Why do people require proof in order to believe something?

Question

Isn't part of being faithful believing without seeing? Why the emphasis on proving the validity of a religion?

Wow, I didn't realize this would be so popular! Maybe what I was trying to get at more was how do we come to believe what we believe? Faith? Reason? Sight? Knowledge? Just something to ponder.

P.S. This was a totally serious question, and I hope that people will treat it as such.

Answer 1

One can say that we live in two distinct worlds concurrently; the spiritual and the physical. By definition the spiritual world does not require empirical physical evidence to prove that it exists- the faith that it exists is the only proof that is required. By definition the physical world does require physical ,empirical evidence for its existence and behaviors.
The issue that arises quite often in this forum is that individuals try to apply the rules of the spiritual world to the physical and it can't work.
The religious people would serve their cause better if they prefaced their remarks with either " I believe that or I am of the opinion that " rather than " I know that"

Answer 2

If I ask you How can you believe something without proof? If I believe that world's shape is like a plate without proof do you accept it ? If i believe that Jesus is a woman or black skin one without looking to the Bible, do you accept it. If I believe that Jesus was in india on 15- 32 years old and become the Buddhism' students before He go back to Jerusalem, do you accept it?
If I believe that Jesus have lived in india and not rised to heaven without proof, do you accept it? I have a faith on them? don't you worry about this kind of blind believe?

Everything need a proof. If I just have faith. It will be dangerous because We just believe what we want to, even we don't know the truth. So the wrong one will become right just because we have a faith on it. Proof if the crosscheck mechanism. And God must know His creation's characteristic : "seeing is believing" so, It's weird that He asked us believe with faith.

Answer 3

It is very simple really, have you ever heard of the concept of logic? If I tell you that a can of pepsi is one that was handmade by Andy Warhol in 1979 sculpted from aluminum, there is no way to know that i am being truthful without supporting evidence. On the same note, if "faith" is a valid concept, than how bout we skip the courtroom trial and just blindly believe the claim of all accused murderers and rapists?

Answer 4

because non-religion= no requirements... People want to live however they want without consequences.. Unfortunately for them, they can't get away with it..

There is proof anyhow

http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/audio/newevidence.htm
http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/iidb.htm
http://www.godsci.org/gs/chri/testimony/seek.html
http://www.godsci.org/gs/new/figment.html


Just remember they don't have any proof of there theories for how the Evolution occured, without a God... Yet they believe that it all happened by ridiculous chance, even though it is not possible if the world is non-static.Which scientist proved recently...Meaning that there is not infinite amounts of chances that creation could occur by accident..It would be like winning the lottery 5 times in a row, given 5 oppurtunties.. Then you can see DNA is coding that requires an intelligent mind.. Did you know that without the right amount of Earthquakes that life couldn't exist? Or how about the Earth having the perfect weight,, and moon. If you look at creation you will realize God has to exist..

Romans 1:20 says
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

Answer 5

Fear is the answer. People have to see it to believe it in order to conform and submit to guidelines and moral principles but I doubt they will still submit even if the proof or evidence was to slap them in the face. Being faithful without seeing puts believers above and beyond those who did see. They really are not emphasizing on religion but the people who are behind the labels of religions which is a negative focus because mankind is human and have flaws. There focus should be on God not man-made religions and man made doctrines.
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Answer 6

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind" -- Albert Einstein

That isn't to say that a little bit of faith can't hurt! I believe that you should be able to back your beliefs of how the universe works with scientific information -- even if it's just a scientific theory. At least there is some backing to it instead of blind faith.

However, some things really have no scientific proof, especially the existence of a God. For that information you simply have to rely on your personal beliefs and experiences.

What's sad is that people refused to have faith in their own experiences, not that they simply lack faith. I believe that my Creator is evidenced by His/Her creation (and our, personal, creativity). That is my own experience, and I have faith in that experience.

I'll leave you with one last quote:

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead..."

-- Albert Einstein

Answer 7

It's pretty simple. Having proof of something is actually having facts to back up your answers. It's like math. 1+1=2 right? You can prove that. What we can't prove, we assume. In a religion, people like to believe in God or Jesus. These guys we cannot prove, but we assume that they are there. It gives us a good feeling that someone is watching over us so we wouldn't feel so bad about our life. To me, I don't believe in Jesus or God because you cannot see them or visit them or write to them. They are all in your head. If you believe what people cannot proof, how do you know it's real?

Answer 8

Because we live in a materialistic and not spiritual world. In the past people believed that Earth is the center of the universe, but with the science we discovered that is not truth.

Answer 9

because proof is required. that is why, as a scientist and a christian i explore the bible as a history and archeological guidebook.

many of the bible and it's persons, places and things have been proven by documents other than religious ones, the cities, civilizations and people have been proven by archeolgical finds.

that just leaves the divinity of God in question and most people have an issue with bowing down to the Master, no matter what the rewards are.

-eagle

Answer 10

If you believe something without proof, that is faith.
With proof, it doesn't matter who believes or not, it is fact.

Trying to prove the validity of a religion is extremely stupid and shows the narrowmindedness of the ppl trying to "prove" their religions "right".

THe purpose of religion is generally spiritual upliftment and it should not be "proved" by science.