Is faith bad?

Question

Faith by it's definition is belief without evidence or in extreme cases, belief in something despite evidence to the contrary. Why then do seemingly rational, reasonable people seem to think that faith is a virtue, when in reality it amounts to nothing more than wishful thinking.

Other said:

"Compare what you said to the following:

A child is done with an after school class, calls her mom saying she is ready to be picked-up. She goes out in front of the school to wait and has faith that her mom will come.

Nothing intrinsincly wrong with faith."

The child does not act based on faith. The child has solid reasons to believe that his mother will come and pick him up. Those reasons are: He knows his mom has his best interests in mind based on past experience. He knows his mother's car is reliable and was just serviced. He heard directly from his mother that she would pick him up. Etc. Faith doesn't enter into it. If the child sat on the steps of the school waiting for Superman to come and fly him home, that would be an act of faith.

readytogo said:

"Don't you put faith in every day things...such as your car starting and getting you to work. Your alarm clock waking you up on time. Making plans a week a head or, month not knowing if you'll be here or not. How about your doctor and the prescription he gives you. The pilot who flies your airplane"

Again, you're confusing faith with reasonable belief. I ride a bus to work, but I don't have faith that the bus will arrive on time, I have reason to believe it will arrive on time based on past experience. The public transit system in my city is reliable. All of the other things you cite I have sound reasons for believing that people and things will behave in an expected manner based on past experience. I don't think you folks really understand what faith is. I'll say it again:

Faith is belief in something for which there is no evidence. Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Judahsflower said:

"IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT U HAVE FAITH IN. WE ALL HAVE FAITH IN OR BELIEF IN SOMETHING. SOME HAVE FAITH IN THE LOTTO THAT IT WILL HOLD THEM OVER WITH WINNINGS BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY ITS THE FAITH THAT WILL BRING LASTING EVIDENCE. "

Firstly, why are you shouting? Secondly you're confused and aren't making a whole lot of sense. Faith is not the same as belief. Belief is an idea that you hold to be true based on one or more things. Past experience, logic, and data in support of it are all solid reasons for believing in an idea or thing. Faith is belief in something in the absence of those things.

Answer 1

Faith supports bigotry at its worst.
Tammi Dee

Answer 2

There are as many definitions for "faith" as there are religious
people. A belief without evidence can be as false as the
day as long.
There are rational people with religious beliefs who are skeptical.
I hope you seek them out and find them. I've been looking for
a while.
I don't accept the claims of clergy without proof, and won't do it
for scientists, be they creationist or evolutionist.
There is also an admonition in the new testament that says,
Prove all things. The new testament therefore does not
tell any one to believe any thing "without proof."
A Christian is not supposed to be gullible.
When you believe any thing, you're buying into something.
Buyer beware.
Moderation.

Answer 3

Faith can be both a powerful and evil. Faith can help some people through the day, whether in a spiritual being such as God or faith in fellow humans. But it can also be a bad thing. Some people exploit faith to take advantage of other people or get something they want. So like most things in this world, there is a bright side, but also a darker side.

Answer 4

I am a rational, reasonable person, and I can assure you faith is a good thing.

We assign faith as a top priority in our lives to make living more comfortable.
I'd rather have faith for no reason, than live 80 years of cynicism, believing in nothing but death.
Impermanence is inevitable, and we all realize this; but it is in faith that we are able to find some comfort that perhaps something else awaits us once we end our human lives.

Without faith, life is too blunt and depressing for most people to take.

Answer 5

Compare what you said to the following:

A child is done with an after school class, calls her mom saying she is ready to be picked-up. She goes out in front of the school to wait and has faith that her mom will come.

Nothing intrinsincly wrong with faith.

Answer 6

Don't you put faith in every day things...such as your car starting and getting you to work. Your alarm clock waking you up on time. Making plans a week a head or, month not knowing if you'll be here or not. How about your doctor and the prescription he gives you. The pilot who flies your airplane.

Answer 7

IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT U HAVE FAITH IN. WE ALL HAVE FAITH IN OR BELIEF IN SOMETHING. SOME HAVE FAITH IN THE LOTTO THAT IT WILL HOLD THEM OVER WITH WINNINGS BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY ITS THE FAITH THAT WILL BRING LASTING EVIDENCE.

Answer 8

You misunderstand faith... Faith that is not based on some fact is fantacy. My Faith and The Faith of all those of The True Christian Faith is based on the absolute fact of God's existance.

Answer 9

Think about it this way. The word FAITH was first introduced to humanity several thousand years ago when God had his disciples write the bible. I believe your definition of faith is secular, rather than from the origin of it's spiritual nature concerning God.

Answer 10

For the masses, only when one belief system interferes with the beliefs of another. Thus is this war we're fighting right now.