i could probaly figure this out if i thought about it long enough, but it kinda hurts my brain to think the way u guyz think? so is the 'faith factor' missing from your brains altogether? er what?
2006-07-21 17:22:39 · 25 answers · asked by Nicole 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Why does one need to have faith in something?
I am not an atheist - I am an agnostic, but this requirement to have faith
in something confuses me.
Why must you have faith in something?
Well, I guess we all (religious or not) have faith in science. You *MUST*
have faith in it to some degree, every time you step into a car, airplane
or anything else that was produced by engineers building on top of
math and physics.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't have faith ... I am just wondering why
it is a requirement!
2006-07-21 17:29:36 · answer #1 · answered by Elana 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
First of all, here is the first definition of faith is "Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing." So it has little to do with religion or God.
I have faith in me, my abilities and my husband. I have faith in love and I have faith in the fact that my son will probably not stay in bed when I put him there. I have faith in MANY things... just not that there is a God or a heaven or that he "gave his only son" for anything.
It hurts my brain to think like you think, believing in things you can't see or touch or smell. It hurts my head to know there are so many people who believe there's a being in the heavens (and that there IS a heaven) who created the earth. It baffles me that you think he created man and everything else on it in 7 days (or 7000 years, however you believe). It truly makes me crazy when I think about how many believe that he gave his only son, born of a virgin no less, to forgive us for behaving like he created us to behave.
There are so many things about all that you believe that truly make my head spin with frustration.
My best advice to you is to just accept that people are different than you... I accept that you and your kind believe such utter nonsense. Just accept that I and other atheists and agnostics don't.
2006-07-21 17:48:53 · answer #2 · answered by Rogue Scrapbooker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your question is based upon the false assumption that there must be something to believe 'in.' It is not necessary to have some thing or being to worship and adore, when there is an entire universe to absorb our attention without the need for confabulation. Reality is that which continues to exist and have a characteristic nature regardless of our awareness or opinion of it. This is a truly universal 'faith' since it is equally accessible to all and not subject to the whims of human ego or frailty. What is true for one person is equally true for all; with no need for rituals, secret 'knowledge,' or assertions of authority. Atheists do not need to have faith 'in' when they can have faith 'that.'
2006-07-21 17:37:18 · answer #3 · answered by dukefenton 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not really atheist, but...to see life for what it is. We grow up disillusioned in so many ways, atheists just want to live in the REAL world. Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is truth, and there's no evidence of God's existence. But there's no evidence of God's non-existence either so consider that. P.S. You're a real idiot kittedoutbean. For Christ's sake, go to college and take a bio class.
2006-07-21 17:34:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am my own god, and so are you, you just choose to give your power away to a non existent entity created for the purpose of controlling the masses, I too believed at one point because the idea was forced upon me from birth, but fortunately for me I questioned the idea within my self and learned that it wasn't a reality. I am a self sufficient spirit experiencing human life taking full responsiblity for all my actions, faults etc.. and wouldn't have it any other way. We are immortals experiencing mortal existence as humans and all it has to offer.
2006-07-21 17:54:08 · answer #5 · answered by commonxsense2005 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Myself
2006-07-21 19:51:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your question neatly points up the limitations of the religious adherent's thought process. You assume that "faith" is purely a God-related noun. People have "faith" in all sorts of things: politicians, doctors, educators, employers, etc., etc., etc. We (as atheists, as you describe us -- although I am an agnostic -- yea, look it up) just don't have faith in your narrowly constructed God and the politics of whatever religion it is that you believe in.
2006-07-21 17:55:11 · answer #7 · answered by SkipIntro 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Science! Science and other human beings give me faith in them. I trust scientists with the future and trust a variety of other people for my own inspiration. I have a former convict in my life who has given me a lot of inspiration, for example. I also look at the words and lives of others to learn about them. Saul Williams is a big one for me.
Don't worry, we have faith too :)
2006-07-21 17:29:08 · answer #8 · answered by Dick Nixon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have faith in lots of things. I have faith in my husband, that my kids will be loving, tolerant individuals able to make their own good choices in life, in science, that tomorrow the sun will rise and life will go on.
2006-07-21 19:11:08 · answer #9 · answered by curls 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing. To me, faith is the belief in something for which I have no proof or evidence. Faith doesn't work for me personally, but I can definitely see how it works for other individuals.
2006-07-21 17:26:07 · answer #10 · answered by frostwizrd 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋