Nicolaus Anderson
Prof. S. Kranz
Intro to Psych
10/12/2010
The Effects of Memory and Epistemology
on Faith
The primary consequence of epistemological arguments is human understanding is based on faith. Religious matters as well as the laws of science are not innately provable; that is, they cannot be proven within themselves. What need not be proven is the method of observation (that is, we can see, even if we cannot describe why), leaving everything else to be trusted in faith. Yet faith itself has a pair of problems that are never fully resolvable. The first is what may be believed in faith may turn out to be false. The latter problem, which is of most interest, is that faith is dependent on memory.
It is fundamental to this discussion that faith first be defined. Many sources have their various definitions of “faith”, but the easiest is the one given in the Holy Bible: “Now faith is the being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Bible, Heb. 11:1) This is rather vague, so in order to further understand what faith is, it must be asked what faith entails. The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides the first answer, saying, “Faith is man's response to God, who reveals himself and gives himself to man, at the same time bringing man a superabundant light as he searches for the ultimate meaning of his life.” (Catechism, prgh 26) In other words, faith is has to do with enlightening of the human mind (which is the definition we are hoping for). “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command.” (Bible, Heb. 11:2)
Considering this from a psychologist perspective, how does faith relate to the mind? Amongst all the controversial things muttered by those I decided to interview on the subject, Steven Koch’s answers were the most peculiar. He claimed that, “Memory is based on facts and what we perceive as facts. Faith is something that you believe in your heart. It is not something that you logically deduce with your mind.” (Interviews - Steven) Yet children do not know about Christianity, so how can they possibly know about the Christian faith (and most importantly about the Judeo-Christian God) unless taught? Should they not be taught and trained, they can grow up to become atheists. Then since they do have to be trained, it is apparent that there is a mental connection between faith and logic. Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "’God, the first principle and last end of all things, can be known with certainty from the created world by the natural light of human reason.’ Without this capacity, man would not be able to welcome God's revelation.” (Catechism, prgh 36)
The foundation of reason, however, is not enough to uphold faith. Sören Kierkegaard wrote out a series of existentialist arguments now known as the Absolute Paradox. In these arguments, epistemology is applied to determine the validity of arguments that “prove” the existence of God and determine whether such arguments are even possible. David Swenson best summarizes this argument:
The essence of Kierkegaard’s approach to God is to deny any privileged status to a certain system. Science, for example, does not hold a privileged status of knowledge; pure reason and logical deduction require justification. Every system of belief, or individual creed, requires a leap of faith… either you start with “nothing”, in which case no proof is possible, or you start with the assumption that God does exist, in which case the proof is circular, or you are possibly doing something else – such as develop the concept of God, which may be equally unnecessary. (Swenson)
Hence, faith is a logically baseless act. That is, there is no reason for faith other than itself. This point of view seems to be puzzlingly controversial when combined with Biblical statements concerning faith, such as Paul’s in Romans: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities… have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Bible, Ro. 1:20) Yet this should seem all less important considering that epistemology, what Kierkegaard promotes, is arguing against itself and is shown worthless by the fact that memory erases all hope of having a perfect, absolute proof by which we can truly know something.
Shockingly, the same fate befalls faith. Though it may not appear to be dependent on reason, the two are in fact quite intertwined and both dependent, or rather hopefully, in a memory that does not decay significantly over time. The effects of memory loss on philosophy are similar to those for faith, and the same questions slightly reworded are brought back to the table. For example, how can we be sure that the ideas communicated to us concerning matters of faith will be the mutual (that is, the speaker and the listener both think the same thing)? Certainly, that is crucial, lest doctrine itself be unimportant! The Catechism gives some insight to the solution to this:
[Our] language is using human modes of expression; nevertheless, it really does attain to God himself, though unable to express him in his infinite simplicity. Likewise, we must recall that "between Creator and creature no similitude can be expressed without implying an even greater dissimilitude"; and that "concerning God, we cannot grasp what he is, but only what he is not, and how other beings stand in relation to him." (Catechism, prgh 43)
However, the same issue that plagued the basis for epistemology still plagues the question of faith. For the simpleton to understand, it is best understood by considering the hypothetical scenario of a Christian getting amnesia and forgetting everything, including what they had learned as a child about Christianity. What would be left of their faith? Why consider this? – Because amnesia is a possible problem. As WebMD puts it, “Amnesia is memory loss… Depending upon the cause, amnesia may be either temporary or permanent.” (WebMD) When asked about this issue, Steven Koch admitted, “If you lose all your experience, you lose your faith,” latter stating, “Faith is tied to memory in that, if you don’t remember them [(who you had a relationship with)], you don’t have any experiences with them, [and] you don’t have faith in them.” (Interviews – Steven) Though he held fast the idea that something remained about the former relationship with God, he hesitated to say what remained in the human.
The consequences of the loss of faith can be interpreted as unsettling or peculiar, depending on one’s personal theological background. If we lose our faith, how can we please God? For “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Bible, Heb 11:6) Furthermore, how can a person be saved if they lose faith? The well-known verse, John 3:16 states, “whosoever would believe in [Jesus] would not perish but have eternal life.” (Bible) Joseph Palermo contemplated the issue, and even started muttering what he said were heresies just to test and see what might be a plausible solution. “Does God require faith? ... Faith might not actually be required for salvation. The question is, does faith cause your salvation or is faith a result of your salvation?” (interviews – Joe) Steven, on the other hand, suggested that God would restore the relationship with the unfortunate test subject after they have amnesia, saying, “amnesia is a physical thing, but you’re a human being and God is unchanging. So even if you don’t know God, He won’t give up on you to reconcile that relationship.” (Interviews – Steven)
In conclusion, the problem of memory loss and faith is a possibility that must be considered. If we are to put total confidence in something through faith, we have to consider that, not only is it possible we have put our trust in a lie or at least something we cannot prove, but also that it is possible to forget that which we put our trust in. Surely, God had a plan for individuals who lose memory, especially of Him. But most importantly, what does this say about the journey of salvation for the rest of us? If faith can be lost, can salvation be? Does God really just demand from us only faith, this thing which is not really a thing but a compilation of little electrical signals in our mind called memory, something we can lose? Or is God really going to say to Christians who had amnesia before they died, “Sorry about that part at the end”? (Interviews – Steven)
Works Cited
The Holy Bible, by God. Translation: NIV.
Catechism of the Catholic Church - Latin text copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Citta del Vaticano 1993. Taken from:
Editor: Anderson, Nicolaus. Interviews Concerning the Subject of Faith. Contributors: Steven Koch, Joseph Palermo, Greg Hast.
Swenson, David F, translator. Philosophical Fragments. Princeton University Press, 1936, Chapter III, pp 31-35. Taken from:
“Confusion,Memory Loss,and Altered Alertness - Topic Overview”. HealthWise. Last updated Jan 13, 2009. Found on WebMD. Accessed Oct 9th, 2010.
Interviews Concerning the Subject of Faith
A Private Study in the Field of Psychology:
Interviews conducted by Nicolaus Anderson
Special thanks to those who contributed to the discussion:
Steven Koch, Joseph “Joe” Palermo, and Greg Hast and those who chipped in
Note on the text
In the process of writing down the responses of the individuals, I failed to record everything that they had said. Considering this, and considering that passing along information makes for a game of “telephone”, it is best that the reader personally interview these people to learn of their actual views. Some notes will be fragmented considering that general ideas were being passed around, and not always did the speaker finish their sentences (What they meant was then implied). The interviews were performed in the presence of other people (whose names have been mentioned in the “special thanks” note). This allowed for the discussion to progress and different ideas be presented that may have influenced the ideas or opinions (or wording to express such) of the interviewee. That being said, some of the answers given in this document are not immediate responses of the interviewees but are sometimes cumulative in order to be concise or clear.
The format of the documentation is as follows. “Q” stands for question, which the interviewer asked and sometimes rephrased for clarity. “A” stands for the answer given by the interviewee and not of anyone else present. Words in square brackets indicate the idea that interviewees were probably implying when they spoke, or square brackets can indicate an editing mark. Words in curly brackets indicate an event that affects the clarity of the response in this document (i.e. an interruption in real time that may appear in this document as being an odd transition considering the trail of thought). What is given in parenthesis was told to the interviewee and is merely for clarity in the question.
Interview of Steven Koch (conducted 10/19/2010)
Q. What is faith? (In any terms you want to express it in – spiritual, physical, etc.)
A. Belief in things that are unproven. [What you believe] is not logically solidified but you still believe it.
Q. Is faith part of your memory?
A. Memory is based on facts and what we perceive as facts. Faith is something that you believe in your heart. It is not something that you logically deduce with your mind.
Q. Do children have to be taught the Christian faith or more specifically who we believe God to be?
A. {Various parts of the answer are undocumented due to shorthand writing slowness} For the most part, God tells us about Himself through Scripture. The more you know Him, the more you know stuff about Him – who He is, what He does, etc. You can discover God and He can reveal Himself to you anywhere. – It [(your learning about God)] does not necessitate an intermediary [(another person)].
Q. Suppose someone had complete amnesia – as in, before amnesia they were Christian, afterwards they forgot everything, eve their native language – What would be left of faith?
A. I don’t really feel qualified to say. … They wouldn’t really remember God. Faith is tied to memory in that, if you don’t remember them [(who you had a relationship with)], you don’t have any experiences with them, you don’t have faith in them. At the same time, amnesia is a physical thing, but you’re a human being and God is unchanging. So even if you don’t know God, He won’t give up on you to reconcile that relationship.
Q. Is there a spiritual aspect of faith that remains independent of a person’s physical condition?
A. Yes. I have faith in God. God is unchanging. My physical condition does not affect the Being I have faith in.
Q. Going back to the amnesia scenario – Is there still a connection for the person with God?
A. Uh… You had this connection; you forgot about it, God didn’t though. You discover it and continue it in some way. I don’t know.
Q. What if they (the person with amnesia) dies before they learn about Christianity or even their native language?
A. If someone is incapacitated and unable to continue their faith, I expect God to remember them as His faithful servant and be a righteous judge. [Saying] “Sorry about that part at the end.”
Q. Is it possible to forget you had faith?
A. Yeah. It is a conscious decision that you make. If you lose all your experience, you lose your faith.
Q. Is it possible to lose your faith entirely?
A. Uh… The object of your faith is always the same, which you can’t do away with even if you forget it [(God)]. The only way I see you could lose it is if you looked at God and said “no” and walked away. I cannot see someone doing that. In a sense, it’s like you have two lives except that one is a continuation of the first.
Q. Why would God require faith if it is possible to forget about it (faith)? [Based on the assumption that God requires faith}
A. God requires faith because human beings cannot know everything because God is so vast and so complex. (Interviewer not satisfied) He requires faith because it is essential to living life. It is required for you relationship with God. Faith is what covers all the blind spots. (Q. How is it necessary?) Just because you can forget about it does not mean it is unnecessary. (Main Q restated) ‘Cause God gets to decide what is required. God requires it because it is good and He knows what you need. It gives God glory when you have faith in Him. When you have faith in God, you are choosing Him out of your will that He gave you. If you forget about you faith, you don’t lose it forever. It doesn’t change the relationship you had.
Q. Why don’t we have a perpetual knowledge of God then? (Perpetual knowledge being we always know what we’ve learned about God in the past)
A. Learning about God is your physical memory. It doesn’t pass into your spirit or anything. It is recorded in your physical mind. {Unrecorded part} Mankind has always believed in God whether they knew Him or made something up. Although I do believe God had a hand in that. Within ourselves we don’t have an innate knowledge of God because that’s tied to memory, but God has always made Himself known or made it known that there was a god.
Q. Why don’t we have an innate knowledge of God?
A. God is a more active force revealing Himself. (Asked to define “active force”) He put a lot of stuff in nature that made man look to God and [came into the world to] show Himself to man.
Interview of Joseph “Joe” Palermo (conducted 10/19/2010)
Joe’s general thoughts having heard the latter half of Steven’s interview:
Seeing is how I believe in the perseverance of the saints, if they were truly saved before the amnesia then they would be saved afterwards. Once saved always saved.
Q. Why would God require faith if it is possible to forget about it (faith)?
A. Ums… Does God require faith? Most people aren’t comfortable answering “no”. Faith might not actually be required for salvation. The question is, does faith cause your salvation or is faith a result of your salvation? I may just be speaking heresy. This is all just off the top of my head. {Pulls out computer} Reformed theologians [Reformed Calvinists, as later verbally clarified] put regeneration before conversion. [Regeneration is the point of being saved] Regeneration comes before conversion, which is faith and repentance.
