Why is having faith (in God) considered virtuous by some people?

Question

Faith as in blind belief without evidence is anathema to my mind, I think it is beneath contempt...change my mind if you can.

Answer 1

I agree with you, one hundred percent. Faith is the ultimate evil, because it is a deliberate rejection of the essence of one's humanity: the ability to think.

Answer 2

Hi - as an atheist I tend to agree with you when you say that it is beyond your understanding. I have a little problem with the beneath contempt part, however. Certainly there are people who are beneath contempt and they come from ALL belief systems including atheism/agnosticism. But consider -

Where do your basic assumptions come from? I believe that the universe is a naturally occurring place run by natural rules without a supreme being in charge. But the only way that I can support that assumption is by saying that "well, I believe in what I can see and I don't see any evidence for God stuff". I believe that - but I don't really know it for sure. I have no evidence that there isn't a God or that any religion is correct or incorrect. Just because they all seem wrong to me doesn't prove a darn thing.

So, IMHO, I try to judge people by their actions and not by their faith. If someone believes in Tree Fairies or UFOs - as long as they aren't hurting anybody and as long as they are trying their best to be good people - then I can't judge them as contemptible.

Does that make sense?

A

Answer 3

Historically faith was defined as taking God at His word. That process has been cluttered and more obstacles have been put on the path.

Abraham was counted righteous for His belief in God's promises. Similarly, faith in what God says would include (at this period in history - leading to more explaining of the dispensations of history) believing the Bible (which has and always will be proven historically accurate) and its precepts for living.

Faith in Christ (I can speak of no other faith) translates to virtue because a person who is faithful is a person who devotes himself (or herself) to a cause greater than themselves. To be part of something bigger (the family of God) is to be held accountable to living a life that is never easy and rarely profitable in many ways.

There are evidences for why I believe what I believe, and God has commanded that Christians know them (I Peter 3.15). Ultimately though, I've never physically known Christ, I've never seen a man raised from the dead after three days (or...any days now that I think about it), I've never been swallowed by a fish. I have seen what Christ has done for my, pulling me out of a self destructive and dangerous life, seen my new self emerge from the old's grave, and at times gone against God's calling for me and ended up in situations that I could equate to a fish's belly.

don't discount faith completely. Though it may seem blind, there are many unseen reasons why people believe.

PS: shame on any Christians who either answered this with a muddled or BS reason, or didn't answer because they had none.

PPS: this was an awesome question; it was one that i wish every Christian on this thing would have to answer. Thanks.

to the author: Your mind cannot be changed. This is something that is in your heart, and ultimately it is not the job, nor is it the ability, of a person to change that.

Answer 4

It isn't "virtuous", it is a privilege. Faith is a deeply emotional vital part of a humans emotional and mental well being, without it some people would be lonely, even depressed. We should not condemn the power of faith either. I had a friend who was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer, her faith in God was what kept her fighting it and, eventually, she has had a remission and is now cancer free. Some people don't need evidence of God, but, you may. There are all types of people in the world;
1) You, the non-believer, who needs to prove that God does not exist in order to dominate or control your existence.
2) Me, a avid believer and Minister of faith, who can only suggest that maybe other people (other than you) need faith in order to bring order to their lives when they are feeling lonely, sad or are in chaos.
We all need faith in something, ourselves, others, or spiritual, it is up to each individual to choose a path. No one can force us one way or the other.

Answer 5

Most people have no clue what the word "faith" really means. The New Testament word faith comes from the word "pistis", which would more accurately be translated, "active trust."

You can say you believe the Airplane can fly - but you show Active Trust (i.e., faith) when you plop your backside in the seat and strap in for the ride.

True Biblical faith is not ‘wishing’, it is not ‘blind belief without evidence’. Instead, it is believing in some future event (i.e., hope), based on some past evidence. Let me give some Biblical examples:

Read the story of Moses' interactions with Pharaoh. You will see the same theme repeat itself: Moses tells the Pharaoh to let his people go, Pharaoh refuses, God gives a miraculous sign (i.e., evidence), and each time Moses says something to the effect of, God is giving this sign "so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God." God repeatedly gives evidence of his power, then when the Israelites flee Egypt it is credited to them as faith that they passed through the Red Sea (see Hebrews chapter 11).

The picture is Evidence (past) leads to Faith (present) and Hope (in some future event). In this case God showed his power (evidence) which led the Israelites to have faith (present to their decision making timeframe) that they could make it to the other side of the Red Sea (i.e., their hope was they could make it in the future). The Faith was their 'Active Trust' - that is, they trusted and acted upon it and walked through the Red Sea.

We see the same thing again when Jesus heals the paralytic who has been lowered through the roof (Mark chapter 2). He tells him his sins are forgiven. Then he asks the crowd what is easier, to tell someone their sins are forgiven, or to tell them they're healed. We know it's easier to tell someone their sins are forgiven - there's no evidence for that that the people could see. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't. But then he says, "But that YOU MAY KNOW that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ..." and he heals the man (emphasis mine).

We see the same picture. Jesus gives evidence of his power (evidence - he heals the man) so that people have faith in the future (i.e., the Hope he can forgive their sins).

Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Those words “sure” and “certain” are extremely important. And they’re completely ignored by most Christians.

I am a Christian. When I sat down and looked at the evidence for Christianity I have found it overwhelmingly favors the point of view that the claims of Christianity are true. I’ve found most people – including most Christians – have not bothered to seriously study the evidence. They choose to believe blindly, instead of having a true Christian Faith. So their way of witnessing is to tell a thinking person to, “just believe” (and they have no idea how idiotic they sound while they say it).

I wouldn't expect a non-Christian to understand the word 'faith'. It's extremely unfortunate that too many Christians have no idea what the word means, and use it so poorly they perpetuate its poor use to the rest of the world. It clearly shows their pastors are doing a very poor job in educating them, and they are in turn doing an extremely poor job of witnessing correctly to the rest of the world.

Answer 6

Faith was never meant to be a "blind belief" as you call it. It's a highly experimental concept. For example, I have faith that when my husband says he'll do something, that he'll do it - why? because he's proven to be a man of his word in the past, I have something to base it on.

Same with my faith in the religious sense, I have experimented with applying principles in my life, and I have found some sources of spiritual information to be very trustworthy by doing so.

Answer 7

Because Blind faith is the worst hell.... Good guestion, I like people who make me think
(damn people- you mis understand)be intellegant and look at the wording, I am not saying faith is blind, I am sdayin BLIND FAITH, MEANING Worshiping some entity, but not knowing WHY, F*CK wording is KEY in meaning, duh: Silent hill is full of this analogy, you have the people that believe so powerfully in the vengance of god, that they put themselves in thier own hell by judging and murdering what they do not understand, they do not realize they have been put their BY god for thier deeds of passing judgment and vengance(which is a cardinal sin) there lies the analogy blind faith is the worst hell
to go on with the answer....
There is the known and the unknown.
What is the differance between having faith in a creator no one can prove exists and having faith in the american government, to me it seems like the same concept, but on different levels. andf why do you have to patronize those belivers, are you not just giving yourself a taste of your own medicine. I'm not judging you, so why do it to me if that faith is what I choose?

Why would I want to change your views, I wouldn't like if you did it to me? It's about respect respect me and I'll respect you.

Answer 8

I do not think that there is a supreme being, but I have not always felt that way.

My parents were not very religious but considered themselves to be Christian. Many of the so-called Christians here would not have thought that they were "saved". Religion was never forced down my throat, yet it just made sense to believe in God. Only in recent years did I take a look at this God, or lack of. I concluded that I have never in my life seen any evidence that there was a God. He is certainly not apparent in this world we live in.

Answer 9

if you mean the faith that one can jump off a bridge and flap ones arms and fly...then you are correct... If you refer to The Faith of those of The True Christian Faith, then you are mistaken. the Faith of one of The Faith is knowledge of The Truth. This comes from a personal interaction between God and the individual. Faith can also be, and is for The Faith, knowing and trusting what comes from One who is known personaly and who will not lie. The Faith of one of The True Christian Faith is not blind... it comes from knowing personaly The One in whom we have faith... if you have not yet met God there is no way for any one to "prove" such faith to you....sorry

Answer 10

I'm not sure if "virtuous" is the word I'd use, but there is something to be said for a person that acknowledges they themselves are not the center of the universe. That there is something greater and more important.
This is the beginning of setting aside pride - the life stealer.

Answer 11

Well, well. Your mind is no bigger than anyone else's. I bet your IQ is no higher than mine. So, why should I change my mind based on what is anathema to your mind, when you don't even know 3% of all the knowledge in the world? Please explain.

Do you think that God could be found in the 97% of the world's knowledge about which you are unaware??? It's a wowser!

Most people believe there is a God! Most! High, high, high percentage. You are definitely in the minority, if we're voting... lol