2007-01-21 02:57:41 · 21 answers · asked by gasp 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I think you may be hung up on words. If you believe in God you believe in God. To me, that means you already have faith. Belief and faith are synonymous.
Also, don't fall for the atheists, because they cannot prove that there is not a God.
First of all, there is overwhelming evidence all around that God exists. For example, have you ever seen an autopsy? It was difficult for me not to believe after I saw the actual organs inside the body and fascinating how these could function together with completely separate functions. How could this have evolved entirely from plankton? How could this human machine of organs be possible without a design or creator?
Secondly, Blaise Pascal was a great mathematician. He waged others that there was a God and that if you believed, you would have the probability of an eternity of happiness. If you waged against God, then there was a probability that you would have an unpleasant afterlife. So given the two options, the Wager for God is a better decision because it is the more logical choice. There is no proof about the Bible, but if you choose for God, then one would believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Also, I think a lot of people are in denial. All you have to do is REALLY look around at the complexity and design of life and how can a person not believe in a creator?
2007-01-21 03:00:53 · answer #1 · answered by charles 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No it is not. Without faith, the only way to know god would be through evidence and there isn't any...
Charles said some things I would like to respond to:
"don't fall for the atheists, because they cannot prove that there is not a God"
It's not for the atheists to prove there is no god but for the theists to prove there is one. If you believe in little fairies at the bottom of your garden and you want others to believe in them, then you have to prove it. Not them disprove it. If you believe in elves on flying horses dragging the sun across the sky, then you have to prove it and it's not for others to disprove.
"First of all, there is overwhelming evidence all around that God exists. For example, have you ever seen an autopsy? It was difficult for me not to believe after I saw the actual organs inside the body and fascinating how these could function together with completely separate functions. How could this have evolved entirely from plankton? How could this human machine of organs be possible without a design or creator?"
If there was a creator why wouldn't the human body be perfect? Why do males have nipples? Why do we have tonsils? Why do we suffer from disease?
As a second point, complexity is not by definition a sign of a creator. Simplicity is. If you saw two rocks, and one was a perfect cube, while the other was irregularly shaped, which would you think was made by a creator?
"laise Pascal was a great mathematician. He waged others that there was a God and that if you believed, you would have the probability of an eternity of happiness. If you waged against God, then there was a probability that you would have an unpleasant afterlife. So given the two options, the Wager for God is a better decision because it is the more logical choice."
This is such a stupid argument. If I accepted the argument of heaven and hell, then first off I'd have to choose a religion. If I got the wrong one I'd be damned just as if I chose to do nothing. So the idea of two options is clearly flawed. You are also assuming equal chances of these options being correct. If there was a 50% chance of a particular religion being correct, then Pascals's wager would make sense. But logic dictates otherwise.
"There is no proof about the Bible, but if you choose for God, then one would believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Also, I think a lot of people are in denial. All you have to do is REALLY look around at the complexity and design of life and how can a person not believe in a creator?"
Firstly, assuming you are right and there is a creator. Why does it need to be a god? Why does it need to be a god that is covered by a religion? Why does this creator still need to exist? And where's the connection between being created and the whole Heaven/Hell thing?
There is no proof about the bible as you say. And the religions it inspires are scared of science, which cannot be a good message to send out... So are atheists (and I assume members of other religions) in denial? Or are the Christians (and the members of other religions)?
2007-01-21 15:52:41 · answer #2 · answered by The Truth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Faith and belief are synonymous.It is not possible to know God without Faith because faith is about believing in One you cannot see.
2007-01-21 12:34:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In a sense, yes, it is. Faith is basically wishful thinking. It is belief without evidence. In the absence of any real evidence for any gods, religion has to try to develop an emotional bond with the myth in order for the converts to think it true. It has to make the convert want the existence of god to be true. Without faith, religion would have to put forward convincing evidence that their god exists, but it really has none. All of the apologetics is really a concerted attempt to add a facade of rationality by plugging up holes in the belief with rationalizations. Any person honestly examining those rationalizations wouldn't buy them, unless there was instilled a deep desire for them to be true. This is why religions put so much emphasis on the "virtue" of faith.
2007-01-21 11:04:06 · answer #4 · answered by nondescript 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No body has seen God except for a few prophets maybe, but to believe that he exists can only be possible with faith!
2007-01-21 11:38:55 · answer #5 · answered by Fez 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. It is absolutely necessary to have a Faith to know the Unique Almighy. Because, the labs and empiricism cannot help to find a knowledge about the realm of metaphysics, meta-astronomy, meta-mathematics. Belief and Faith are synonymous words in your question and in this reply.
2007-01-21 11:10:06 · answer #6 · answered by sunamwal 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
When I had very little faith and was full of resentment and cynicism, God came to me and told me the truth, so then it was possible to know God without faith. Faith came later when I saw the truth for what it was, my saving grace.
2007-01-21 11:17:30 · answer #7 · answered by mesun1408 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Since there is no evidence of a God then you must have faith that there is. You could try some of the brainwashing techniques used by religious people to convince yourself if you want. These include suggestion (preaching) and auto-suggestion (prayer). Help yourself.
2007-01-21 11:04:52 · answer #8 · answered by gbiaki 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Not likely. You can research and study as much about God as you want, but there must be certain points that remain a mystery to you. It is those things you take on faith.
2007-01-21 11:05:44 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Faith IS believing
2007-01-21 11:08:49 · answer #10 · answered by jasmin2236 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋