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Is faith a reliable means of ascertaining the truth?

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Faith is not a reliable means of ascertaining truth. It's no better than guessing. But I don't think most people who value faith value it as a means of discerning truth.
 

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
It seems to me that people are capable of having faith in virtually anything. Since people can have faith in things that are clearly false, how can anyone claim that faith is required in order to comprehend truth?

In the case of God and His Religions we have three criteria to accept it as a source of Truth.

They all offer their Person, their Life and then Word they give from God as proof. This in turn inspires many people to build the Faith in them, which in turn helps the progress of Humanity in the age the Message is given.

This is a quote from Baha'u'llah;

"...Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hath revealed as proof of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an evidence of His tender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have fulfilled His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause in their hearts. He will never deal unjustly with anyone, neither will He task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful....."

Regards Tony
 
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bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
It seems to me that people are capable of having faith in virtually anything. Since people can have faith in things that are clearly false, how can anyone claim that faith is required in order to comprehend truth?

Find the truth and then you'll know.
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
Lots of people claim to have found the truth -- but they're all different truths.

Hmm! Is there claim wrong, Are the truths different or Are there interpretations of the same truth different. All I know is that seeking the truth is only beneficial. I believe it to be a main driving force in the scientific community.
 

Milton Platt

Well-Known Member
It seems to me that people are capable of having faith in virtually anything. Since people can have faith in things that are clearly false, how can anyone claim that faith is required in order to comprehend truth?

There is nothing more to add to your own statement. There is nothing a person cannot believe based upon faith alone. To get at the truth, one must have evidence and logic.
 

corynski

Reality First!
Premium Member
Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

'Sure of what we hope for', and 'certain of what we do not see' is NOT reality, it's a guess, pure and simple.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
It seems to me that people are capable of having faith in virtually anything. Since people can have faith in things that are clearly false, how can anyone claim that faith is required in order to comprehend truth?

Faith or trust in what you believe in helps you find the truth despite what you your doubts. If you really believe in something, then you trust that your senses even the ones that doubt are senses of a person spiritually growing. So, if an atheist came to be christian and still had an issue with believing in a deity, if he really has trust/faith in his belief and want to believe, his mindset would be one of "wanting to find the truth" that he is still learning how to gain.

Depending on faith means trust yourself. If you don't trust yourself to learn things you are uncomfortable with, how are you growing in general. It isn't specific to religion but all things in life. If you don't have faith, how are you trying new things? How are you going out of your comfort zone to find out what you thought wasn't true is true? How do you define your comfort zone if you don't have trust and courage enough to question what you believe?

That's what faith does. So, yes, it does show people what is true and what is false. It's putting trust in.. not a religious word in and of itself. People come up with different conclusions. I don't see how one conclusion is more true than the other. That's ego.
 

Grandliseur

Well-Known Member
It seems to me that people are capable of having faith in virtually anything. Since people can have faith in things that are clearly false, how can anyone claim that faith is required in order to comprehend truth?
I think you are looking at it backwards.

When people know something, someone, they may at times put faith in that person, or something. At times, this is proven wrong, e.g. when you have faith in a car sales person simply because of his nice signs and polished cars. At times, such faith is substantiated and proven worthwhile.

Many people are quite unaware of the Christian nearly 2000 year old definition of faith. In this then, you have one word, but depending on who you are, the definition of the word differs.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
*** thread moved to Religious Debates ***

(because it wasn't an introduction thread)
 

DavidFirth

Well-Known Member
It seems to me that people are capable of having faith in virtually anything. Since people can have faith in things that are clearly false, how can anyone claim that faith is required in order to comprehend truth?

Faith must be based on fact to be real. Faith purely based on fantasy is just fantasy.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Nope. Faith is the trust that something is true.
.
We all trust that our beliefs are true. But if faith does not motivate then it's not deeply held. Reading what is known about the biography of great beings from every religion, it's clear to me that their faith in something motivated them to radically change their lives and search for divinity.
 
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