Sǿren Kierkegaard in his critique of Christianity identified three stages of life’s way. These are: 1.) aesthetic stage, 2.) ethical stage, and 3.) religious stage. The first stage, aesthetic stage is characterized by sensual pleasure. Ethical stage, the second bstage, is characterized by genuine faith. Abraham was the example given, he is said to be a knight of faith—a person who is in the third stage of life’s way, the religious stage. His genuine faith led him to willingly sacrifice his son Isaac to a voice who claims that he is God. A knight of faith is usually not understood by many. Take for example, Abraham when he was called by God to travel from country to country to a place promised to him by God. He followed God without knowing what place God wanted them to go to. To the eyes of many, Abraham’s decision is absurd. Kierkegaard said “faith is the objective uncertainty due to the repulsion of the absurd held fast by the passion of inwardness….”
A knight of faith is not recognized by religion. No matter what religion or belief a person can be called the knight of faith, as long as that person truly believes. I can look back to the discussion in INTHIL where Ms. Leslie concluded the discussion on comparing the “Christian” and the “Pagan”, it goes:
“If one who lives in a Christian culture goes up to God’s house, the house of the true God, with a true conception of God, with knowledge of God and prays—but prays in a false spirit; and one who lives in an idolatrous land prays with the total passion of the infinite, although his eyes rest on the image of an idol; where is there more truth? The one prays in truth to God, although he worships an idol. The other prays in untruth to the true God and therefore really worships an idol.”
According to Kierkegaard’s definition of faith, the “pagan” is the knight of faith. Why? The pagan, meaning those who do not believe in God, has a genuine faith. Unlike the Christian who goes to the house of God but prays in a false spirit, the pagan believes and put his faith in the infinite.
In our society, we see so many Christian who does what the Christian example does. We see many Christians whose house upon entering you would see a bagua, the Chinese mirror that they keeps bad spirit away from the house—to site an example. A priest in my hometown once said it his sermon that once you believe in those things that they say brings you luck, you are already breaking the commandment on false gods.
A knight of faith is not recognized by religion. No matter what religion or belief a person can be called the knight of faith, as long as that person truly believes. I can look back to the discussion in INTHIL where Ms. Leslie concluded the discussion on comparing the “Christian” and the “Pagan”, it goes:
“If one who lives in a Christian culture goes up to God’s house, the house of the true God, with a true conception of God, with knowledge of God and prays—but prays in a false spirit; and one who lives in an idolatrous land prays with the total passion of the infinite, although his eyes rest on the image of an idol; where is there more truth? The one prays in truth to God, although he worships an idol. The other prays in untruth to the true God and therefore really worships an idol.”
According to Kierkegaard’s definition of faith, the “pagan” is the knight of faith. Why? The pagan, meaning those who do not believe in God, has a genuine faith. Unlike the Christian who goes to the house of God but prays in a false spirit, the pagan believes and put his faith in the infinite.
In our society, we see so many Christian who does what the Christian example does. We see many Christians whose house upon entering you would see a bagua, the Chinese mirror that they keeps bad spirit away from the house—to site an example. A priest in my hometown once said it his sermon that once you believe in those things that they say brings you luck, you are already breaking the commandment on false gods.
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