To have Faith in Something?

Question

Why do Christians misunderstand the meaning of the word faith and attempt to replace its meaning with the word fact?

For instance they say that their bible is the fact that they use to say God exists but you have to have faith to believe; is this not in itself a contradiction in terms?

Answer 1

First of all, most people misunderstand what faith is. Faith is being certain of something that you do not know for sure, but that you are confident of based on evidence. For example, everytime you sit down in a chair, especially one that is unfamiliar to you, you sit down by faith. You did not test to see if the chair would support your weight, you just had the faith that if you sat down in it you would not end up on the floor.

Faith should never be blind, it should be based on fact. When supporting evidence is strong enough, there is little distinction between faith and fact. For example, no one has ever proved the theory of gravity. Any scientist will tell you that the "Law" of gravity has not actually been proven, so it is technically still a theory. However, the supporting evidence is so overwhelming that scientists consider it law, and no reputable scientists refute it. We take it to be true based on faith (believing the evidence), and call it a fact.

Christians do the same thing. We have examined all the evidence, both historical and scientific, we have also weighed in the personal evidence we have seen, and have concluded, through faith, that the Bible is fact, and that God's existance is fact.

Saying that you have to have faith to believe is not saying that you just have to have some illogical desire to believe. No, it is saying that you must have evidence to believe. Examine the evidence. May I also recommend that you don't start with creationism vs. evolution, or whether or not two statements is Proverbs seem to contridict each other, but start with Jesus Christ. The evidence that He rose from the grave is overwhelming. There is no other event in any one person's life that we have more evidence of than that of the resurrection of Christ. That is why I believe.

Answer 2

This is a good question.

Consider this analogy: A couple thousand years ago, there were those who had faith in their belief that the world was round rather than flat Their faith proved to be in something that was a fact, though this wasn't proven until later.

Those who have true faith, do not have their faith without a basis for it. They have likely experienced the power of God in their lives - the true evidence of God's existence. For as it is written, "The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." And so they are led to trust not in man, but in every word that has come from the mouth of God....knowing that even that which has not yet been proven through emperical evidence will in time be established as fact for all to witness.

Answer 3

It is very hard for someone to understand faith, whom has
never had or experienced faith. Faith is an on going process,
like life changes. Trials and perils of everyday life, and or not,
faith comes as a result of your relationship with Jesus Christ.
The closer you get with Him the greater your faith becomes.
If you have a wonderful relationship with Jesus, you will be
able to distinguish God working in your life. Answers to
prayers. Results of or reasons why things have happened
in your life. You will have faith that is so massive you have to
experience it to really know what faith is truely like. Faith
makes you believe when you didn't believe. You become
more aware of things you were never aware of before
spiritually.
True Christians do not misunerstand the meaning of
the word faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidenceof things not seen, Hebrews 11:1. The longer
you live your life in faith, It, like things that once were
considered to be weighty matters to you are noting to me.
Fears, I fear nothing. I was diagnosed in April to have colon
cancer. I do not fear it nothing has changed God is still God
of my life that is faith. We may act as though we live fact
instead of faith , but the longer you have lived the faith the
stronger your faith becomes.
Our Bible is proof God exists, yes faith makes the proof
more real that God does exist. First you believe God exists
and you testify to the fact you believe He was born of a
virgin, and that He was crucified on Mount Calvery to save
us of our sins, and that He was dead entombed and arose
from death on the third day and now sits on the right hand
of The Father which is in Heaven.
It is truely a wonderful life changing experience and
I reccomend it highly. Unless The Holy Spirit Calls you
you will never know the experience. The Holy Spirit woos
you to God. Did you know that?

Answer 4

I think it may well be because Christians are ASKED the REASON for their faith. Reason meaning:an explanation, justification,motive, for their belief (faith.) One way to show why a Christian believes as he/she does is to answer the above. Also: I can SEE other people. But in the same PHYSICAL, personal sense, I can't see God. I believe, have faith that God is real and is multi present.

Answer 5

as a christian I don't misunderstand the the word faith and I have open look on life read the bible but not ruled by it ..its just a guide but not imprinted on my brain like some religions lead a good life that's all Christians do don't twist the bible for their own gain at least I HOPE THEY DON'T

Answer 6

I think that there are many misguided christians in the world. I am a christian and i think that faith is believing in a God you can't see. The fact part hmm... we talked about that last week. About the prophesies of Jesus...well in the old testament there were many prophesies(SPELLING ARGH) and in the new testament most of those have come true (we believe). it's like this.... the odds of those coming true is like picking out an atom...throwing it into the universe and sending a blind man after it and he picks the EXACT same atom that you marked. i think that they use faith in the word to believe that it's fact....that was confusing...sorry...hope it kind of cleared it for you.

Answer 7

Faith is believing in the untangible or the unknowable, so yes, you're right. They do mix up "fact" with "faith" quite a bit. Unfortunately, that seems to lead to narrow-mindedness more often than not. I really appreciate those Christians who simply have their faith without having to shout to the rooftops that they're right because it's all a "fact."

Answer 8

If I phone someone and ask them to do a job, I am exercising faith that they will do it. As far as I am concerned, if I trust them, then faith is as good as fact because I know absolutely that they will have done the job.

Answer 9

Not at all.

Do you know your husband/boyfriend loves you? What about if a week goes by and he is out of town, or away at war, do you still believe and have faith that he loves you? If you can't see him, or talk to him - how do you know he still loves you. You must at some point have faith in your relationship with him.

Love is invisible - how can it be real? Can you prove love? You feel it, you receive it, but you cannot examine it, or touch it so-to-speak.

Our faith in God is the evidence of things not seen. God cannot be seen by we sinners here on earth, but he's given us evidence of his love by way of Scripture - the history of his love for us.

Answer 10

No, because science assumes facts have to be readily provable. Faith/reality tells us the truth, that some realities can't be proven. God wouldn't be God if he were TOO easy to understand!