How do you know what you believe is true?

Question

If all you do is have faith, then you can believe ANYTHING!
If you believe that SATAN is really God and you have the Satanic Bible to prove it, who am I to argue with you - EXCEPT -
that let's say that the Satanists all believe strongly that what they believe is the truth, so they start to grow in number and they start to vote and become political - The next thing you know, I AM BEING AFFECTED BY THEIR BELIEF!

Christians are using politics in the same fashion to shove their religion down everyone else's throat! re: Abortion, homosexuality, funding for the arts, a woman's place is in the home, etc...

It seems a great tragesy that so much policy around the world is based so largely on myth!

and yet, so many will respond to this with "I believe in the Bible nomatter what" or "Jesus is not a myth!"

How can we ever hope to end war and gain enlightenment with this type of widespread propensity for unreasonableness?

Answer 1

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. A person with faith is confident and convinced that what they believe is true. They trust their belief, that it is truth

Science asks us to believe and accept theories as truth, not being able to factual prove them. We are to accept them as truth through facts that are already known and accept as truth. We could be said to have faith in that theory.

Not every belief is true... we could believe that we can levitate, but known facts prove that it can't happen. The Law of Gravity is a fact that most people agree would disprove it. The truth is evident within our experience, and accepted as true.

Religion and spirituality is an area of our lives that we experience and have beliefs we accept as truth. There are moral laws that most everyone can agree are absolute and factual. We believe it is wrong to kill, to steal, etc. It is evident in our experience, and we have faith in these beliefs.

To label these beliefs as Christian alone would not be true, including those things you have listed as well. The beliefs you are affected by are not being "shoved down your throat", but are the the beliefs of the majority in the society that you live in.

Those who believe in those moral laws could say the same. Abortion is a case in point. To many, it is murder. They could say that this is legalized killing, and it is being "forced down their throat". Yet the majority has accepted it. Those who believe in the moral laws still think it is wrong, but accept the fact that the governing laws supports this. To them, it is just as wrong as the person who kills another with a gun. That person had the free will and choice to shoot, or not to shoot. So we continue to use politics to try changing the law to what most would consider to be morally right.

Like it or not, our system of government allows for the dissenting point of view to be brought into the political arena. Homosexuals are a very small minority of the population, yet with it's political agenda and media bias, one would think it true of the majority. Should the government sanction special laws to endorse what is considered unlawful and immoral by the majority? WHO IS BEING AFFECTED BY THEIR BELIEF? We all are, and as a nation, we should base our politics, beliefs and laws on what is morally right, for the highest good of all.

Answer 2

Um, the Satanic Bible is very clear about Satan not being real. It also says God is not real. It is directed at telling people to worship themselves. It is the ultimate conservative document telling people to be self serving. Humans are not the center of the universe in it. Just one Human is. It is all about ME, ME, ME is it's message. Everybody that adopts the "Screw You Jack, I am looking out for Numero Uno" act, is following the rules of the Satanic Bible.
I just thought I should mention that.

How do I know that what I believe is true, is a really good question. One thing is hard testing. If I believe a dropped penny would hit the floor I can test that. Falsifiability. If I say, "My belief that a dropped penny is false, so a dropped penny wont hit the floor," I can test that. Observations on predictions is another thing. I have faith and accept on faith a few things. But not very many things.Until it has been tested and validated it is all just a hypothesis. After validation some things become theories.(provisional truth until something proves them wrong).
I know you were directing your question at the religious people but I decided to answer it anyhow.

Answer 3

Because you believe something is true, that doesn't make it true.

HOWEVER, that's the point and definition of faith. The belief in something with no rational explanation. You believe in something even though it is unprovable.

I could list stories of prayers I've made that, in my mind, have come true. Could you argue my stories and come up with reasons to explain them, probably. Will it matter to me, though? No. Because in my mind, they were prayers answered.

Not all Christians are using politics or shoving their beliefs down people's throats. There are those that are, yes, I don't disagree with that. But not all of us. And a lot of policy uses religion (and gives it a bad name in many cases) simply as a means of justifying things. It's not the real reason.

Answer 4

Humanity is still very young. If you haven't noticed we only have so much time to figure things out and by the time we do most are near death seeking absolution. As for the reason that Religion rules its because that is the oldest form of government we have and it is still the only government we have. I AM NOT SAYING IT IS RIGHT!!!!! I'm just pointing it out that its majority of the peoples Beliefe that forms most countrys. Also it is easier to say that i have gods favor to kill you when we go to war. and to mention that i am putting you to death in the name of god for your worldy deeds. it makes scared weaklings feel better about what they are doing every day. also it the defining force that supposedly seperates us from the beasts. I will prove this wrong right now...

Ever seen Animals eat. The biggest or the toughest eats first, right? Well, many religions require that you pray before eating. That way the church or god gets their pick first. If a child eats before prayer then doesn't an older person take it away and put it down away from the child. their hand slapped for eating before the people dining get wang slapped by thier god in grattitude for eating their kill. HAH!!!

However, human is no better than the beasts. The strong mate, survive, eat better, live better, and die later. You don't have money opps so sorry you are not important so go die... awwwe isn't it sad. GREED GLUTONY these things while they are defined as bad are alive within our structure here in america i know and lets see hmmm..... the WHOLE BLANK BLANKEDY BLANK BLANK WORLD! Capitalism, BAH!!! Love thy neighbor, Hiroshima, Do not covet thy neigbors wife or thy neighbors goods. Hey nice car, mines a 350 hyuck hyuck hyuck... Envy, Who took first place??? Sloth, Trickle down Economics... They are peeing on you!!! Wrath, So how many more nucular bombs than everyone else put together do we own exactly... There is an extreme double negative to all things we do and until we begin to realize that money should not be the defining point of ourexistance and that your religion is just as good as mine then it doesn't matter if i don't believe what your preaching... DON'T TELL ME THAT I AM GOING TO HELL BECAUSE I WOULD RATHER KILL YOU AND TAKE YOU THERE THEN DITCH YOU BECAUSE IF I DON'T BELIEVE IN YOUR GOD THEN I DON'T BELIEVE IN YOUR DEMONS SO QUIT TRYING TO CURSE ME TO MY FACE YOU ANAL RETENTIVE SON OF A BLANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Curse me im pretty much fine but when my child is with me call me a heathen or tell me that im going to hell see if you don't end up face down in a ditch on a milk carton...

Because it is too easy to label something as being good and something as being bad when you get religion into it. That is why our country will never be free of bias, hatred, anger, religion, capitalism, stupidity and yes all of these things are the exact same thing...

Answer 5

and who's to say that what you believe is truth,all these things you are mentioning are slowly becoming a accepted thing in society,i personally dont agree with abortion or homosexuality,or even what some people consider art,but that's between me and God and no one has the right to tell me I'm wrong for thinking this way

Answer 6

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Answer 7

People "know" what they believe is true by inner conviction and communication with god. However, if everyone who "knows" their god is right IS right, there are a lot of gods, which rules out all the monotheistic religions.

Therefore, some people that "know" 100% that they are right are still wrong.

Answer 8

Scripture reveals this Church to be the one Jesus Christ built upon the rock of Saint Peter (Matt. 16:18). By giving Peter the keys of authority (Matt. 16:19), Jesus appointed Peter as the chief steward over His earthly kingdom (cf. Isaiah. 22:19-22). Jesus also charged Peter to be the source of strength for the rest of the apostles (Luke 22:32) and the earthly shepherd of Jesus' flock (John 21:15-17). Jesus further gave Peter, and the apostles and elders in union with him, the power to bind and loose in heaven what they bound and loosed on earth. (Matt. 16:19; 18:18). This teaching authority did not die with Peter and the apostles, but was transferred to future bishops through the laying on of hands (e.g., Acts 1:20; 6:6; 13:3; 8:18; 9:17; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:6).

By virtue of this divinely-appointed authority, the Catholic Church determined the canon of Scripture (what books belong in the Bible) at the end of the fourth century. We therefore believe in the Scriptures on the authority of the Catholic Church. After all, nothing in Scripture tells us what Scriptures are inspired, what books belong in the Bible, or that Scripture is the final authority on questions concerning the Christian faith. Instead, the Bible says that the Church, not the Scriptures, is the pinnacle and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and the final arbiter on questions of the Christian faith (Matt. 18:17). It is through the teaching authority and Apostolic Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:2) of this Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 16:13), that we know of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manifold wisdom of God. (cf. Ephesians 3:10).

Answer 9

NOTHING is true. Whether you believe in God or not, it makes no difference. Truth doesn't exist, it only exists in our minds. Everything is socially constructed.

'The focus of social constructionism is to uncover the ways in which individuals and groups participate in the creation of their perceived reality.' (see the link below).

Answer 10

because we have found by practice that there is truth in it and it leads to the positive as opposed to death destruction and the negative... a person can have faith that somthing theyre doing or believing is right and good and the outcome is obviously negative ...