Faith: good or bad (pleaz read)?

Question

In my own opinion faith is not a good thing at all. It is believing something without evidence, why would you want to do that? ... I remember last year my mom tried install 'faith' in me by telling me a story called 'a message to Garcia' . I couldn't help but think the entire time 'isn't this something hitler would tell his troops to get them to follow his lead blindly?' Maybe faith has been forced into your mind through a belief that it will reward you, or through fear, or through the tampered kool-aid but in the end it is still nothing but a means to control you. For someone to get you to give them what they want w/o you questioning what's in it for you, and what better way to do that than by intertwining it with a questions that no1 know can possibly know the answers to: e.g. The creation of life and what happens after death among other things....Faith is logics opposite, and is not only foolish, but quite dangerous...my personal opinion=bad. I'm interested to hear other opinions.

No, I don't drive a car because I am 15....And if I did then there is no 'faith' involved..it is simply following traffic laws and being watchful of those that don't..not pretending a mythical guy exists based on what a 2000 year old book says back in a time when people had poor communication and not much history to base their decisions off of.

Answer 1

ALRIGHT I am going to teach you the purpose of life as fast as I can so pay attention:

before this life, you chose to follow god, not Satan. Everyone on this Earth chose to follow God, for if they hadn't, they would be a devils angel. SO because of this, everyone and i mean EVERYONE has the power to chose good, because they have obviously done it before. YOU WANTED TO GAIN A BODY, because with out one, you could not gain new experiences and be like your father, God. SO we were sent to Earth, to prove we could choose him again, in a world of sin and confusion. EARTH IS A TEST. it is a test you agreed to take, a test to prove your faithfulness and to prove you would serve the lord, but once you came to Earth a veil came over your mind and you were unable to remember your life before. We weren't sent to prove ourselves ,through faith and diligence. If we knew that God was real for FACT, there would be not test, because if you knew it would not be an act of faith but one of knowledge, and it would be very easy. Faith is something you work for, faith in God, hopes that someday you will return to him. We came to Earth for the following reasons: a body, a test, knowledge, experience and to feel the JOYS of LIFE. Does that answer your question?

Faith takes time and effort, but their is a way to know that God is real, it is through the HOLY SPIRIT, it is that good feeling you feel when you know what you have done is the right thing, or it is the thing that warns you to not do someting bad, I know I have felt it and I hope someday you will also

Answer 2

That's the problem with mainstream Christianity (and for that matter any for of fundemental religion) is that you MUST have faith in what they believe in. I don't think God wants us to follow blindly. I'm Jewish and follow God's Laws because I agree with them, not because I was raised that way. It make sense to me. I also have friends who are Buddhist, Catholic and Fundemental Prodestant.

Jews don't think faith alone leads to the perfection of the world. (I won't say "redemption" because that's not the goal of doing good deeds. Doing mitzvah, selfless acts, should be done because they're the right thing to do, not for some reward. Doing something because you'll be rewarded with some post-mortum candy is playground theology) Christians don't feel bound by the laws HaShem set down for us, and they also feel that a priest (some man who sins, just like you) can speak for God and forgive you of your sins, as long as you have faith. We don't follow that. Beliefs mean nothing without the actions to support them.

I believe God will allow me to wake up in the morning, but I'm still going to set my alarm clock. The rabbi Nacham of Bratzlav says faith is a source of comfort and inspiration in times of trouble.

Indeed, faith can make people foolish, but it's not entirely without merit. Believing he had the right answer let Tesla invent AC/DC electricity. It let the Wright brothers sail across a hundred feet of sand. It led Columbus to discover the New World (or rediscover it...old arguement)

Like anything else, alcohol, sunbathing, Big Macs, faith needs some moderation. Don't follow blindly. Argue with God. Abraham did. Jonah did. My rabbi told me on my Bar Mitzvah that religion is like an onion; there's always another layer to discover. Faith is the crutch that's there for you if you need it. But try walking on your own before reaching for it.

Answer 3

Without faith, where would we be. We have faith, in one form or another, in many things. I have faith that you will see this message. I cannot explain how, but I believe it. I have faith my alarm clock will go off in the morning. I have faith that my next breath will provide me with the oxygen I need to survive. I have faith in many things.

This is, of course, different from the faith you are talking about. You are talking about religious faith. You are talking about having faith in something that cannot be explained by anyone. Here's one: we have faith that the universe holds together, but we really don't know why. Dark matter? Dark energy? Whatever.

Faith is good because we need faith. We are constructed and created in such a way that spiritually and psychologically we need to have something to hold on to other than what we can see, feel, hear, etc. We all need that something else in our lives, and that something else is God. Whether we accept that or not, we have a void within us without God.

And why is faith bad? Why is believing that we have the opportunity for forgiveness bad. Why is believing that God created us because He loves us bad? No one can control you through faith, because you choose what you have faith in. No one can control that. When you decide what to have faith in, you will serve that faith. How can anyone control that?

Answer 4

If you look at faith from a Buddhist perspective it might make a little more sense to you.

Blind faith was not advised by the Buddha. The Buddha invited all to examine, question, and try out his teachings to see if they were real and had a positive effect on the life of the person practicing them. Then, as the student realized the truth of the teaching, he/she developed a faith based on personal experience, rather than on the word of another.

My advice is to try this approach on whatever spiritual path you choose. You just might find that faith can be a "good" thing.

May you be happy,
May you be free from suffering,
May you be at peace...

Answer 5

It's certainly indisputable that without objective evidence and valid reasoning, there is no possible causal link between the truth or falsity of an idea and any faith you may have about that idea. Hence if your intention is to have an accurate understanding of reality, then faith is entirely worthless in that regard. People would argue that faith is in some way worthwhile despite this, due to the good feelings it may bring, but personally I would dispute this. I agree with you that it's generally a bad thing, for the reasons you've outlined.

Answer 6

Faith is not believing without evidence. It is believing without absolute arithmatic proof. Huge deference. None of us could function at all without some faith. When you drive down the road you have faith cars coming the opposite direction are not going to come across the center line and kill you. You have no proof they wont, but enough evidence that they wont to give you confidence to drive. The Lord gives us plenty of evidence--but He can not force us to love Him. Love has to be a choice-or it would just be robotic. You can reject the evidence, you can reject all the times He tries to call you. Or you can receive His love and accept His free offer of forgiveness and get out there on the road.

Answer 7

Faith is the best thing in the world for you,especially if your discussing the Bible and God.Read the whole Bible to find out about what happens after death.If your righteous Jesus will receive you in the clouds when he comes,1 Thessalonians 4:17.
If you are wicked you will get the Great White Throne Jugdement

Answer 8

Faith requires open-minded people. In order to believe in an unseen being, you must be open-minded I am more obstinate than almost anyone I know. If a sign says, "Don't touch, I feel the need to touch." I wouldn't believe in something simply because someone told me to believe. I believe because I felt a powerful presence of Spirit. I didn't imagine it - I felt it. I know with all my heart that the Lord is real now. No one convinced me, no one forced me, and no one made me drink tampered kool-aid.

Answer 9

Point number 1:
We are all brainwashed.
It is just a question of accepting what brainwashing you want.
The best decision?
Whatever school of thought seems logical, reasonable ...if it seems to be clear and makes sense.
Point number 2:
The Bible claims to answer the questions you ask.
Give it a chance.
Not from Protestantism, or Catholicism ...they're crap!
Look to the people who have taken up the commission mentioned at Matthew 24:14.

Answer 10

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