentially limit the acceptance of Judaism throughout the world, just as America's wars with Afghanistan and Iraq continue present America in a negative light. 
 
While stories of the faith and rituals are examples of history that bolsters faith, other events of history hinder the spread of faith.  Inquisitions, terrorist attacks, and war cause faith to be limited by history.  History, in this way, can act to either strengthen or limit faith. 
 
http://galileo.rice.edu/lib/student_work/trial96/loftis/overview.html
http://www.cfr.org/publication/13850/crisis_guide.html