If a Christians asserts that an atheist must have faith to believe God doesn't exists, is she admitting that faith is not a valid method of attaining true knowledge?
2007-06-28 05:07:26 · 16 answers · asked by Eleventy 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
atheism is a form of belief.
the belief in not believing
2007-06-28 05:11:08 · answer #1 · answered by tardis1977 4 · 1⤊ 7⤋
Well faith is not a valid method of attaining true knowledge. I think the knowledge comes from the educators, the books, the history. The faith, to have it or not have it, is a decision you make after you have received that knowledge. I didn't acquire my belief in God through "faith". I acquired it through reading the Bible, experiencing various life experiences, and being educated by family and friends. Having faith is CHOOSING to BELIEVE the information that has been presented to me. NOT having faith is choosing to NOT believe that information, or choosing to believe other information that perhaps has physical evidence. So your question is flawed.
2007-06-28 05:54:01 · answer #2 · answered by Linz ♥ VT 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, she's saying that faith is the only way she can describe someone's belief. In fact, she seems to have confused the terms "faith" and "belief." We use the word believe to mean anything we think is true: whether in the scientific realm or the ordinary world or the spiritual world. I believe I'll have another drink.
Faith, on the other hand, is specifically believing in the absence of evidence, or even in spite of evidence to the contrary. Atheists are specifically avoiding that sort of thinking.
2007-06-28 05:13:09 · answer #3 · answered by auntb93 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Faith is believing something to be true without any evidence to support it or even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
To assert that god does not exist does not therefore require faith; in fact the opposite is true.
2007-06-28 05:12:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Now, now... let's be fair.
I have had this thought before as well, and it definitely reflects a certain absence of awareness in some cases.
However, in other cases, they're using arguments similar to yours. Think of it this way: if you use faith to believe God does not exist, you are guilty of the same crime they are. They are just pointing this out, just as you may sometimes use the Bible to refute some of their points. It is what we might call attacking another person on his own ground.
So, it works both ways.
2007-06-28 10:53:17 · answer #5 · answered by Skye 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would say that we have "faith", but not the same sort of "faith" that theists have. Atheists generally do not believe in things that they have NO reason whatsoever to believe in...things that have no facts or evidence to back them up...things that are not what could be described as "reasonable". For example, I have "faith" that if I went right now and got in my car and turned the key, my car will start. I don't KNOW that my car will start, but I can have a reasonable amount of "faith" that it will, because it is in good condition, and has started every other time I've turned the key. I have "faith" in my husband's love and fidelity, because in the twelve years I have been with him, he has never given me a reason to doubt him He has displayed his love and fidelity to me over and over and over through the years. What I can not have "faith" in, are things that I have no reason to have "faith" in. I can not just have "faith" that there is a God anymore than any other person could listen to me tell them that there are magical invisible dancing turtles in their backyard, and then have "faith" that it's true. There is such a thing as "reasonable" faith, and that's the type of "faith" that most atheists have.
2016-05-21 23:07:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Faith is not a valid method to measure anything.
However, faith is very powerful and dangerous if reached to hand of evil.
2007-06-28 05:11:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, they are asserting that it takes faith to believe God does not exist just as it takes faith to believe God exists, it is usually agnostics who do not know one way or the other that assert this.
2007-06-28 05:13:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
I like it. What they're trying to say, whether they realize it or not, is, "your beliefs are no more valid than mine". This is quite an advance from the purple-faced certainty theists have expressed in the past. They're on the defensive. They should be.
2007-06-28 05:13:03 · answer #9 · answered by Bad Liberal 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Apparently, faith is perfectly logical as long as it is the same faith that she has. All other faiths are silly.
Doesn't make sense to me either.
2007-06-28 05:12:53 · answer #10 · answered by Tik 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Good question!
However, Christians rarely admit they are wrong. It's the old "my faith's better than your faith" syndrome.
2007-06-28 05:11:32 · answer #11 · answered by Brent Y 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋