Is 'faith' simply not wanting to know what is true? Was Nietzsche right?

Question

Heres a few famous quotes about faith:

"Faith: not wanting to know what is true."--Friedrich Nietzsche

"Faith, indeed, has up to the present not been able to move real mountains.... But it can put mountains where there are none."--Friedrich Nietzsche

“We may define "faith" as the firm belief in something for which there is no evidence. Where there is evidence, no one speaks of "faith." We do not speak of faith that two and two are four or that the earth is round. We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotion for evidence.”--Bertrand Russell

Why do we uphold "faith" as a virtue? I mean, in an advanced society, shouldnt it be mocked instead? Why would a "God" even want such a thing like "faith as a child"...how does this please him...I mean, you might as well replace that expression with "faith of a dog" or "faith of robot".

Answer 1

2:23 And if you doubt any part of what We have, bestowed from on high, step by step, upon Our servant, then produce a chapter of similar merit, and call upon any other than God to bear witness for you -if what you say is true!





2:13 And when they are told, "believe as other people believe," they answer, "Shall we believe as the weak-minded believe?" Oh, verily, it is they, they who are weak-minded -but they know it not!

I'm not asking you for faith, only a logical analysis.

Answer 2

Well, first you are concentrating on the definition of faith from a Christian perspective. There are many, many different faiths in this world - many of them have been around much longer then Christianity. And there have been many people of faith throughout history that have made brillant advancements to human progress.

Faith should not be throwing reason out the window. I have met a lot of atheists and agnostics who believe that faith means just closing your eyes to logic. This is simply not true. Faith should never be blind, nor should it confound itself in front of reason.

Those who hold faith should always be seeking for understanding of both God and of the world. Logic and faith can coexist together. The only reason why is when a belief system will not allow this. Which means that this type of belief system needs to be questioned and perhaps even left.

I like how that since we are such an advanced society that we need to toss faith out. That we need to mock all those that have faith. Science isn't even half way there for explaining things. In fact, the further science gets, the more questions are raised. And science cannot be proved 100%.

Perhaps I should mock you for throwing yourself behind something that has very few answers and cannot be shown to be the absolute truth.

Answer 3

What a tragic conclusion ! So. Fred...may I call you Fred..Ohh that's right you are dead and had been brain dead for 11 years before you died. Lived with you ma, did ya!!! The one you hated so vehemently, in fact, the only one you hated more than your mother, was Jesus !! I'll bet that you aren't living with Him. LOL

And may I add fred, that your conclusion is also merely a pronouncement, a subjective opinion and nothing more.

Here's a quote to mentally munch on: "You can do very little with faith, but you can do nothing without it" Samuel Butler

What is the opposite of faith? No faith, no faith equal nilhism; which is anti life.

Thus, it is self evident that faith is a virtue. And if you think this is an advanced society; you've been smoking too much 'wacky tobaccy'. Technologically, we have made advances; but man/woman relationships are travesty's (of what their potential was), woman's equality is farther behind than relationships, our ethics (rather lack of) leave us with medical and war machines and processes that we haven't got a clue of what to do with them, and I am still vehemently offended by the supreme court's decision that "all men are created equal; but, some are more equal than others"..Wait that was G. Orwell..

ok, Their decision was: "separate but equal" OMG: what a hypocritical and self deluded 'judgment' that was (if you don't remember, that was about blacks and whites; in the 50's)

Finally, having faith as a child means that to be able to comprehend The Anointed One -one must suspend the so called advanced/mature intellect and open one's mind to the possibility that this is merely the 3rd dimension of reality and Jesus is the way to the 4th dimension. In other words, one must be 'open' to the potential for faith; and Jesus also made it clear: First, you do this...THEN, you get to know. And those who can't or won't do this are, understandably, outraged.
But, that's just too darn bad; those are the conditions - take them or leave them.

Thus, having faith is something that a 'good rationalist' simply cannot do. Which leaves him/her godless (or in the unenviable position of having to either make one up or attack others' who have a God). It was fred himself who pronounced that 'God is dead....our ability to be rational has killed him'. Ooopps slight mistake there too..it was zarathustra, who fred channeled, who said that God is dead.

Answer 4

No. No. Faith is believing in something without 100% proof. Your faith starts from where your proof ends. It is not that you do not want to know what is the truth. It is more that you believe something is true even when you cannot prove it totally.

Also Hitler fancied Nietzsche

Answer 5

According to the Bible, 'faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see'. (Hebrews 11:1).

Answer 6

faith, is quite simply, trust...nietzsche, as with most 'philosophers' i have read, was full of it up to his eyeballs

Answer 7

i see a huge flaw in the whole 'faith' thing which christians are conveniently blind to.

Answer 8

Nietzche thought about things too much.