If faith is more important than logic and reason, can't it be manipulated for whatever you want?

Question

This is one of the things that really concerns me with faith.

For an atheist, logic and reason determine that the world is a better place if we all co-operate and work together to improve things.

For those of faith, logic and reason get thrown out the door in favour of what sounds appealling. Being guided by faith makes people more vulnerable to being guided by their emotions and making emotionally driven decisions.

Dosn't this in itself expose faith as being dangerous?

Answer 1

No...

You will never understand faith until you have the indwelling Holy Spirit....

The things of God MUST be Spiritually discerned

Answer 2

"Faith" is held up as a 'holy word', which means you can't question it - which means you aren't allowed to question it (not that you actually can't). We all tacitly agree to do this. Why aren't you allowed to question it? Because you're not, its that simple. With this word "Faith" being held up in high esteem as some sort of holy word you can't question, the groundwork is now laid to say and believe all sorts of things under it's banner.
When you step back and examine the whole structure, you will see that this word, 'faith', is nothing more than one taking leave of one's sense. In all sorts of fields of endeavor we would never dream of doing this. When we design a bridge we want it to hold up the weight of the cars and trucks travelling over it. So we use logic, reason and scientific data to build it. When we want to cure a disease that someone has we look at the symptoms they are exhibiting, use scientific medical research that is based on real data and trials and use the medicine that works for that disease.

However, when it comes to Religion, we say, "take leave of your senses, abandon your reason and your logic and just trust us to tell you what the story is"... and this is what we call having "faith".
Seem clearer now?

Answer 3

Scientists have discovered that women generally are guided by their emotions more so then men. Does this make women dangerous?

I find it terrible narrow minded of you to say that because I have faith in God that all logic and reason are thrown out.
Is love logical? really? is it reasonable? It happens to also be VERY emotional..so are Atheists not ok with love?

I believe in a world where everyone co-operates, regardless of what they believe. I believe in medical advances and a lot of science.

So just because I believe that there is a God, I am somehow less intelligent?

Answer 4

You make a lot of generalizations in your statement and it kind of shows that you know nothing about people of faith.

The only reason I have faith in God is because of my logic and reasoning. I'm a medical scientist and reasoning and logic are the basis of all my thinking. I have a natural compassion, though, that also helps me realize that everyone is the same inside and we all just want to belong and be loved.

Faith & feelings are not the same things. Actually, feelings get in the way of faith more than logic does. (If you don't follow my thinking then maybe you're not a logical thinker.)

Alot of "designer religions" or new-age thinking are TOTALLY based on feelings. People just want to "get along" so when something makes them "feel bad", they discard that and find something else to believe.

Alot of liberals will criticize Fundamentalists. The liberals "FEEL bad" because people tell them that the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. They "FEEL bad" when someone calls someone by a politically incorrect term.
I used to get my "feelings" hurt alot, until I became a Christian and learned the Truth. When someone insults me, or cuts me off in traffic or says that I'm not "logical & reasonable", it doesn't affect me anymore. I know the truth. I have my feelings more in check. It's usually someone's ignorance that is insulting or hurting someone else.

When someone on YA is an atheist and spouts generalizations about God & faith or says that the Bible is wrong, etc. I just pity them. I used to be that way. I also think that someday, they'll become a believer and will laugh at how they used to be.

Answer 5

Any good thing has the potential of being mistaken, misused or abused. Does that mean we should throw all such things away? You want to make that call?

Faith does not automatically presuppose the utter trouncing of logic and reason at all. I wouldn't attend a church that doesn't teach faith- or that with faith trounces logic and reason. God gave us brains for using- not discarding.

Thanks for listening.
Ps. Larry Lombardi

Answer 6

Faith requires that you hang up your reason for a dream... and it certainly has been exploited by the Jim Jones's of the world-

Atheism though, is belief in no greater reality beyond this one- which is still a type of "faith"-

Faith is dangerous like a gun or a power saw is dangerous: but might be of some utility if used cautiously...

Answer 7

Good point ML. Faith seems to be a clause which enables you to swallow any line without question. Faith is a word that stops open discussion in its tracks. Just throw a "halo" on any icon, and go with it. A father and son procreating is what I call incest, but throw a "halo" on it, and its holy - just don't ask questions. Same thing with child molesters, this is a crime, but throw a "halo" on it, and its the ticket to stay out of jail. Whatever is allowed on earth - is allowed in 'heaven" I guess.

Answer 8

You are quite correct in saying faith is dangerous. It is used against people every day. Con men are good at inspiring faith, trust or confidence and then using it against their victims. Robert S. DeRopps wrote that organized religion is the oldest con game of all. It is unwise to discard logic and reason. That is much like Oedipus sticking a pin in his eyes. One needs all of his faculties in this world, so there is no reason to discard any of them...especially some of the most reliable ones.

Answer 9

So it is your contention that logic and faith are mutually exclusive ? And that people with faith are more likely to be emotionally unstable ? But religious people are brought up with many extra rules and restrictions to follow, are more used to having to control their emotions. So your premise is that people who have less practice at something, are actually better at it ? Hmmm.

Answer 10

Most definately. Thinking with emotion is not the brightest thing in the world to do. Its what causes most of the suffering in the world.

Answer 11

There are many a thing that our sense of reasoning can only go so far because we are bounded by only the five senses we have, therefore faith will play its part to accept the things we do not comprehend.

God is not bounded by these five senses.