If faith means believing without evidence, how can religious people claim to have faith?

Question

Since they don't just believe without evidence, they take it to a new level and believe even in the face of evidence to the contrary? I think they need a new word.

Answer 1

Where did you come up with such a silly definition?
I have plenty of evidence - a totally transformed life.

Answer 2

Faith doesn't mean believing without evidence. It is the evidence of the spiritual kind that makes me beleive. Some people also use logic and physical evidence (eg history, archeology) to support beleif, but ultimately, the thing that really convinces people that God is real, is a spiritual feeling. It's the best kind of evidence. You'd have to experience it to know what I'm talking about.

They don't need a new word - lots of people have different definitions for the word "faith", so you need to talk to lots of people (or ask Qs on Y!A) to understand the different perspectives.

Answer 3

If we truly can know only those things for which we have empirical evidence, then we cannot teach there is no God unless we have evidence for that belief.

Consider only evidence that can be gathered through the senses. In such a system, it is much easier to prove there is a God than to prove there is not a God. To prove there is a God, all it takes is for one person to see, hear, or otherwise have an experience with God, and thereafter the existence of God cannot be disproved. But here is what it would take to prove there is no God: Since God is not confined to this earth, we would have to search throughout the universe for him. We assume God is able to move about, so it would not be enough to start at point A in the universe and search through to point Z. What if after we leave point A, God moves there and stays there for the rest of the search?

In other words, to say that there is no God, based on the very criteria established, yoiu would have to perceive every cubic meter of the universe simultaneously. This creates a paradox: In order to prove there is no God, you would have to be a god yourself! Therefore, in declaring there is no God, you are acting on “faith,” the very thing for which you deride.

Answer 4

Faith is not believing without evidence. Consider Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This means that my faith is based of the evidence that God is real. God says, "with faith, you can move mountains." It's a perfect word because it allows God to see who will be "tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine" and see who will stand fast and hold on the the confidence they have that Jesus is Lord.

Answer 5

Perhaps. Here is a new word though. You may need to read it a few times and do more searching to really understand what it is saying.

“If ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” Alma 32:27 – 43.

" would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." Ether 12:6

Answer 6

Do you always over-interpret things?

We have faith because we believe the evidence that has been shown to us. We believe the artifacts and sites that have been found in the Middle East.

We believe in the own everyday miracles that happen to us and to others. We believe because we see the evidence. The type of evidence that many people want is absolute physical evidence with the stamp "Made by God". It's not going to happen. With all they evidence found in the Middle East it's still not enough.

People will always argue because they are to egotistical to give in.

Answer 7

Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for though not yet beheld. (Heb. 11: 1) It is not believing without evidence. You have faith based on what you know. A track record if you will.

If someone has a good record or reputation for accomplishment, then there can be faith that his future efforts will work also.

If you know nothing about someone, you can not have faith.

Answer 8

Excellent question.
Here are 3 examples of people who try to bolster their flagging faith with deception, pseudoscience and BS.

‘Faith doesn't mean believing without evidence’
Actually that is exactly what it means.


Faith is not believing without evidence. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.
Heb 11:1
A statement taken out of its context and thereby stripped of its true meaning.

“We have faith because we believe the evidence that has been shown to us.”
If you have evidence, faith would become unnecessary and meaningless.

I leave it to you to provide the new name.

Answer 9

I believe without much evidence. I consider asking god to make me feel better and having a good day some proff- but even when I still have bad days I think god has a reason for doing so not b/c he is not real

Answer 10

I even have melancholy. i bypass by using classes of very low shallowness, the place i'm confident that i'm quite plenty next to valueless. for somebody like me, and definitely for many folk in not common positions, having faith that issues gets greater helpful and that one is worth something, notwithstanding if others do not think of so, isn't basically danger unfastened, that's powerful and efficient. I even have considered that faith can create someone whose ideals have molded them into somebody incredibly candy and compassionate. Does that recommend that each little thing we have confidence with out info is nice? of direction not. yet faith may be powerful and strong, perhaps even mandatory, to those who use it. i ended gazing Gurren Lagann not too some time past. in case you're actually not conscious of it, that's in all probability between the main ridiculous mecha animes ever made, wherein the characters triumph over all odds by using not something greater suitable than sheer theory of their skill to accomplish that (and perhaps sizable robots, yet that's beside the element). it might possibly not make particularly some experience, even though it surely reminds you that perseverance interior the face of melancholy is often greater helpful than in simple terms giving up.

Answer 11

there isn't any religion that can provide tangible proof... the bible was supposedly written by disciples so its nothing more then science fiction. god is only there to explain the unknown and give humans the comfort in explanation of what they cant figure out. way back when thunder and lightning was blamed on a god now we know what causes it and why it happens leaving no need for a god to blame it on. volcano's erupting were thought to be unhappy gods but now we know its a venting process so no longer do we need a god to explain that either. we still cant let our self believe that when you die there is nothing and the pain of losing someone is extreme so we just make it easier by saying they went to a better place in heaven blah blah blah... faith is believing what ever some moron tells you and not questioning it. or you will burn in...um OK just sit in a wooden box while the worms eat your organs. lets just go to war over make beleive gods and sacrifice ourself for what ever your religion says. have you ever thought about a speck of dust... it is made of a atom with revolving satilite and contains millions of microbs. well isnt that what earth is? a speck of dust in space with a few satilites and a moon?? then 22 light years away ( which well never travel) is another planet that could contain a liform like ours. thing is were nothing more then that fine speck of dust in your living room just floating around and one day poof all your tales of religion well be relized to be nothing more then a fairy tale. if you wanna beleive that a god exists then so be it... hes nothing more then a dumb kid with a ant farm.shaking it constantly just to make entertainment for himself. why else would he watch innocent die and evil provale?