Is willingness to believe in God different from not believing based on judgement of the facts?

Answer 1

Hmm...I'm not exactly sure what you're asking to be honest...I think, from what I'm getting, is that...willingness to believe in God takes a lot of 'leap of faith' stuff, and...facts are facts, you can't argue them. I'm not saying people who don't believe in God are people who don't have faith, just that they believe something different based on the faith they do have in the facts, or whatever else. Does that make sense?

Answer 2

I was an atheist for many years, and it was an intellectual struggle to reach the faith I have. The struggle included many facts. I do not think God wants people who believe based on blind faith. Most believers went thru a reason based process to possess the beliefs they have.

Most atheists have done the same thing.

However, the issue for atheists is that they have faith that the facts they are given are right, or merit the conclusions that are stated. In fact, the jury is still out on natural creation. If science rules against it, then God is the only other choice.

Answer 3

Jim, it depends on whose facts you want to listen to. When non-believers quote passages from the bible that support the theory that god is not benevolent or merciful, that god creates evil, the believers scream, "That's not what it really means!" How can you expect to use logic against that kind of emotional response? Case in point:

(Isaiah 45:7, KJV) - "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

(Amos 3:6) - "Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?"

Another forum poster told me that I was using the King James Version and King James was evil. The implication being I should not quote from this particular version. Then please..... somebody out there. Which version of your bible is the one and only TRUTH? If you can answer that simple question, why the need for all the other versions??

Answer 4

What facts are you talking about?
Has someone all of a sudden proven without a shadow of a doubt that God does not exist?
Have they proven the theory of evolution beyond all doubt?
In science aren't facts supposed to be non-judgemental?
The willingness to have faith in something is the ability to say that some things unseen cannot be be explained right now or maybe never, but through faith we can all try to be more tolerant of others. Why is it so hard for society to accept someones faith in God? It is not our intolerance that should be questioned, it is theirs.

Answer 5

Willingness to believe or believing?

Not believing based on the judgement of facts? That depends on the facts and the agenda of those who presented the facts and their bias in arriving at facts in support of their presuppositions. This would be not believing based on what you were decieved into believing was facts and not really facts.

You would have to present your facts for a legitimate answer to your question.

My belief was arrived at by the observation and experience of the facts of reality. So whose facts are true?

Answer 6

Yes it is, and no it isnt.

Someone who believes in God might very well know what facts there are about it, and despite their knowledge they believe anyway.

Someone who does not believe baised on judging what facts are evident simply lives by his senses and cannot fathom or understand faith.

Their reasoning is based on two completely different methods of thinking.

But not believing is exactly the same as believing. Humans must believe something. Either you believe in proof and science, or you believe what you cannot see or prove. You either believe in living, or dying. Either way every person has faith, because thats how people function, you cant get around it.

Answer 7

Science proves god does not exist. The facts are there.

(The facts prove Santa doesn't exist either but children still believe... its not willingness to believe, its the fact that people will believe anything that is TOLD to them... even when the truth and facts are staring them in the face)

Answer 8

there is a difference between "willingness to believe", "actually believing", and in "being baptized in God's name, i.e. being reborn in the spirit".

based on judgement of what facts? whose facts?

Answer 9

Of course. Not to believe is based on a logical assimilation of facts. These people are happy and accept others.

To believe is a leap of faith. These people are generally intolerant of others opinions.

Answer 10

I can no more will myself to believe in God than I can will myself to believe in the FSM ( pardon my blasphemy here). Faith is an absurd reason to believe in something.

"Faith is a cop-out. It is intellectual bankruptcy. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits." [Dan Barker, former Christian minister, Losing Faith in Faith]