The Question of Faith (reject, Earth, beliefs, minority, theist)

[Zero Faith]

It seems to me that religion can stand on two fronts -- a scientific one and a faith-based one.

Scientifically, burden of proof requires consistent and repeatable evidence of God in order to support a theistic belief system. This has yet to occur, so we reject the idea that religion is scientifically supported. We're left with faith.

What is faith, exactly? Here are some questions I'm interested in hearing answers to:

1) How can you have faith in one god, but not in another? How do you choose which one is right?

2) It seems to me that the vast majority of people follow the religion of their parents. If faith truly is an effective truth-finding mechanism, wouldn't people all around the world spontaneously believe in the 'correct' god?

3) How is faith in God different from faith in alien abductions, psychic powers or the lunatic in the asylum who has an unshakable faith that he is Napoleon?

[Vassara020]

Yeah people are good for going for whats most popular in there geographical area.

[dan]

1- You have to look carefully. Faith isn't just about making up your mind based on who looks cooler in a beard.

2- My parents raised me without ever mentioning God to me. I found religion at nineteen and found the truth at a little past twenty. My parents were ambivelant about my decisions, but knew I was old enough to make my own decisions. If you really go and look you'll find that most people do not stick with the religion of their parents (unless they're Catholic, of course, but that's the easiest religion in the world to live with).

3- It may not be. Everything from religion to science is based on faith. The only difference between me and Napoleon is preference. Mt faith is also built on a much stronger foundation, not just a desire to believe what-have-you.

[dan]

Originally Posted by Vassara020

Yeah people are good for going for whats most popular in there geographical area.

This is another assumption made without a whole lot of study done. You'll find most people would rather champion their own beliefs than accept what society tells them (except for the people who's IQs wouldn't make a decent earthquake). Most like to go against the grain.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by dan

This is another assumption made without a whole lot of study done. You'll find most people would rather champion their own beliefs than accept what society tells them (except for the people who's IQs wouldn't make a decent earthquake). Most like to go against the grain.

How did you discover this? And why haven't I noticed? The vast majority of people I know are christian, this also happens to be shared by their parents.
There is also a reasonable minority of muslims in the west of Scotland and again the ones I that know share their parents' beliefs. If most would go "against the grain" there wouldn't be one, would there?

[Hope]

'Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.' ~Hebrews 11:1

[Scott1]

You tell em Hope!!!

[Lightkeeper]

I wear one piece of jewelry and it's a ring that says "faith." I believe that faith is the most important thing we can have. It outweighs hope and love, because without faith you have nothing. I have faith that on a daily basis I am renewed and will evolve into something higher. I have faith in the unknown, because it is the unknown that holds all hope and love.

[Mr Spinkles]

'Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.' ~Hebrews 11:1

A positive attitude is very similar, but much healthier and does not lead to credulity and superstition.

[Ardhanariswar]

"I wear one piece of jewelry and it's a ring that says "faith." I believe that faith is the most important thing we can have. It outweighs hope and love, because without faith you have nothing. I have faith that on a daily basis I am renewed and will evolve into something higher. I have faith in the unknown, because it is the unknown that holds all hope and love."

beautiful, lightkeeper.