Where in life would someone absolutely NEED 'faith'?

Question

The way christians often talk about faith, is like its a NEED, like humans would be worse of without it. Why is this so?
My kids do fine without it, I do fine without it, my wife is fine without it. People I have known have died, and I didnt require any faith to handle the situation, while a christian and now as an atheist.
So I just dont understand what the Need is?
please explain your view on this
thankyou

Take your time to answer, I will read ALL replies.
It would be interesting to read.
thankyou

@ Señor Gaysexual
Are you suggesting that 'Faith' is linked to 'purpose'??

If faith is to be defined loosly as 'comfort in times of concern'. Then I think all atheist will agree, they have faith at times in their life also. And is therefore not owned by religion. Its just that they get comfort from more substantial things and people.
Wouldnt that be true?

It would appear that what alot of christians call 'Faith' is simply what is commonly called 'Positive thinking' wether it be true or not.
Am I on the right track?

'With no emphasis on wether it is true or not' I mean

@ Sheryl
I understand what you are saying as though you hope that one day I will have the circumstances in my life in which faith will be required. From what I understand, faith seems to be only usefull if circumstances are terrible. So you appear to hope that one day circumstances will be that terrible in my life, that I will turn to faith. That sounds like an immoral thing to desire.

@ Sheryl
ic

I think I am understanding what is meant now. The bible believing christians are the loudest etc so the other christians dont get heard much. So faith for the other christians is more like believing in something to get you through, whereas the atheist only needs to believe in themselves and some other people to accomplish the same things.
Am I on the right track?

Answer 1

there was a few times in my life where i needed faith....it was the only thing that made be go on when things came up in my life that i could not do anything.... it was turn to faith or turn against myself, give up and die. i was in total despare then.

i am so glad that i had someone or something to turn to as i had 3 little kids. they are all now grown and on their own and i lived to see my grandbabies.....lol

sometimes we need someone or something larger or greater than ourselves to turn to in order to give us strength to go on. this strength may be a delusion but as long as it helps what does it matter....as long as it makes you go on.... that is all that matters. life may be a delusion ....lol

Answer 2

They need it,therefore they think everyone does. I am Pagan and I have a born again Christian friend. She used to be Catholic. When she was there was no problem. However, when she jumped on the born again band wagon she would point out that if I didn't think like she did I was sinning. I then explained. You know, you don't have to be Christian to be a good person. It's about doing the best you can for others.Just because people aren't Christian doesn't mean that they won't go to heaven. What about Islamic people, or Muslims or Jewish or Buddhists? Are they all sinning because they don't believe as you do? No, whatever they believe in its up to them. Even the athiest if he's a good person, what is wrong in his believing that there are no gods. As long as you harm no one, do as you will. Blessed be, Maeve.

Answer 3

Faith is helpful in at a time of desperate need when all options have been defeated. In a situation of life and death in the wilderness a person without faith will most likely give up/die because they have no extension of hope in their mind so they cease to exist in mind and body, whereas the person with faith may be weak in the body but are strong in the mind and they use that bit of strength to allow themselves not to give up so easily.

Faith is not only for the religious, it's for all the living who have a deep connection with it's own life and the surroundings. It gives the living strength in the mind.

Answer 4

Where exactly would one not?Each night you sleep you have faith you will rise.Each time you flip a light switch you have faith that the light will either come on or go off.
Faith is the belief that the unseen future event will occur.We live by faith.You simply wish to narrow it to a particular point to suit your question because it is easier to challenge a single point of faith.

You know that many different things can occur your thought process tells you so yet you expect that narrow corridor of what has happened most often to occur even though it does not always this is faith.You live it each and every moment.

Answer 5

Neat question. I think there's a difference between "belief" and "faith." To me, faith is an undefinable aspect that is deeper than mere *knowledge* or belief.

I think humans would be worse without faith -- in anything -- because it removes another key aspect of existence, and that is hope. I don't care what religion others follow, or whether they follow a religion, at all. You hope for a better life for your children; you hope for peace, or good weather, or a better income... I think hope is a key element of existence.

Religious faith, then, is also a key element of existence for many people, based upon their own set of hopes and subjective certainty.

(Ironically, I think that those who are atheists are also expressing "faith" in their own philosophy of a godless universe.)

Answer 6

I take it as an article of faith that other people have the same kind of consciousness that I have.

It is possible that other people are zombies - sophisticated biological machines that have "no one at home".

There is no way I can scientifically prove one way or the other. I simply have faith that other people are human in the same way I see myself as human.

Oh, and dogs too, although my guess is that dog consciousness is different in many ways from the human version.

Answer 7

No you do not need faith to live the present life. But you do have absolute faith in the barber's skill that you allow him to use a sharp razor to touch your neck. You have absolute faith in eating a plate of food prepred by the chef in the restaurant that you do not see or know at all, realizing that many people have been poisoned or given different kinds of meat from those written in the menu. For instance rat or cat instead of chcken.

Here is what one of the wisest man who became Prime Minister and adviser to three monarchs of three different world kingdoms:

Daniel 12:10 "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand."

No my friend, you do not need absolute faith to live and die in this world. But you need absolute faith to live in the world made new!

Answer 8

To someone who doesn't need it, it is not a need. However to someone else, they may find lots of times they need to have it. I believed in the whole thing until my mid 20's. Looking back, I am glad I had something there in my life that I could put my "faith" into. Everyone needs something.

Answer 9

You don't need faith, you need Salvation through Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins. It does takes faith to believe it, that's why some Christians put so much emphasis on faith. I put emphasis on the Gospel and it's truths.

Answer 10

Faith is a central part of modern life. You have faith that the bank will hold your money. You have faith that votes are counted. You have faith that your wife who sleeps next to you won't suffocate you. You have faith in others all day everyday.