Theists: Why do you prefer faith over reason and evidence?

Question

Theists say things like this:

"By faith Christians understand that God created the world. We understand that it is not a result of random chaos. We understand this because God has said it in His word. Some scientists appeal to their own hypothesis of creation and reject God's word. But Christians appeal to God's word rejecting scientific hypothesis which stand in opposition to God and His word."

My question is: What makes you prefer faith? What makes you think faith is valid? Also, in what way is faith different from wishful thinking, e.g. having faith that your lottery numbers will come up soon, even though there is no connection between what you wish were true and what will actually happen?

Note: I'm not asking for answers like "because it says so in the Bible" but rather "I believe what it says in the Bible *because*..."

Thanks...

Answer 1

Due to the fact that these
Christians use the Protestant Old Testament which is lacking 7 entire books 2 (Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus/Sirach, Baruch, I Maccabees, and II Maccabees), 3 chapters of Daniel and 6 chapters of Esther may be one of the reasons they ask catholics so many questions.

For the Sola Scriptura this is too bad .
In the 16th c., Luther removed those books from the canon that lent support to orthodox doctrine, relegating them to an appendix. Removed in this way were books that supported such things as:

prayers for the dead (Tobit 12:12; 2 Maccabees 12:39-45),

Purgatory (Wisdom 3:1-7),

intercession of dead saints (2 Maccabees 15:14),

and intercession of angels as intermediaries (Tobit 12:12-15).

The lesson, though, is this: relying on the "Bible alone" is a bad idea; we are not to rely solely on Sacred Scripture to understand Christ's message. While Scripture is "given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16-17), it is not sufficient for reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. It is the Church that is the "pillar and ground of Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15)! Jesus did not come to write a book; He came to redeem us, and He founded a Sacramental Church through His apostles to show us the way. It is to them, to the Church Fathers, to the Sacred Deposit of Faith, to the living Church that is guided by the Holy Spirit, and to Scripture that we must prayerfully look.

Answer 2

Even the most militantly Atheist scientist would agree that the world is beautifully ordered. The more that is discovered in the scientific realm, the more this becomes apparent.

As a Christian, I find that there are a lot of biblical things I don't know the answer to. I have a Bachelors Degree in Science, and there are about a million more things I don't understand about science. This is OK with me. I will spend the rest of my life thinking on these things, and not despising it.
Even the tension where the two don't match up is OK by me, because I believe that one day I really will get to know all the secrets of the universe, as revealed by the One who created it.

P.S. The end result of faith in Christ is so much different than the end result of winning the lottery, it's much too apples/oranges to even consider. In fact, I could even muster a good argument that these 2 "results" are diametrically opposed.

Answer 3

Reason is necessarily silent on why existence exists. It can tell us something about the nature of the opening moments of existence, all the way back into the Big Bang's initial scalar field.

But reason cannot provide us with the answer to the question, "Why?"

Perhaps some are content to leave it a mystery, and not investigate with the other faculties we have, aside from reason. Many of us, however, are not willing to settle for that. We suspect there is more, and our spiritual quest is to find out what exactly that "more" is.

And that - ironically - is not all that unreasonable.

"Bride
My Beloved, the mountains,
and lonely wooded valleys,
strange islands,
and resounding rivers,
the whistling of love-stirring breezes,
the tranquil night
at the time of the rising dawn,
silent music,
sounding solitude,
the supper that refreshes, and deepens love."

St. John of the Cross, the Spiritual Canticle

Answer 4

I don't understand how you can believe in evolution. Now, im not a religous freak or something. But, i don't like evolution, simply because, Charles Darwin was a loser, who did absolutely nothing with his life except come up with the evolution THEORY and he practically wasted his life everywhere else. Also, i hate monkeys, so to think that a monkey is where i came from, is so disgusting to me, that i almost throw up, i mean, the things pick bugs off each other and eat them for Pete's sake ! Theyre just nasty, so that is why i don't believe in evolution. It has nothing to do with the Bible, and also, i don't know what your talking about.

Reason and Evidence ? Where ? i haven't found anything, and i have contemplated evolution and thought about how it is supposed to work many times, and i haven't found any real evidence or reason to it. If you call "reason" evolving from apes than i don't know how people ridicule others who believe God.

Answer 5

People with 'faith' can't seem to comprehend why those without it wouldn't accept the bible as evidence.

There's some good advice in the bible, but to take it literally requires some serious self-delusion.

If someone decides to believe in it based on faith - then more power to them, but don't try to pass it off as 'proof' of anything other than that people wrote a book.

Answer 6

faith is 'beleiving in the unknown'..... but i know with my spiritual faith and the experiences i have had, i have had many examples of proof of my beleifs where i know now it is very real and not just faith, but something that is real and exists.

As for your querie of what makes you prefer faith? I think it's not a matter of preference but of upbringing and personal experiences. I went to a catholic school which i'm grateful for the exposure to religion, but i am very anti cathlocism now and would never prefer that! I would rather get real answers from one way or an other including angels, guides, spirits and make it real in my life than just beleiving because 'then you'll be a better person and go to heaven'.

Answer 7

in the beginning, faith and concept ar rather lots synonymous. 2nd, the Christian faith isn't a blind faith, however the only actual looking and rational faith. there is extra effective than adequate evidence to assist the Christian faith. it somewhat is people who p.c. to forget approximately approximately that evidence and reject the God of the Bible who're performing in blind faith and performing irrationally. in actuality, if all the evidence that helps the Bible replaced into introduced right into a court docket room and subjected to the judgement of a jury, there is no question that the evidence could persuade the jury that the Bible is definitely actual. One final fact: in basic terms when you consider which you have in no way in favour of my section witnessed the staggering skill of Almighty God in a impressive way, does no longer propose that miracles are impossible.

Answer 8

Einstein:
"religion without science is blind, science without religion is lame"
"god does not play dice with the universe"
"there are two ways to look at life ; everything is a miracle and nothing is a miracle, I choose former"

ahh, just an old, silly, babbling geezer theist... what would he know about faith and reason and evidence. He was probably high on some relativistic bongs when he uttered these words...

Answer 9

The reasonable evidence points towards faith. Can I speak on behlf of all Christians once and for all when I say we're not anti-science. We just think the science supports the existence of God. As many of the greatest scientists of all time did and still do.

Answer 10

Why do you need Reason and Evidence when you have Faith and a very LARGE stick called HELL?

This sting is the best that was ever devised by mere mortals; in fact it's such a good scam you think it WAS invented by gods till you realise money is a great carrot and many lazy men will do and say almost anything not to actually have to work for it.