OK, this is a two part quetion directed mainly at atheists, although anyone may answer?

Question

Do you think "faith" is a belief that is not backed up by any factual evidence?
Why or why not?
Thank you in advance for your answers, and please...try not to be tooo rude tonight...I have a headache....

Answer 1

Faith is sometimes supported by factual evidence and sometimes by more indirect evidence. Let me explain:
1) I have a lot of faith that the sun will come up tomorrow. It has every day that I have been alive. Though some days I have to take it on faith that it is there because of heavy clouds. The direct evidence is there most of the time. The direct evidence supports my faith when the direct evidence is not.
2) Even though my father has never said, "I love you." I know that he does because he demonstrates it; for example, even though he lives several hours away and is unable to physically make the drive, every time I am hurting, he calls me to see how I am doing. He calls to check on his grandkids. He provides evidence; it is not the direct evidence that I would like, i.e. using the words; he shows by his continual actions that he loves me and my family.
3) I don't believe I have ever seen a dinosaur walking around, in fact other than an alligator, I know I haven't. I have never even been on a dig where their bones were being escavated. But there are people who observe these escavation and have participated. So many people that I believe dinosaurs did exist. I don't even know any of these people personally, but the evidence is convincing. Though not very direct.
4) I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, is God and that God exists. Plus I believe that He is a living God. I have read the account of many persons that knew Jesus while here on this earth: I have read and heard accounts of many person impacted by God, though I don't know all of them personally, I believe their evidence. Though my God has never personally audibly told that me He loves me, he shows me every day when I turn my life and my will over to him. He communicates to me in thousands of ways. He does it everyday even though he doesn't phyiclally appear in a way that I can see him. Just like the sun, it happens so often that I know it is true. Just like my dad, I know by his actions. Just like the dinosaurs, I know by the witnesses and the evidence.

Answer 2

It is possible to have faith in something that is backed up by factual evidence, like if you know that typically your son has a tendency to come home when you ask him to then you can have faith in the fact that he will. That kind of faith makes some kind of sense. Having faith in something as utterly un-provable as a god doesn't make quite as much sense, there is no evidence of the existence of a god and plenty of evidence of the existence of the universe. Asking where the universe came from doesn't prove the existence of god, it just provides a worse and more profoundly implausible question; that of from whence god came? Of course when you are trying to prove the existence of something as facile as a god, then you can just keep throwing out wild cards like- ah - ah, god exists outside the laws of the universe!... how entertaining. We argue with Christians about these things mostly because we care about the future of humanity, not because we hate you.

Answer 3

1. I think everyone operates on faith, to some degree. We all make assumptions about things without fully examining them. How many of us check each elevator before we ride, or walk across the street with the light on the assumption that each of the drivers will obey the red light?

The mind has evolved (yes, he said evolved) in response to the complexity and unpredictability of the world. A major component of that mind is belief. We cannot function without a set of assumptions upon which we base our choices.

Much of what we believe is based on the statistics of experience. The elevator works almost all the time, and the drivers in the majority of instances, stop for the light.

Answer 4

yep, i feel that faith is a belief not structured on any hardcore proof, because then it would be fact and everyone would believe it.
dictionary.com gives this explanation:
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.

Answer 5

Faith is simply the belief in things not seen.

It applies to religion as well as countless other things. The love you share for another, the faith you have that your date will show up on time, that your dog won't bite if you pet him while he's sleeping. All of these require faith. You can't see it, smell it, touch it. It's not something that can be held in your hand, it's realm is the heart.

Answer 6

I suppose it could also refer to a belief not adequately backed by factual evidence; backed by anecdotal or questionable evidence;
ultimately, I would say all belief involves some degree of faith; even belief in scientific or mathematical "law".

Answer 7

no, I have faith that my car will start when I put the key in the ignition and turn it--there is factual evidence that there is nothing wrong with my car to prevent it from doing so, but having not done it yet, I still have faith

Answer 8

"Do you think "faith" is a belief that is not backed up by any factual evidence?"

Faith is by definition belief without evidence. If you have evidence you no longer believe something on faith.

Answer 9

Right. Faith is believing something that has no evidence, but that you try to convince yourself is real regardless.

Why? Desperation? Mental Illness? Immature thinking? I have no idea. People desperately want to believe there's something more after this life. Something wondrous after death that will make this life seem paltry by comparison. They're fooling themselves, and trying to drag everyone else with them. Why not make this life wondrous...instead of fighting about religion the whole time and wasting opportunities for joy?

Answer 10

I define faith as belief without evidence or in spite of evidence to the contrary.

If you have evidence for a belief you don't need faith.