DOES BELIEF JUST HAPPEN?
I recently came across some Christian material that suggested belief in Jesus "just happens." After contemplating this a bit, and recognizing that I've experienced the phenomenon personally, I decided to see where this writer was taking me. By the time he was waxing poetic about the beauty and truth of his religion, he'd lost me, but it did free up some time to engage in some productive reflection upon the nature of religious belief.
To start, I've noted that religious or spiritual beliefs have an interesting knack for almost intruding upon the conscious mind in fully formed thoughts. It's as if the guts of the belief exist within the unconscious mind for some time before they ascend into the conscious mind like an impression. So I'm willing to agree that beliefs about God appear to materialize out of nowhere as an act of grace.
Having said that, I'm not unaware of the impact the unconscious mind makes in the determination of belief. Though we may not be able to probe it, it's certainly demonstrable that the interior mind is affected by information and events. I use myself as an example. I didn't just arise from bed one Sunday morning spontaneously a nonbeliever. I was analyzing the nature of God's love and justice when it happened. Something deep within my mind, in places I cannot consciously venture, inexplicably, irrevocably changed when presented with the question of how Hell corresponded with unconditional love. Within my unconscious mind, it proved incompatible for myriad reasons, though up to that point I had not consciously realized it. So while belief does "just happen," it's also affected by ideas. One cannot predict how they will react when exposed to new ideas or even old ones cast in a new light. That's why I consider belief an act of grace - not because we have zero control over it (limited control can be exercised through censorship), but because one cannot force themselves to deny what their mind tells them is true.
Finally, and in keeping with my reflections on the matter, I do not believe it a fluke that the writer believes in Jesus. I do not for one instant believe the idea spontaneously floated into his mind. Certainly there are exceptions, people who go against the grain in all cultures, but generally speaking people tend to adopt religious leanings and eventually identities in keeping with the religious culture of their upbringing. Again, he remarks that Christianity seems beautiful and true to him, but this is not a remarkable thing. Of course it does, or he wouldn't believe it. For the one who believes, whether they are Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, or other, their beliefs are a most beautiful thing. So while his faith may operate spontaneously in an effortless way that seems to just happen, it doesn't "just happen."
Faith is a subjective thing based upon what one experiences and finds beautiful, and everyone will not experience the same ideas nor shall they call exactly the same things beautiful. It's not my intent to disparage the author's faith, but the fact it means something special to him means nothing to me. My faith is mine and special to me, and there really isn't anything else to say on the matter.