It’s a charming and fetching scene in “The Da Vinci Code” toward the end of the film when Audrey Tautou “tests” her foot on the surface of the water of that pool; then shaking her head in the negative turns with a smile toward Tom Hanks, and as she walks away says to him in farewell perhaps she will do better with the wine.

Miracles, if there are any such, are a never ending source of both contention and debate. Some of the better known stories of the Bible describe various miracles such as the ones Audrey refers to of Jesus walking on water and the turning of water into wine. The problem with miracles is the difficulty of replicating them in such a manner as to dispel doubt among skeptics. There are many instances in which something of the miraculous does in fact occur, things that defy any rational explanation, but they just don’t occur in such a manner they invite scientific scrutiny in the laboratory.

So I understand the punch line; would the flesh and blood descendant of Jesus destroy faith, or would she renew it? And I understand what matters is what you believe. The historic problem with beliefs is separating these from knowledge, and punishing those who do not share someone’s beliefs. This problem is not confined to the religious realm by any means but happens in many other areas of life, though religious beliefs for the most part have earned the infamous distinction of being the more detrimental to world peace. One might well include politics as being dangerous to world peace but politicians are not subject to any system of belief apart from their seeking their own self-interests, and readily change their position in a moment if it serves their self-interest. The same cannot be said of those that are fanatical about their religious beliefs.

I have asked myself the question if all the stories of miracles were removed from the Bible, what would be left and how would the stories of the Bible then read? The same question suggests itself about other stories throughout human history. How might things turn without stories of miracles, stories of various deities, witches, conjurors, seers, and shamans, without astrology and alchemists, and so many other similar things? Would we be the richer or poorer for the lack of these things; would the lack of them destroy faith or renew it? We might conclude there is a need for stories of the miraculous, things beyond any rational explanation, and further conclude it would depend on the story and how it is told.

But there is a difference between hope and belief. I hope there is a hereafter where I will rejoin my departed loved ones and friends, a place where all tears are wiped away, where love prevails and everything will be right with no place for injustice or inequities. But when I ask myself honestly whether I believe this I face some difficulty. I know death may be the end and that will be that. So, do I live in hope or belief? This is not an easy question to answer. And because I have difficulty with the question I have to suppose there are others who face a like difficulty. But I also know how a strongly held belief can confuse anyone looking for answers to such questions.

I believe we humans are spiritual beings; I believe there are angels and demons and the many myths and legends, many of the stories of miracles, have a factual basis. But when I examine my beliefs about such things I discover my hope of a hereafter as I describe is not contingent on these beliefs. It is a hope, and attempting to convince myself I believe this presents difficulties for me; so much so that I cannot conceive of punishing any who disagree with my beliefs. So what kind of “demon” drives some that will commit actual atrocities against those that do not share their beliefs? It is at that point my own beliefs concerning angels and demons come to the fore.

The consolations of religion are many, but the rational part of my mind declares those that believe they have a religious duty to punish any who disagree with them brings on those personal beliefs concerning angels and demons. And if I am to have angels and demons in my own belief system, then it must admit of miracles as well. This is where things become somewhat obscure once more. Do I hope there are in fact angels and demons, miracles, or do I really believe this?

The Bible describes faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But can you have hope that is not based on belief? Is faith a synonym for belief? Some suppose so; but I don’t find it necessarily so. The last verse of I Corinthians chapter 13 has it there abides faith, hope, and love, that the greatest of these is love. I certainly have no argument with the conclusion, but it seems the writer wanted to distinguish between faith, belief if you will, and hope. Perhaps the writer faced the same difficulty I have with hope and belief.

While I have experienced things miraculous, things that defy rational explanation, no part of my hope is based on these. Nor do I have any beliefs about such things I am willing to punish others who do not share a like belief. Ah, but when I lay my head on my pillow at night I go to sleep in hope. And it isn’t miracles or beliefs that get me through each day; it is hope. However, it is not the hope that things will eventually come right in a demon-haunted world, which I believe it to be, but in the world to come. Or as the Bible has it, hope that is seen is no longer hope. Opposed to beliefs that can injure yourself or others I don’t think anyone is made to suffer for hope.