¿WHAT MANNER OF FAITH?

Is FAITH what we TRULY believe OR is it what others tell us to believe? I asked this question because I often wonder how SO many of have such STRONG FAITH in things that are well intentioned, but lead us nowhere? So the other day I took my sister to my mother’s house and my uncle was there and he noticed that I had on my red wrist band that signified that I support the fight against HIV/AIDS. So he then asked me if I was joining the same fight as my mother and aunt because they both had small red pieces of cloth pinned to their clothing. To which my response was, “my fight is for something REAL” of course they got all upset because how could one of the most unclean sinners on God’s planet say that their cloth had NO significance. After being told that their cloth is for the sole purpose of ending the blood shed and violence that in the world, I reiterated my stance and left…However I couldn’t help but feel upset because they once again was following what Pastor said. I have NO problems with them believing in something, but how much FAITH do they have when they know for certain who is doing what in the community and would NEVER do the right thing and inform the authority on such matters? I understand that GOD handles everything and having FAITH means that they leave it up to him, but how practical is that? From wearing cloths placed on whatever parts of the body that is aching them to drinking water blessed by Pastor, these women seem to have given up any AND all sense of common sense. And as far as I can see, they fit into that BLESSED ARE THE POOR BECAUSE THEY DONATE HEAVILY, BLESSED ARE THE MEEK BECAUSE THEY OBEY, BLESSED ARE THE HUMBLE BECAUSE THEY DON’T QUESTION AUTHORITY…WHILE PASTOR SAYS, BLESSED ARE THE HUNGRY (MAKE ME RICH UNTIL IT HURTS), BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL (IF YOU CATCH ME DOING SOMETHING WRONG, LET IT GO), BLESSED ARE THE PURE OF HEART (BECAUSE YOUR BRAINS ARE SWITCHED OFF), BLESSED ARE THE TIMID (BECAUSE YOU GIVE ME YOUR POWER & BECOME MY SLAVES). What AMAZED me so much about my mother AND aunt is that they have NO voice when it comes to standing up for my cousin who was molested or other things that are deemed as the Christian way…So sad that they don’t know that when you practice faith instead of conscious living, you live under a cloak of fear; and eventually that cloak becomes so habitual you forget it’s even there. It’s very sad when one reaches the point where he/she can’t even remember what it feels like to wield creative freedom over their own life, independent of what they’ve been conditioned to believe SO FAITHFULLY. I find that in this case their FAITH is a coward’s substitute for courage. Harsh I know, but until they STOP comforting themselves by swallowing things that lead them nowhere, I don’t see any other way to respond to what they are doing. I hope AND pray that they wake up AND realize it’s all B.S. AND take that first step towards freedom from such an oppressive way of having FAITH…Truth be told, the so-called religious authority they place their FAITH in don’t know any more about spirituality than they do; and if they want to have FAITH in God, then all they need to do is open their mouths and directly begin the communication process instead of using third-party intermediaries who ask them to pin pieces of cloth that he prayed over and bless onto their clothing…ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA, FAITH IS THE CONFIDENT BELIEF OR TRUST IN THE TRUTH OR TRUSTWORTHINESS OF A PERSON, IDEA OR THING…& FROM WHAT I KNOW, GOD HAS NO NEED FOR PERSONS THAT LIVE IN BLIND FAITH, SO I WILL KEEP THE FAITH THAT ONE DAY THEY WILL NO LONGER BE BOUND BY THEIR CURRENT FAITH…