What role does Reason play in your religious beliefs?

Question

And how big of a role?

Answer 1

A huge part. God calls upon us to reason and test everything.

Answer 2

Look at this question and it's answer:

Blind faith?
if we are required only to believe in God and not exactly know or understand what we believe, isnt that following religion blindly, kind of like what extremists do? so then isnt is bad to just believe without questioning? but then that raises another question, is it wrong to question the ways of God?


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

If you don't have doubt in your mind then you're stupid. In one of the Holy books, it says that true faith isn't accepting everything, but questioning everything until you're sure that you've got it right.

A true Jew, Christian, Muslims, or just plain believer, is one who constantly argues it over in his or her head and thinks that there is God, that he is omni-everything. All powerful, all knowing, etc.

You're an idiot if you say that people who believe a certain thing
(about how humans came to be or about God, etc.)
are wrong.

You don't know anybody to be wrong, but you believe that God exists.

God said ____. Does that make sense? Hmmmmm. Yeah it does, or not right now it doesn't, but could it?

I mean if somebody flat out believes that God doesn't exist, then yeah, they aren't a believer, but other than that, you can't be sure.


#1 No we are not required to believe in God and not exactly know or understand what we believe.

#2 If we were, then that would be a very good definition of extremisim

#3 it isn't wrong to question the ways of God. By questioning, you can try to reason out the true purpose of everything. Why we are given holy books, etc. All of that only increases your faith.

#4 look it up. You, I'll assume, already believe in God, and believe that He never contradicts Himself (it's impossible), so just look it up, and see that God has told you to question.

Don't forget that whatever book you're reading, you're probably reading a translation.




Good luck, Peace.

Answer 3

I am an Anglican (Traditional) - so I place all of my beliefs upon Richard Hooker's "three-legged stool" of "Scripture, Tradition and Reason"...all three with equal weight.

This is classical Anglicanism. Hooker first described this triad in his Lawes of Eclesiastical Polity....brilliant work...but a really stiff and boring read!

Now...this does not mean "only" any one of those three. And certainly not "REASON" alone...

But my own God-given human reason, as seen through Scripture and Tradition.

I guess the best description of that kind of reason would be: "Holy Reason"

Answer 4

Science works with facts and logic. It is the known universe.

Philosophy works with reason and logic. It addresses first cause issues, meaning of life, existence. It tries to address the unknown.

Religion works with reason and faith. It is tied to philosophy with first cause issues and meaning of life, and to science with what is known and what is unknown. It fills the gap between science and philosophy.

To think that a creator who is supposedly smarter than all of us, wants blind faith resolves to absurdity. It is more reasonable that he wants people who prove themselves in life to be good.

I'm going to ask you a question now:

Just reading Matthew, Mark and Luke, would you say that Jesus was a reasonable man, or a religious man? Read and then reply.

Since you may not have time I will admit that this was a straw man question. Jesus despised the religious people of his day, he liked people, fine food and wine, he spoke in allegories and parables, like Socrates, he could have escaped his fate, he did not, to send a message to you and me.

Was I unreasonable in what I said? Let me know.

Answer 5

Huge role...

"Believe nothing.
No matter where you read it,
Or who said it,
Even if I have said it,
Unless it agrees with your own reason
And your own common sense"
- Buddha -

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it"
- Buddha -

Answer 6

Little or none and rational reasoning is purely a pair of sin. In 2008 the Pope had harsh phrases for the Freemasons. Why ? In his phrases, "They have self assurance in reasoning somewhat of religion".

Answer 7

For those who say none,

Please read Rom 12:1 Consequently I entreat YOU by the compassions of God, brothers, to present YOUR bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with YOUR power of reason.

God doesn't ask for blind faith.

2 Tim 1: 7 For God gave us not a spirit of cowardice, but that of power and of love and of soundness of mind.

I almost fell out of my chair when a person told me "God does not have to be reasonable"

The one who created mathematics, physics, etc??

Answer 8

reason plays a big role. he is the giant turkey for the thanksgiving school drama on thursday.....

Answer 9

Quite a bit.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that "Faith is the ASSURED expectation of things hoped for, the EVIDENT DEMONSTRATION of realities though not beheld."

My “religion” is based on the fact that I am sure that Jehovah will fulfill all the promises he has made, just as he always has in the past.

Answer 10

It doesn't....that's why they're called beliefs, not logic and reason.