Why do people seem to think you can choose whether or not to have faith?

Question

When it comes down to it, faith is an emotional thing, like falling in love. It can't be forced to happen. You can choose what to do with your faith or lack thereof, but you cannot choose whether or not you have it. I choose not to pretend I have faith when I do not, because I do believe in morality and truth, and I won't lie to myself or anyone else about it.

Answer 1

You said:"When it comes down to it, faith is an emotional thing, like falling in love."

While respecting your right to a perspective, the above statement is just that-a perspective. 'Faith', in your eyes, means something to different to you than it can be considered for many other people.

Dictionary.com defines faith as:
1.confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
6. the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.
7. the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.
8. Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

From these definations, I am not seeing that agrees with your personal opinion. It seems, at least to this particular website, that faith is a voluntary action?

While I'm not trying to change how you interpret faith, I do think it's important to note that perceptions are built with many, many variables.

If faith is an emotional thing, like falling in love-then one can easily say that faith is an emotional thing, like reacting poorly to a situation because you were angry. You do have a choice on what to think about, how to respond, and what to do with the information you are given or the societies that tell you to believe one way or another.

Answer 2

Regardless of your follow up in the details, the answer to your question is ... Yes, of course.
Faith in the existence of something that does not exist is something that was taught. OK, so you fell in love with the idea and you want it to be true. Pity that it isn't. People have faith that Elvis is still alive, because they want it to be true so much.
In response to whoever it was that said that love comes from the heart ... that is nonsense. Love is yet another emotion and lies solely in the brain. The heart has NOTHING to do with emotion other than it might speed up a bit if the emotion is triggered in the brain.
Has no-one done Biology 101 here?
To return to the 'cant be forced to happen' part ... yes it can. As a child is indoctrinated into a religious belief it IS forced. Albeit a very gentle forcing but a forcing nonetheless. Thus, a faith in a non-existent being is forced into the receptive mind. In other areas, this is called brain-washing. Being MADE to accept a suggestion, whether it is true or false. All too easy with young kids, sadly.

So, when the time came, when I reached the age of being able to think clearly myself, I CHOSE not to have faith in the non-existent. Quite easy. It wasn't easy at first because of all the BS that I was fed by adult Sunday School teachers who, looking back, were plainly retards. Yes, I had the faith when I was younger, as an impressionable kid I accepted everything that adults told me. Why would they lie to me?

Aside from that, although I am heterosexual myself, I understand that one cannot choose whether to be homosexual or not. It is genetically pre-planned. Many mammals other than mankind also get 'confused' in the same way. Haven't you seen lesbian cows playing?

Get out more. Get an education. Get some proper research under your belt. Stop generalising. Accept reality and dump the god concept. It is a lie and you have fallen for it.

Answer 3

There is a bit of difference between believing in God and having faith. You are right, you either believe or you don't, and you can't pretend to believe.

But having faith is not an emotional thing, I have to disagree with you on that one. How emotional was it for you to first sit down in the chair you are in? You had to have some sort of faith in the chair in order to rely upon it to hold you up, but it didn't require any emotion in you (unless of course it fell lol).

No, faith is something you get with practice. When I first became a Christian I had a lot of belief, but no real faith because it was untested. Faith takes time and use.

I do get what you mean though, and agree with you that you should not pretend to believe if you do not really believe. That's wrong.

Answer 4

Well it is a choice and it's a choice exactly like falling in love. Everything we do is for reasons good or bad, sufficient or insufficient, falling in love is a good example. We may think that we have no choice because the feelings are overwhelming but in the end we have will power over our feelings. Put beside this it seems clear that having faith is a choice. Choosing evidence, rejecting other evidence it's exactly like selecting a chocolate from a large box, however, there are monolithic cultures where certain types of chocolates aren't in a particular box. A wonderful thing to examine (you can google this) is the Cargo Cults of the Pacific. I think they represent in miniature some of our attitudes to faith and religion. Not too many chocolates in those boxes. (my husband answered this, he's clearly on chocolate this morning).....

Answer 5

Yes, unfortunately, you cannot choose your IQ, but you can choose not to be ignorant, and that's what matters most. However, faith isn't what you feel inside. It's stepping off the ledge when someone says they will catch you. It doesn't require you to feel good, or to be 100% certain. It just requires the act of trusting something you don't know.

In fact, faith is forced everyday that people bring their children to church. It's brain-washing. People should be capable of thinking for themselves and weighing their options before they decide what they believe in.

Answer 6

Belief is a choice. Faith is a conscious expression of that choice.

(It doesn't seem so sometimes when people utter pat phrases like... "Oh, Honey... just have faith"... like faith is something a body can purchase at the nearest grocery!)

My belief is that a lot of people seem to think faith is a choice because they do not examine their attitudes and beliefs. They embrace a cause blindly... and justify their actions and attitudes by alluding to faith. Personally, I get no understanding out of that. It is another form of... "If you don't believe me, ask me!"

You are correct... faith is not a choice... but belief is.

Answer 7

Human beings have free will. They have the right to choose everything, including faith. You say faith is like falling in love. Are you saying love in pre-destined? Everyone is going to fall in love whether they like it or not? I beg to differ.

Answer 8

Faith is not an emotional thing. You are commanded in the Bible to have faith no matter whay you may be feeling. Faith is believing that those things thay may have you "feeling" emotionally drained will soon be over and you will be the victor.

What you seem to have is self-wisdom which can only be righted with the truth in the Bible. I can get you those Scriptures to back up that truth if you want. Pray about it and look it up in the only place with the true answer- the Bible.

Answer 9

i replaced into no longer born into the church so I quite have had countless stories with different church homes and that i've got no longer seen a church that doesn't suppress dissent and reward conformity it is no longer an LDS ingredient it extremely is a existence-style ingredient and right it extremely is an occasion, in case you do no longer in basic terms like the US military and their strikes each and every person hates you and additionally you do no longer comprehend what your talking approximately subsequently your no longer a competent citizen yet once you conform and prefer the army you're seen an surprising us citizen. many countries additionally stress conformity on their voters and in the event that they do no longer choose the consiquences are actually not pleasant. On yet another observe I quite have not seen to many church homes the place i'm able to assert that i choose some help doing such and such and characteristic 50 people very virtually knocking my door right down to help. As for having doubts as to climate the religion is actual each and every person has them it extremely is known and it extremely is what the adversary needs because of the fact it provides him a foothold to deliver you down, hence we've prayer and the scriptures so we are in a position to examine, improve, and improve our thoughts for with no testimony of your guy or woman you are able to in no way actual carry close and have self assurance in the gospel. I quite have an affidavit and it extremely is a sturdy one and confident I quite have doubts in basic terms like each and every person else, even in spite of the shown fact that it is the phobia of the unknown and the adversary that creates those doubts. i will go away each and every person with this piece of propose, Pray, learn your scriptures so which you would be able to income information and type your guy or woman thoughts and improve them, no remember what faith you'll be because of the fact in case you in no way income any information of the gospel you will in no way comprehend in the journey that your faith is actual.

Answer 10

When you believe you have faith. Beliefs comes first and faith is what comes threw believing!