Seeing is believing?

Question

Seeing is believeing or believeing is seeing?

Which do you see as most true?


In my opinion, believing is seeing.

I have read through some questions and answers about
evidence. And how neither side can prove nor disprove
in theory the existance or non existance of God.

I dont have some profound revelation or anything just
was sitting here thinking.

I wonder, If someone that did not believe in God...
hypothetically speaking...........what if you were at a hospital
what IF there was a person there who had just had a bad
accident and lost a leg, what IF someone prayed over them
and there leg grew right infront of your eyes back to normal.
I know this seems really outragous to some but its a what
IF senerio........would you then believe there was a God?
Would you consider this proof? Would you seek God, or
would you seek an explination or both?
IF you then believed would it be believing , or seeing?
To me seeing something isnt believing. Because you see it.

in my view believing is seeing, because you believe therefore you see without physical evidence before you.

I was hoping everyone would except the (HYPOTHETICAL) part and see past what we may or may not believe.
The question is more about seeing and believing.

ester
st pepper
and muffie has stood out to me.
Thank you all for the comments they are all great.
Ester I agree
ST pepper I agree
muffie thank you so much for expressing yourself so clearly and giving your honest view and actually answering the question given instead of mocking. I really appreciate that.

kclightman, you have moved my heart, thats all I will comment on it. Thank you

Keong thank you for your comments. It was thoughtful.

guraqt2me awesome comments

r u randy? I understand where you are coming from , this is my thought process if I may share.....

Can a person be brave without being afraid. If I am going to the mall on a bright sunny day, am I being brave? Ok what if I go to the mall on a day where there is a terrible storm and the weather man said stay off the roads, besides being an idiot , lol, would that be brave. I dont think one can be brave without first having some level of fear otherwise its just doing something.

Well thats related in a way to how I see believing, If I believe something because I SEE it , is that really believing? Or is it just merely that I saw something?

Answer 1

I think you've hit upon the basic difference between Religious people and atheists. Religious people see because they Believe, atheists do not Believe until or unless they see.

Answer 2

Although your question posed is full of hypothetical "ifs", I will answer your question. Is seeing REALLY believing ? Take the example of an illusionist - magician on a stage. There are a lot of things to see, such as elephants "disappearing" before your eyes or people being sawn in half, etc. Although you see it being done - is it really being done? God had a similar problem with the ancient Israelites when He led them out of Egypt with miracle after miracle - away from the Egyptian armies in hot pursuit. Through the parted Red Sea, onto the dry shores of the Sinai peninsula. The Israelites then, doubted God's power or ability to supply them with food and water, continually griping and complaining. They saw yet, did not believe. Human beings are fickle to say the least - ask any magician. Faith is a spiritual issue, which transcends the fickle human condition of seeing to believe.

Answer 3

I'd be very interested in HOW it happened.

That was one of the ways my Sunday school teachers lost credibility with me when I was about 5 years old. They told us the story of Jesus and the fish and loaves, and I believed it and got very excited. I wanted to know how it was done, because then we could end world hunger! I was beside myself with hope and happiness at the thought of ending suffering.

But they kept telling me it was just a miracle, they don't know how, and no Jesus didn't tell us how to do it because he's the only one who could do it no there really isn't a way we could do it now stop asking questions.

Made me wonder what kind of useless miracle was that, that can't be shared with anyone.

I'd be more likely to believe that the prayer invoked or was used alongside some other universal principle that was not a deity. (I'm a Taoist) And I would want to know how.

Answer 4

The newsletters from missionaries in the field reporting on miracles that came through prayer inevitably report on conversion of the person or persons who witnessed the healing. Miraculous healing is a powerful draw. Healing does not always make a believer out of someone; rather, it causes the believer to seek out the cause of the healing.

Thus, the many Muslims who have received miraculous healings in their country have clandestinely sought out Christians to know more about their God. And many are coming to a saving faith and are reading the Bible.

For them, seeing the miracle was not believing, but it piqued their curiosity to inquire further. After that, they knew which God to believe.

Answer 5

What we see or experience is a result of our thoughts and beliefs. For example, if you think that most people are dishonest then you will meet with these people more often than another person who thinks people are trustworthy. This is the power of creation given to us by God. Many religions teach this cosmic law: 'As a man thinks, so he becomes.'

We are limited to our physical bodies because we have been brought up with the belief that we are the body. Spiritual teachings tell us to not to be attached to the body. We are spiritual beings and that is what we are here to learn.

Answer 6

I think Faith is believing. To see extraordinary things like fabulous sunsets or new healthy babies with a lusty cry brings a world that will never die because of the wonder of it all. To me this proves God's existence and strengthens my faith every day when I remember to think of it this way. It is really all the proof we should need, don't you think? Sometimes we over-think things when just keeping it simple is the answer.

Answer 7

In my view, believing is seeing is most true. People see what they wish to see more often than they see what is.

In your hypothetical situation, I don't know what I would do, but I would like to know they whys and wherefores of how something like that could happen. Spontaneous regeneration doesn't occur in humans, so far as we know. I don't know that I would believe that it was the fault of Christian God, or the Islamic God, or one of the Hindi pantheon, or the Great Spirit, or someone's Aunt Maude come back from the dead.

Answer 8

Believe is seeing. You first have to believe in God and then you see Him not the other way around.

Answer 9

Seeing is believing... ...

hearing, touching, tasting and smelling are also sound reasons for believing; and, there's more.

Not seeing is just as valid a reason for believing... not hearing, touching, tasting or smelling are all good solid reasons for believing a negative case is true.

Believing based on nothing more than believing itself is pure nonsense, (even breaching the border of psychosis,) at least until some solid evidence can be given in support of the supposed belief.

Take "god" for example.... there just nothing real to hang your hat on when it comes to him, now is there?

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
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POST SCRIPT: Here's my comment on the answer one down from this one.... LOL get a suppository, Dude.... LOL

Answer 10

Actually what came to mind in reading your question was when Jesus said to Thomas, "you see and believe; but blessed are they who do not see, and yet believe".

We walk by faith, not by sight.