Isnt religions use of the word 'Faith' just their get out of jail free clause when the pressure is on?

Question

Whenever someone is asked to explain something on a religious level, if they cant justify it or explain it, they just say 'You have to have faith'

What a nice, all encompassing, get out of jail free card that works in all situations.

I would love it if Scientists came up with a new vaccine, but instead of putting it up for clinical trials, they just said 'Of course it works, you just have to have faith. Dont question my work.' That kind of reasoning wouldnt get you very far in the real world.

Answer 1

Yes...Faith requires them to have no proof of God...but if you have faith in another way of thinking, you are wrong...Their faith is their hypocrisy.

Answer 2

I was at a trial recently where a woman was trying to explain to the court the fear that prompted self-defense. There were a lot of, "you know. . " and "it was just so. . ." Our language is designed around our physical experiences. When we try to describe something that does not come through our five public senses (sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell) our words fail us.

Scientists study only those items perceivable by our five senses so they of course have no problem describing (generally in more detail than one wants) the steps they took to reach a conclusion. Yes, they study the invisible world of atoms and molecules but they use machines to “see” at that level.

I must admit, I have no eloquent way to describe the way in which I came to believe. That is simply a skill I lack. I don't use, "you have to have faith" but I have toyed with the idea of using, "taste and see" since just as there is no amount of words that can really communicate the experience of a new flavor the same can be said for spiritual experience.

There are some writers, however, that are very eloquent. I would recommend C. S. Lewis' “Mere Christianity”. This highly educated and atheist came to the rational conclusion that he had been missing the real picture.

Answer 3

maybe because of the fact theist is declared in a various thank you to atheist. The atheist makes the ei sound like "e" as a replace of "a" yet i'm not completely constructive that it is the reason. maybe it particularly is real, as creatrix shows, that atheists are for some reason extra perfect spellers. If it have been it would rather effect in atheist being spelt incorrectly extra many times as atheists use the interest theist maximum many times collectively as each and every physique makes use of the interest atheist.

Answer 4

I personally direct people to talk to God about things or read his word. He will give you an answer. Faith is important - I am not saying it isn't. I am just saying that the answer is found somewhere in God's word. It just may not be the answer you are wanting. God does sugar coat things. It is what it is with God. Faith is a simple answer to a complex question. Or I will say- I don't know but you can ask God when you see him. I like that one because it is alright to ask God questions and also because you will have all the answers when you get to heaven.

Answer 5

do you know what faith is,there is no reason we christians should justify or explain anything i wonder do you have faith that when your mom tells you she loves you that you can believe her or make her show the proof,it is not a christian that is in jail but a non-christian so we are not the ones that would need a card we may be in the world but not of the world

Answer 6

I can understand that point of view, it does almost sound like that, doesn't it? But that is not the meaning of the word "faith". That is just the assumed definition.

You use faith every day. You have faith that the person that originally designed your computer chair whenever you sit down. Because the design has proven itself in the past, you immediately sit down without even thinking about it--it becomes second nature. This is faith.

In my life, God has proven His love and exhistence so much, that it has become second nature to address Him as such. Yes, this is faith, but it is based on evidence and reaccuring trust.

There are some things that go beyond our thinking or experience. One of these is life after death. Oh we can philosophy ourselves until we are blue in the face, but the fact remains that neither science, nor man's philosophy can give us hard facts on what comes after. The Bible tells us plainly and gives us the tools needed to prepare. Jesus came, died and rose again to prove that He had the keys to death and the grave. The more I see evidence that God wrote the Bible, the more I come to trust in His ability to hold me up after I die. It has become second nature.

My faith is based on evidence, not in the lack of it.

Answer 7

Not necessarily. By definition, however, religion IS defined by faith. I would think that is obvious. You are wrong to contrast it to science, where proof and evidence define what science is. You are literally comparing oranges and apples.

When it comes to other concepts, the vast majority of Christians do NOT use "faith" as opposed to evidence. I honestly cannot understand why some think we don't believe in science (or validity of proof) just because we believe in God. Of course I still believe in scientific research to confirm results, but what does that have to do with my FAITH in God? Two different categories.

Answer 8

tom j,

Faith and reason are not compatible. Reason is a very important part of science as you noted, but everything in God’s Kingdom works by faith. Here’s an example:

My mother called exactly 3 weeks ago and told me that my father had a stroke that left him unable to speak and without the use of one side of his body. She told me that he was scheduled for a CAT scan the next day.

I prayed for my father to be healed, in Jesus’ name. I prayed specifically that the evidence of his healing would be that the CAT scan would not find any damage to his brain. My mother didn’t know how I prayed, but she called the next day to say that the CAT scan didn’t show any damage to my father’s brain. However, she told me that he couldn’t stand alone without falling over.

I prayed for my father’s healing to be completed, and also asked specifically that his strength return fully so that he was in no danger of falling over. The next day my sister called to say that my father was going up and down stairs by himself.

This is a recent event, but I can cite answers to prayer for many, many things for many years. You may say it is just a coincidence, but I have noticed that when I stop praying – the coincidences stop happening.

Everything in God’s Kingdom works by faith. It is a spiritual kingdom with spiritual laws. When I ask God to do something in Jesus’ name, He said that it would be done. When I act on this rule of God’s kingdom, I see that it works in the real world. My faith has now become something that I can verify, and yes, it is a get out of jail free card.

Let’s see if we can independently verify this with a method that you can witness for yourself. I have prayed for you to be born again and to serve Jesus with all of your heart. If I am right, you will find Jesus. If you are right, you will not.

God gave you your free will so that you can choose whatever you want. I believe that He will bring you to the place where you decide, of your own free will, to follow Him.

I put no time limit on it, but I do ask that when you ask Jesus to forgive you and to come into your heart to be your Savior and Lord that you return to Yahoo! Answers and tell everyone about it.

God bless,

Tom

Answer 9

.That is one of the reasons I searched outside of Christian religions for my spiritual path. Every time I would ask a serious question, that no one in the church could answer, I would be told, "God will answer all your questions in heaven. For now you just have to have faith."
Nope! I wanted answers not more rhetoric.

Answer 10

Because God is worthy of trust, God's promises can comfort the sin-sick soul and the troubled conscience. You're not dealing with a Cosmic Invisible Man who gets his divine jollies out of tossing you forever into a blazing inferno. You're dealing with a God who wants to be a part of your life and wants you to be a part of God's.

To a Christian, faith is confidence and assurance, but it's not self-confidence or self-assurance. It's confidence in Someone Else who you know can do anything but wants to do it with you. That makes it a confidence to live by. It's confidence that even if this Someone isn't 'on your side' of an issue or battle or dispute, this Someone is 'by your side' working to make good things come of your life. That Someone is Christ, who is there in your faith, thanks to what the Spirit does in you. He paid your fine.

Answer 11

Unfortunately, faith, by definition, requires that there be no explanation.

I do not see this as a valid way to live life, but it seems to work for some people.