Wouldn't proof actually DESTROY faith?

Question

Having read a number of the questions in the "Religion and Spirituality" section, I've been struck by the number of people -- both questioners and respondents -- who have suggested not only that proof of the existence of God (or of the veracity of Christian doctrine) is possible but also that such proof would be a good thing. This shocks me, for I have always thought that the existence of proof for either of these propositions would actually be hugely damaging because it would undermine faith. Those who think evidence possible and beneficial, though, seem to have a very different view of the impact that tangible proof would have on faith. Hence the question I've submitted: Wouldn't proof actually _destroy_ faith? If it wouldn't then in what way would it be salutary with respect to faith?

Answer 1

Blessed are those who believe and have not seen....

Answer 2

Yes because faith implies that you don't know everything, and have to trust and believe in something that is not proven. Whether it would destroy religion, well perhaps not, because everyone would adopt it, but it would certainly take a different course, and would not mean anything like it does to someone who is religious today.

If there was absolute proof, then what may I ask would be the point in life, why not everyone in Heaven, in which case why have anyone at all, because if they didn't have to do anything to get there, then they would have no love for the Lord and there would be no relationship between God and His people.

The balance has to be maintained so that people still have free choice in the matter, and that it has been so maintained for eternity, in the way that many people are both theistic and atheistic, that in itself says something to me about the presence of a supreme being.

Hope this helps, God bless

Answer 3

Atheist ask for evidence. All they want is a good reason that such a claim be made in the first place. Everything that has been given to me as evidence has fall far short of what has been confirmed as reality.

Theists offer proof. Yet the proof they offer can not be verified or upon closser inspection is found to be a fabrication of some sort.

Actual proof would destory faith but give cause to said religion.

Answer 4

NO.

Just take a look at this:

There is proof that pot can destroy you neurone connexions. That hasn't stopped potheads from continuing smoking.

There are studies that show exercise everyday is good for your health. Even though thousands of people do not want to exercise just because they always find excuses.

Whatever the proof would be (unless the one and only God come to us to tell us face to face that He is here), it will make an impact, but as everything else, everybody at the end believes in what is more suitable for everyone.

There will be always fanatics, atheist, and people with faith in between, and anyway, the true Faith is something that comes from inside, and is not harmed by exterior factors.

Answer 5

So?
Why is having a need for faith a Good thing? It doesn't take away free will from people, because everyone has done something they knew was bad for them yet still did it anyway procrastination for example.
Did the prophets need faith?
At mount Sinai when God spoke the first 2 commandments out loud to the Jewish people (600,000 of them) did they need faith? Or when the red sea parted or the 10 plagues happened?
If the first believers in God didn't need faith then why should we?
What would be bad is if the knowlege of the existance of God did remove our free will.

If you want a good arguement on the existence of God the Kuzari arguement is a good one.

Answer 6

Yes, it is belief in the spirit that keeps our faith as Christians, able to focus on God, and yes I feel that if you had the proof before you that this would undermine one's faith.
It is just like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, we know that there is no real Santa or Easter Bunny these are things that you put your faith into.
People dress in these outfits for the younger generation, but no one has been able to
dress like the heavenly Father because we know of the greatness that he went to for us to have the faith and belief as we do. These people that claim that they need the proof in the pudding are jsut of weak faith and need to grow stronger in the Lord and they need to assemble themselves with other believers and hang on until the day that the Lord comes to claim those that know him. They will get there proof when there are 2 in the garden and 1 gets taken and the other left, or 2 in the bed one taken and the other left. How much more proof do they need. The Bible is the proof that all Christians have and stand firm on its foundation that Christ is real and that he is coming back.

Answer 7

Most of religion's people get the faith first before they Analyse. If a religion feel suitable for someone, faith will come first and people will analyse later. They collect opinions that support them and trash any opinions that different. This kind of faith will only make people blind to other possibillities and makes their critical mind become dull.

if faith has established first and people keep critical and ask all the proof, faith may be destroyed. But if they come from critical mind first and keep seaching the proof and faith come from the proof they found later, faith will be a strong unbeatable one.

So the problem is only what is the first one come: Faith or the searching of proof/truth.

Answer 8

That's seems a conundrum doesn't it? "For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So if you have proof does that mean you can't be saved through faith?

The reality is you can't possibly have proof of all the claims of the Bible because religious claims are constructed largely so they cannot be proven or disproven which is why you simply have to at some point just believe.

But faith in the Christian context means more than assent to the alledged facts, because the devils supposedly know of a certainty that Jesus is Lord but aren't saved by mere assent to the facts.

Christian faith also implies trust, not only that God exists, but that He will keep his promises to the believer, of which there is no eividence whatever that is beyond dispute and argument.

Hebrews 11: 6 "Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him."

So the Christian is trusting God to reward them for seeking Him. Not merely believing in God's existence.

Answer 9

There was a scientist atheist who was married to a Christian, he set out to prove that Christianity was fake and he ended up being one of the top best selling Christian authors around. Nowadays Christianity has more proof than most other religions I think it actually adds to the faith. As more and more proof builds up, so does our feeling that we were right in our faith so the more proof the more faith!

Answer 10

No, proof does not destroy faith in the sense that Christians consider faith.It only helps to increase it.
Acts 1:1-3 reads
The former treatise.......I have made of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up....
To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many INFALLIBLE PROOFS
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Hebrew 11. In this chapter it also states that he that comes to God must believe He is....
God speaks to the inner/spiritual man.

Answer 11

I had a college text called "Faith and Reason". It's written by Dr. Ronald H. Nash. It explores and purports to explain your question. Basically the author is making an argument for the coexistence and relationship between faith and reason. I think he does an excellent job. The book is based on a Christian platform, but I believe that if one can read beyond the Christian place holding, then the book can apply to any spiritual journey seeking reason.