Believing/Faith (choice, Satan, God, religion, science)

[Lightkeeper]

What is the difference between believing and faith. I'm not talking just religion. Humans used to attribute many powers to God or gods. We have found those powers within ourselves. We can heal by way of medicine, naturopathy, etc. We discovered fire, invented the wheel, etc. How many more discoveries are we going to make? By believing in ourselves we will invent and discover more and more. Was it faith or believing that made these discoveries? Can we speed up the process of discovery?

[kreeden]

Believing in one's self leads to Faith in one's self , doesn't it ?

[Pah]

Originally Posted by kreeden

Believing in one's self leads to Faith in one's self , doesn't it ?

I agree - belief is a precursor to faith where belief is the sufficient quantity of evidence to make the irrational leap to faith.

Knowledge, to comment on the original post, is exponential (or nearly so) in growth. The more knowledge abounding, the more learning stretches that envelope.

Bob

[martha]

I am not eloquent enough to explain this point succintly, but I will try in my little way. Belief in certain unmistakeable outcomes of certain scientific studies has nothing to do with faith.
Scientists with no thought for faith come up with definitions for diseases every day. They find cures for certain malfunctions of the body and also relate possible cures or interventions for these afflictions. Their individual faith has nothing to do with it, some believe in God and some don't. I believe that most scientists go into it thinking that there is ultimately, an answer to the questions. This belief is based on the fact that they have seen cures come, due to the diligence of their collegues in science who did not give up even in the face of supposed, undeniable reports against their theories. Their belief in the ability to render a cure or answer, is not based on faith in God's intervention, but man's diligence, and undying desire to conquor the ills of this world, which in my humble opinion has been caused, without doubt, by man and man alone.We have been given choice for good or greed. God and Satan have no hand in inflicting disease upon man. We are responsible for the state of the world, depending ultimately, upon whom we serve...God, the good and concerned, or Satan, the embodiment of evil and flippant in regards to the state of human life. There are those who believe in, "The facts, mam, just the facts", no Satan, no God, just the fact of what is and how can we control the outcome of these facts. To some, faith has nothing to do with it. So, do I condemn those who believe thusly? No I do not. For many wonderful things have come from those who have no faith in God, per se. Where does the diligence, drive and hope that scientists have stem from? Well of course in my mind, God, but that is open for discussion.

Joyfully,
Martha

[kreeden]

Martha , sometimes I think that it takes as much faith to believe in science as it does to believe in God . But that is just me .

And I think that you did a great job of explaining your point .

[Seyorni]

It seems to me that faith is a subset of belief. It's a belief in something without adequate evidence to support it -- as opposed to knowledge.

Adequacy of evidence, of course, is debateable. Epistemologically speaking, there is never perfect or complete evidence. Proof is a mathematical concept, eg: Descartes concluded that the only thing he could prove was his own existance. You'd probably have to use some kind of reasonable man system to differentiate faith from knowledge in some cases.