What does it mean, to have faith?

Question

I've heard the word "faith" a lot here. Does it mean you have faith that:

the Bible is correct
there really is a God
Christians will go to heaven

or something else altogether?

Answer 1

It's when God takes the blinders off your spiritual eyes.

http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0107.htm

Answer 2

A lot of philosophers have tried to understand reality. For example, if you have a perception about something, a real one, like, seeing a Movie Star. The perception is real to you, but is not necessarily real to someone else. They have to accept on faith, and data about you, that you did see what you saw. Their reality of a real event, is not the same as your reality. And that is on simple, everyday things that we deal with all the time.

Let's say they want proof that you did see what you saw. Did the discussion now becomes rational or irrational.

If someone has taken time to understand their beliefs, even had spiritualy success, meaning when they meditiate, or pray, they become more insightful and in tune with their inner spirit and soul. Well, it is real to one and hard to accept to another who has never had a similar experience.

As a side note, what % of the science of life do we truly understand. Maybe we know 0.0000001%. Our knowledge doubles every 5 years, and many of today's sciences and in their infancies. So if I hold a coin called reality, then let one side represent all known knowledge (proven science), and the other side represent all unknown knowledge (theories and philosophy). Why philosophy? Well, how the universe came into being is a profoundly philosophical issue. Why did the big bang just happen, once, suddenly, after an eternity of nothingness? No one knows the answer to that, nor are they even close.

With that introduction to try to answer your semi-straw man question, even though one cannot prove God exists, I do believe a Creator does exist, because, a Creator answers more questions about reality, than a lack of a Creator.

A purely natural explanation leads to materialism (only cause and effect can occur), leads to determinism (no free will), leads to rationalism, leads to atheism, leads to nihilsm (life is meaningless in the grand scheme of nature).

If a creator exists, a creator creates for a reason, thus we all have a purpose and life in the grand scheme of nature is meaningful.

Edit: I tried to say too many things at once. Basically, a person's religious faith is what it is. Though all religions are faith based, a lot of thinking and reasoning has gone into them. Too often religious people speak of faith matters in a factual manner, and that is like a red flag to a skeptic. However, like a perception, it is factual to a believer, they believe for many good reasons. For someone else like a non-believer, it may be absurd, for they have decided to not understand that perspective.

Answer 3

Everyone is born with faith, some have exercised their faith more than others, but we all have it. When you get up in the morning do you expect to find your house in tact, your job, your family, everything as you last saw it? Do you go in your car each day not knowing what will transpire down the road? You "hope" that there will be no accidents but there is no guarantee. All of those actions can be taken as faith. As a child did you expect to receive presents at Christmas and birthday? You have faith. A Christian believes in his heart the things he hears and reads of God and his works.

Answer 4

Faith is believing in something you can't see or touch. Faith is knowing something is right when others around you say it's wrong. Faith is the willingness to give all you have for a reward that you have no proof of.

Answer 5

Romans 10:8-13
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, [9] that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; [10] for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. [11] For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." [12] For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; [13] for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

If you are looking for a definition you can take into a laboratory and test it on scales or a test tube, you won't find it. Here is what the Mirriam-Webster on-line dictionary says:

Etymology: Middle English feith, from Anglo-French feid, fei, from Latin fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust -- more at BIDE
1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : LOYALTY b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs

Answer 6

Faith is a good thing to have, but not if it's blind. I've only gotten to have faith in higher beings through both logic and personal experience. It is foolish to believe that one can know something as complex as "God" through a badly translated and annotated book!

To directly answer your question, I have faith that:
-The Bible is horribly incorrect
-There really are beings more advanced than us that most humans will not directly encounter, for they are blinded by their "faith!"
-Not only Christians will have a good afterlife

Answer 7

Faith is yes all that you have stated. Faith comes from within you. Even though you cannot see God your heart and everything in you says there is.

Answer 8

Faith is a deep rooted assurance and convinction that something you cannot see or explain is true. True being, that you believe that it exists without necessarily physical proof. A very tough thing to learn. Peace and love be with you.

Answer 9

Faith is believing without seeing. Just like the wind. You can't see the wind, yet you have faith that it's there. Based upon your knowledge, you know it's there. Well, based upon my knowledge, I know God is here.

Answer 10

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen