St. Augustine wrote that belief must come before understanding. That is like saying believing the guilt or innocence of a suspect must come before the evidence is presented. He thought we should not suspend judgment, as the skeptics did, because that would demystify the essence of the self. The self lives, it knows it exists, it knows what it feels; therefore facts are inherent in being.
But I have a hard time accepting belief must come before understanding in all cases. If one is already certain about something, there is no point investigating it. Any investigation is inherently biased, too easily influenced by the stubborn will of the believer. This applies to law, science, spirituality, and any other form of inquiry. Nobody would want the opinion of a doctor if they didn't actually diagnose their ailment!
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