Master Vigil
Well-Known Member
Faith to me is the dropping of logic and physical proof, for spiritual experience.
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What is faith?
- Thread starter Bishka
- Start date
Greetings Beckysoup. The question "What is faith" is always pertinent and never exhausted; there are so many answers.
I seldom use the word because it means so many different things to people and I had to search and study deeply to find words to point at what it means to me.Ozzie is correct that faith has been brought up many times on RF - there are 18 pages with just the list of threads that have 'faith' in the title. I selected 7 most directly related to this thread in case someone is starting here to research 'faith' in RF:
What is Faith: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/comparative-religion/959-what-faith.html
What is Faith: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/theological-concepts/52961-what-faith.html
Faith Defined: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/science-vs-religion/1086-faith-defined.html
The Meaning of Faith: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/comparative-religion/5120-meaning-faith-2.html
Are Faith and Belief the Same Thing To You: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/general-religious-debates/40116-faith-belief-same-thing-you-2.html
Faith and works by a Athanasius: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/catholic/56239-faith-works.html
Why Logic/Reason?science is not the same thing as Faith: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/philosophy/52009-why-logic-reason-science-not-same-2.html
Although faith occurs in every walk of life as Ozzie notes, I am addressing faith in relation to religion only. I may have passed them in the threads, but there are a couple of missing points that should be emphasized when discussing this faith. The first one is that faith is not solely under control of the individual; that is, we do not say 'I will have faith' and then get faith. We are in a state of being grasped by something. Some may say grasped by the 'Holy Spirit' or by God through Jesus. For my view I would use symbols like Transcendent Oneness, or the Source-Itself. In the words of Paul Tillich, this faith has three elements: receptiveness, acceptance, and anticipation (or hope as some RF posters have noted). Rather than write a book here myself I will let one read Tillich's 900+ page Systematic Theology to understand these elements :angel2: but just accept them as 'pointers' for now.
The other point is that faith and love always go together (Athanasius' single post thread above touched upon it) and in relation to God faith and love are inseparable; they always go together. For my view, when union is realized - Oneness - faith and love are indistinguishable and the best words I could come up with is that they merge into the Oneness and experiential knowing. - But, these are only symbols.
Well, there is my ten cents (really two cents, but considering inflation as someone else posted
).Best Wishes,
a...1
Wandered Off
Sporadic Driveby Member
I think of it as filling in the blanks left by uncertainty.
sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
Faith is the subsance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
I also thing there might be at least two kinds of faith. One is that I have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow because it has always risen. Next is what I call child-like faith. I would give an example of someone like Samson, who despite being a wretched sinner, knew that when he asked something of God, He would deliver. This is much the same as when a child gives just a little whimper, mom or dad are there to see to their every need. The child has faith that no matter what, the parents are always there.
I also thing there might be at least two kinds of faith. One is that I have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow because it has always risen. Next is what I call child-like faith. I would give an example of someone like Samson, who despite being a wretched sinner, knew that when he asked something of God, He would deliver. This is much the same as when a child gives just a little whimper, mom or dad are there to see to their every need. The child has faith that no matter what, the parents are always there.
blackout
Violet.
living in faith for me is simply
reaching out beyond the "improbable"
in favor of the "impossible".
(which always manifests itself possible there....
and in that way, faith does eventually become a KNOWING....)
Touching life in the fullness of my birthright as co-creator.
It is a wonder-filled and active kind of faith.
reaching out beyond the "improbable"
in favor of the "impossible".
(which always manifests itself possible there....
and in that way, faith does eventually become a KNOWING....)
Touching life in the fullness of my birthright as co-creator.
It is a wonder-filled and active kind of faith.
That's not faith. That's a statement of probability.
Does it not take faith to believe that things that are only probable will happen?
Yes, but I never argued against that. Improbable events definitely happen, Just not as often...
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?
sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
Not by the Biblical definition of faith.
Wandered Off
Sporadic Driveby Member
I see the kind of faith in events we have observed before - like the sun's daily appearance - as more a "reasonable expectation" because they have a basis in personal experience and common observation. To me, that's categorically different from faith based solely on appeals to authority or hearsay for items that cannot be tested or observed in any way, such as specific beliefs about what "Heaven" is like. As Ozzie has said, these are of the "same species" in a way, but I still see them as different.
Saying that there is an extremely high chance of the Sun being here tomorrow is not a faith statement. We know gravity keeps the Earth revolving around the sun.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?
'Faith' in your senses is not the same thing as religious faith
Ok. I guess I wasn't using the Biblical definition
Is it valid to distinguish between belief based on intersubjectively verifiable evidence and belief not so based?
I think your comment is snide and unhelpful.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
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.