A question that no believer can answer?

Question

If faith in a higher power is not the sole way to gain:

Morality
Inner Peace
Inner Strength
Acceptance of Death
Compassion for Others

What good is it? Why not just cut out the middle man and live a good life without faith. Can you make a case for faith at all?

I guess I should have made it clear that I wanted a GOOD answer. Are you saying that I'm a terrible, unloving person just because I don't believe in any religion?

Answer 1

Faith confuses me

Answer 2

The main thing that I think is that faith in a higher power really works for some people. It is their manna. It is what sustains them. I'm not sure that it is necessary for others. We all have the right of free choice to be and become who we want to be and become, with or without faith. The one thing that works for me is realizing that more exists outside of me and that I cannot begin to fathom the extent of the Universe or how it all really works. But, I do affirm that I am an intricate part of the whole shebang. And I get a kick out of living on this Earth.

Answer 3

Know where in the Bible does is say that those 5 things you listed can only be found through a higher power but its the best way. I believe there are several ways to gain such things. But Faith and salvation is the only way to get to Heaven. God had given us free will and how we chose to use is is up to us. And how do you know that it isn't God that is giving you these Gifts. Think about it. And as for a case---Well, a well know author Lee Stroble, who felt a lot like you, was a devout atheist and now is a pastor in california. the book is (A Case For Faith)

Answer 4

If you don't have ANY power over such things as:

your existing

looking the way you do (except through artificial means)

having a body that takes care of you on its own

having a brain FORMED in you with a capacity to think and reason without your input (i.e., designing the brain and its function)

How in the world are you, a drop in this bucket of a vast Universe, going to be the "ultimate supreme maker" of morality, inner peace, inner strength, and compassion? Hmm?

Death is a reality, it would not matter whether you accept this or not. It is going to happen regardless.

You had faith that you would wake up this morning, and that when you put your keys in the ignition that your car was going to start. Your whole life is based on faith. You limit yourself tremendously if you have faith only in yourself.

Answer 5

Of course you can have all of those things without belief (or faith) in a higher power. Human goodness does not stem from belief.

So what good is faith if you can have those things without it? I guess that would depend on which belief you held. Christians will say it's their ticket to heaven (not in those words of course), others may see it as something that compels them to be even more kind and compassionate. I'm sure there are many reasons.

The point of it all may be that people can indeed have a belief in God without needing or expecting to gain anything from that belief. I certainly don't see my belief in God as some kind of middle man. My morality, etc. doesn't come from my religion but it is definitely reinforced by it.

Answer 6

Belief in God is the sole way to gain those 5 plus 3 more

FAITH - HOPE - LOVE

Our faith is increased daily. Without hope we are just a bunch of pessimists. And love, well perfect love casts out all fear.

Do you know the 3 main killers in this world? Fear, Anxiety and Stress

Faith is belief in Gods Word and Taking God at His Word. Faith is the sole way to gain anything. Without faith, you lose.
You can't live a good life without faith. Without God you can do nothing. There is no good life without God. To think this you are fooling yourself. Don't try to test God my friend. If we deny Him, He will also deny us. You need to make an effort to properly interpret the Word of God. It has withstood the test of time and its prophesies are most accurate.

Answer 7

due the practice of right from the childhood we needed to have moral/physical support of others, even after grownup.
God is one among the support we create to ease the trouble, relax, even the blame on him for all our own mistakes.
Child thinks that father supports/protects it.
Many of us are like child even though matured grown up, In times of trouble,
we dont know what to do, our mind become confused and could not find the solution.
If you believe in any god, and think that he is there to solve all troubles,
here your mind become calm and relaxed
and it finds the solution.
Actually believe in god helps you to calm your mind.
If you know the other ways to calm your mind, then you dont need god to help you.
If you think strongly that god can bring some thing good to you, actually you yourself can bring something good to you.
This is what truth.
So If you have strong will power and believe yourself you can cut the middle man and live a good life without faith.
Meditation will get you a strong mind,
without a god, and even you can go beyond mind.
Already If you have strong and will power
no need to call any god or any belief.
Be alert. Your mind is always deceives you.

Answer 8

What you miss is that such a person who thinks that they can have Inner Peace, Inner Strength, and Acceptance of Death have a belief system. And then if they want to go through with trusting that system, are in faith. Not in faith of God perhaps, but faith nonetheless.

But I sense a lot of pride on your part. So I suppose that there is no Christian that can answer your questions because you are in deial about it. You don't want us to be able to answer. And yet, there it is.

As far as "Morality" goes, according to God we are all immoral. So you won't get the same self-righteous attitude from me that you are displaying. And as far as compassion goes, are you being compassionate as to have made the statement that you have? Not!

So take your self acquired morality and acceptance of death, and I'll take trusting God. We'll see who ends up in the better place, okay?

Answer 9

1. Why is that arbitrarily the measure of "goodness"?
2. Secondly those things are not actually achievable by human effort. Or are you claiming to be a perfectly moral person?

Ec 7:20 "For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin."

3. Thirdly what about this issue of dealing with God's judicial nature? In other words, What good is humanism if one ends up in hell?

Good luck with that!

Answer 10

Faith in a higher power gives them an incentive. You could say that people could cut out the middle man, but you would be taking away their motivation. And frankly the idea that there is no where to go after we die scares the hell out of people

Answer 11

Faith in Higher Power means:
a) You believe in the Holiest Ever, hence you believe in good hence you must do good.
b) Your actions are limited to the orders of the Higher Power. Since the Higher Power is the Most Wise, He knows what is best for man, hence listening to Him is wise.

Faith gave me all these things, because I implemented good and followed wise instructions, which but naturally are for the better of mankind.
Because God loves morals, my love for Him means I must adopt those morals. Just like you get tattoos to impress your peers.
I did the right thing, and got inner peace. Since I was with the true deity, I felt safe since he is the Sole Provider of peace.
I knew I was right, and was strong, since I knew God was with me.
I knew that after death I'd be in Heaven or at least would make my Lord happy, hence did not fear it.
I knew I must follow what the Supreme says, so I did it, and since the Supreme loves His creation, my actions resulted in peace for all those who knew me.