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Belief vs Know

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Knowledge of gods doesn't equal multiple gods existing.
And I've studied enough about various religions to have that kind of knowledge.
When I say I know there's only one God it's not just a head knowledge. It comes from actually knowing God in a relationship.

I have had relationships with many Gods.
What to you proves the existence of your God?
 

firedragon

Veteran Member
what might be best? to believe in something? or to know that something?


psalms 46:10
john 14:20

Thats an oxymoron. Some people believe in things they know.

E.g. When you throw something up in the air, you see it falling down every time. Thus, we assume it will fall down the next time too. Thats a belief. And that's an assumption based on knowing what has happened in the past. Thats how science works as well.
 

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
The verses referred to in the OP each appear to describe revelatory spiritual experiences. Knowledge of God’s presence dispels any need for a leap of faith; in those circumstances, little effort is required to believe.

But such experiences are rare, and may perhaps be denied, or dismissed as madness, even by the doubting mind of the person who experiences them. So in the end there is always some requirement for belief, and for faith.
 

sealchan

Well-Known Member
what might be best? to believe in something? or to know that something?


psalms 46:10
john 14:20


Each in its season...if something can be established then it is reliable knowledge. But life brings with it many creative and unexpected scenarios for which we often have to rely on our beliefs in order to navigate.
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
belief and knowledge are not equals

belief doesn't require knowledge even if belief is part of the knowledge process
Well, in philosophy knowledge is called "justified true belief", which is a phrase I personally don't like, but there it is.

Belief itself has a huge range. It can include belief in ideas that are contrary to fact, thus irrational, so impossible, into the improbable range, through a range where belief is based on varying degrees of evidence. So belief can be highly probable, but not conclusive. For example we cannot say we know OJ did it, but the evidence is so overwhelming that our belief is well justified and his guilt is highly likely.

As far as knowledge in science there is a probability in results, and they seldom come out to be 100%. So this knowledge it highly likely true, thus justified belief. Now we can be certain about many things. We are certain that the poisons chlorine and sodium will become harmless table salt when combined.

So really belief versus knowledge is a misleading and vague question.
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
The verses referred to in the OP each appear to describe revelatory spiritual experiences. Knowledge of God’s presence dispels any need for a leap of faith; in those circumstances, little effort is required to believe.

But such experiences are rare, and may perhaps be denied, or dismissed as madness, even by the doubting mind of the person who experiences them. So in the end there is always some requirement for belief, and for faith.
Some theists claim they know God exists, and this always opens to door to an interesting set of questions.
 

Ponder This

Well-Known Member
Belief is a component of knowledge; it would be absurd to say “I know X, but I don’t believe X”

I would tend to agree...
But then all these people said they had literally watched planes crash into towers in NYC, but they couldn't believe it.
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
Some things are impossible for me to explain away as coincidence.
It doesn't matter someone else thinks.
It's called confirmation bias. You want your beliefs validated and this is how you can do it within your own mind and closed to any feedback from others.
 

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
Some theists claim they know God exists, and this always opens to door to an interesting set of questions.


You can find plenty of first hand accounts, some written some oral, by people who claim to have had life changing spiritual experiences; most attribute these to divine revelation, though not all are comfortable with the G word.
 

cataway

Well-Known Member
something i have seen are people that have grownup being told things and believe those things . then when shown from scripture and even reasoning with them they will refuse to believe what scripter says
 
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