Choosing one’s faith is more like choosing a favorite song

Stephey Bilynskyj, starts each confirmation class with a jar full of beans. He asks his students to guess how many beans are in the jar, and on a big pad of paper writes down their estimates. Then, next to those estimates, he helps them make another list: Their favorite songs. 

When the lists are complete, he reveals the actual number of beans in the jar. The whole class looks over their guesses, to see which estimate was closest to being right. 

Bilynskyj then turns to the list of favorite songs. 

“And which one of these is closest to being right?” he asks. 

The students protest that there is no right answer; a person’s favorite song is purely a matter of taste. 

Bilynskyj, who holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Notre Dame asks, “When you decide what to believe in terms of your faith, is that more like guessing the number of beans, or more like choosing your favorite song?” 

Always, Bilynskyj says, from old as well as young, he gets the same answer: Choosing one’s faith is more like choosing a favorite song.  “After they say that, do you confirm them?” he was asked. “Well,” smiled Bilynskyj, “First I try to argue them out of it.”   

Wishing you much love and much light.

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