What is faith?

[rojse]

What is faith to you? What does it represent to you? Is all faith equal?

Faith is putting your trust in something that cannot be proven to a reasonable standard of doubt.

Faith is not equal, because faith can be based on different things, from God to trust in a partner's faithfulness, can be based on different evidences, and based on different emotions.

 

[Jeremiah]

Is it valid to distinguish between belief based on intersubjectively verifiable evidence and belief not so based?

This whole faith thing has got me very befuddled and your big words are making my head hurt.

"intersubjectively verifiable evidence" What is that, like something we can all agree on?


And what about faith as belief and faith as a way of life. Was Abraham telling us that we must believe in God no matter what? Or was he saying that no matter how absurd things get we must go on?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

This whole faith thing has got be very befuddled and your big words are making my head hurt.

Participation in the thread is voluntary ...

 

[PureX]

What is faith to you? What does it represent to you? Is all faith equal?

Faith to me is trusting in the benevolence of the Great Mystery and the gift of being.

 

[Valjean]

As several other members have already stated, faith is belief in something without adequate evidence.
Contrast this to "knowledge."

 

[Smoke]

Is not the statement, "I have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow because it has always risen," a statement of faith in a probable thing?

If you phrase it that way, sure. Any statement that begins "I have faith that ... " is a statement of faith. But merely believing that the sun will rise tomorrow (or, more accurately, that the earth will continue to rotate and that the point on which we find ourselves will face the sun tomorrow) is not faith. It's a reasonable belief given our past experience and what we know of astronomy. The belief that the sun won't rise tomorrow because a divine revelation has said that it won't, and acting accordingly -- that's faith.

 

[Willamena]

If you phrase it that way, sure. Any statement that begins "I have faith that ... " is a statement of faith. But merely believing that the sun will rise tomorrow (or, more accurately, that the earth will continue to rotate and that the point on which we find ourselves will face the sun tomorrow) is not faith. It's a reasonable belief given our past experience and what we know of astronomy. The belief that the sun won't rise tomorrow because a divine revelation has said that it won't, and acting accordingly -- that's faith.

Is it not probable that the sun will rise tomorrow? Isn't that probabilty based on past experience and what we know of astronomy?

Then faith is belief that defies probability? That's not what my dictionary says ("Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing").

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Is it valid to distinguish between belief based on intersubjectively verifiable evidence and belief not so based?

I thought I did.

 

[autonomous1one1]

Is it valid to distinguish between belief based on intersubjectively verifiable evidence and belief not so based?

I think that's helpful, Jay.

The "belief based on intersubjectively verifiable evidence" is not the same thing as faith in that which is not, like faith in the Christian God for example. The Christian God is completely unknown "based on intersubjectively verifiable evidence" because naturalism has not yet found the Christian God.

Greetings. Believe you are on to something - we definitely need to 'classify' types of faith as Sandy started and you two agree so that we know what one is talking about in these threads. Thanks for the new term:
Intersubjective verifiability is the capacity of a concept to be readily and accurately communicated between different individuals ("intersubjectively"), and to be reproduced under varying circumstances for the purposes of verification. It is a core principle of empirical, scientific investigation. (ye olde Wikipedia)

Personally for me, I usually think of 'faith' in one of two categories: a)faith that is used in the everyday world of self-world, subject-object structure and where the evidence is intersubjectively verifiable through experiential and/or experimental means; and b)faith, which I always identify 'in relation to religious matters' when posting, that transcends those structures and for which the evidence is verifiable experientially within, but not necessarily for certain in every case.

 

[doppelganger]

Faith is the trust that allows a person to accept themselves honestly and without guilt or fear. To me, it has nothing to do with whether one believes in some ontological proposition or the literal metaphysical reality of a particular mythological story or image.

 

[Willamena]

Faith is the trust that allows a person to accept themselves honestly and without guilt or fear. To me, it has nothing to do with whether one believes in some ontological proposition or the literal metaphysical reality of a particular mythological story or image.

Oh, that feels good, to see a definition centred on "me."

 

[doppelganger]

Oh, that feels good, to see a definition centred on "me."

If Wilford Brimley were here he'd say, "It's the right thing to do and the right way to do it."

 

[blackout]

Faith is the trust that allows a person to accept themselves honestly and without guilt or fear. To me, it has nothing to do with whether one believes in some ontological proposition or the literal metaphysical reality of a particular mythological story or image.

Hey there doppel.....lol....
been watchin' a bit too much "blues clues" over there lately?

"You can be anything you want to be!.... "
WHAT will they be telling you next!

I'll be skiddooin right on over to help you get beyond your self dilusion........

 

[Jeremiah]

Participation in the thread is voluntary ...

Sometimes you make me wonder about your degree of insight.

 

[doppelganger]

"You can be anything you want to be!.... "

Even if I want to be an Air Force Ranger?

 

[blackout]

Is it not probable that the sun will rise tomorrow? Isn't that probabilty based on past experience and what we know of astronomy?

Then faith is belief that defies probability? That's not what my dictionary says ("Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing").

Faith must be PROBABLE to the one in action of creation,
in order for the manifestation to overcome the world's definitions
of what's POSSIBLE.

My faith "IN GOD"....
is my secure confidence....
due to past experience....
that all things ARE in fact possible...
when they are created in active faith of the Living Consciousness (God).

Faith topples the weighted scales of "probability".

All things are possible IN God.
This is simply a given for me....
due to the countless times it has proven itself true in my personal reality.

What is possible in your reality?
I don't know.
How BIG is your FAITH?

 

[blackout]

Even if I want to be an Air Force Ranger?

I don't know dopp?
How BIG is your FAITH?

 

[Willamena]

Faith must be PROBABLE to the one in action of creation,
in order for the manifestation to overcome the world's definitions
of what's POSSIBLE.

My faith "IN GOD"....
is my secure confidence....
due to past experience....
that all things ARE in fact possible...
when they are created in active faith of the Living Consciousness (God).

Faith topples the weighted scales of "probability".

All things are possible IN God.
This is simply a given for me....
due to the countless times it has proven itself true in my personal reality.

What is possible in your reality?
I don't know.
How BIG is your FAITH?

Do you mean the "weighted scales" of "probably"...? because that's a different thing.

 

[doppelganger]

I don't know dopp?
How BIG is your FAITH?

Same as my hat size.

 

[Jeremiah]

Greetings. Believe you are on to something - we definitely need to 'classify' types of faith as Sandy started and you two agree so that we know what one is talking about in these threads. Thanks for the new term:
Intersubjective verifiability is the capacity of a concept to be readily and accurately communicated between different individuals ("intersubjectively"), and to be reproduced under varying circumstances for the purposes of verification. It is a core principle of empirical, scientific investigation. (ye olde Wikipedia)

I am sorry call me stupid if you want but I stared at that wiki page for almost an hour scratching my head. Seeing how Jay is uncooperative, do you think maybe you clarify it a bit?

Could we say gravity is intersubjective verifiable but the Easter bunny is not?