Why have faith?

Question

Imagine for a moment I made a religion called the "Purple Dragon". It revolves around this dragon, and he made everything, and he's all holy, all good. This dragon sent his son (who is also himself) in the form of a human to save us from our evil.

There is also the purple dragon Bible, which is holy and free of error. It tells us history and lessons and amazingly enough it contains prophesies, many of which fulfilled.


Since there is nothing that distinguishes Christianity from any other fairy tale, like the "purple dragon"... why do so many insist on attempting to defend their faith with logic and science? On the other hand, I do understand why people that were indoctrinated from childhood, when left unchallenged, would carry the faith on...

The fact of the matter is that many atheists would be more than happy to embrace a creator... the problem is... which to choose, and why should any be chosen at all?

You’ll immediately think... well of course there is a creator, we & the universe must have come from somewhere! The problem with that logic... is that it you’re relying on your lack of understanding to hold something else up. Why not continue to ask questions rather than settle and default to a creator of your choice? Which again begs the question – which to choose? So many people are fervently convinced their own religion is THE religion... how are we to choose? Why have faith at all?

Please use your powers of empathy to answer this question... imagine you are me for a moment...

Answer 1

There is a segment of human nature which still carries deep terror in the unknown, the superstition.

Religion appeals to this part of human nature and religion, being entirely man-made, seeks often to capitalize from this terror. Kings ascend to power and rule ruthlessly based on this power. People willingly immolate and otherwise destroy themselves due to this terror.

Whether there is a supreme Creator in the universe or not, it is entirely unprovable in our present forms.

But among those who do place their "faith" as it is called in such a Creator, those who do so must remember to embrace humility since they are just a tiny, temporary part of creation and do not have any authority to destroy, condemn or otherwise judge anyone else.

Answer 2

Not only do I empathize, I agree with you.

But to answer your question, imagine two doors labeled knowledge. The answer to life, the universe and everything lies behind one of them. If you choose to open one of the doors, you have a 50/50 chance of learning the truth, but if you choose wrong, you'll be killed instantly.

Is learning all the secrets of the universe worth dying for?

You may choose to pass by the doors unharmed, in which case you'll live a normal life, but you are also GUARANTEED to never know the secrets of the universe while you are alive.

Now me, I think I might just be willing to gamble on one of those doors. I'm going to die anyway, and there's no guarantee of an afterlife. It would be incredible to know all the secrets of the universe, so I think it's worth the risk.

The theist is AFRAID to know. The truth of the universe MIGHT reveal a finite existence, and facing a finite existence requires more courage than they can muster. They are so frightened of dying, they'll stay vincibly ignorant in order to eek out every precious second of a life spent in permanent delusion.

The only way they can live with such cowardice is to INVENT an excuse that gives them a reason.

God.

God says, "don't seek the truth... I'll give it to you anyway (in other words you'll get the same reward as the atheists) if you just obey me." This is the rationalization the theist uses to explain away a lifetime of cowardice. God is more "powerful" than they are. They must obey.

Obeying is the key, but the funny thing is, they are submitting to themselves! They're obeying their own delusion which tells them they must obey! This is why religion is such a trap, and why the theist describes it as being such a liberating and powerful experience. Of course it's powerful... most fantasies are!

The short answer is, people have faith because it allows them to deny their fear.

Answer 3

Purple Dragons are loving and make us feel like we have a purpose in life. Also many of us believe that without a purple dragon to breathe fire on us, we would all drop reason and start raping and killing each other with wreckless abandonment.

Also, scientists are too smart, some of us like the fact that our pastors, who have just as much education as us can tell us that we are loved by the dragon, and we don't feel challenged to think about it.

That and the cool music.

According to Matazma the Buddhists have the truth, due to age and following.

Answer 4

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylt=Av54WJmqAeKfFl_lL0aQxnXd7BR.?link=select&qid=20070701075906AAyIB4V&kid=yenI8awjaa That's a similar question I'd asked. moreover, i think we humans r inherently biased--the way we lead our lives, we always think of 'use' and 'purpose'. so, when we see such an elaborate and complex universe around us, we start 'reverse-thinking'--it must have been 'created', and that it has a purpose, for which all, u need a creator (god, of course). and, hence the faith. man can't think all this is 'just there'--that would make our lives seem so 'purposeless' and insignificant (which i feel they actually r, just that we lack the courage and openmindedness to accept it).
I think all the religions r engineered to make ppl behave in a "certain way", which is usually beneficial to the society, but could be extremely manipulative, too (like promoting the interests of the most influential in the society or the "agents of god"). i really wonder how much do the religous leaders truly believe in their own concepts. sample this: Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who founded the entire nation of Pakistan on the basis of Islam, was am atheist!!! hope all this is not all too scary.

Answer 5

I have searched for answer to this question for years. What I have discovered is that most people will agree there is a higher being. Those who have a religion and those who don't. Even all of the religions have this in common. Christians and Jews call it God, Wiccans call it Goddess, etc.

There is a life source in all of us. When someone we knows dies, that life source is no longer in that person. Almost everyone can relate to that as well because most of us have experienced the emptiness of someone dying.

There is a common life force that interconnects us all and it does not have to have a name. Everyone searches for this answer but a lot of people are not able to think in abstract thoughts. This life force (whatever you want to call it) is abstract. Those who cannot deal in abstracts take it and make it concrete...... thus the development of a religion.

Religion is necessary for those who believe in the higher power but can not accept the abstractness of it. It is a way for them to grasp it, touch it, feel it and have faith in it.

Those who can grasp an abstract cannot understand why someone would want to confine themselves to the beliefs of a religion. If you are an abstract thinker, you are a step ahead because you will have a better understanding and have a higher potential for growth. But keep in mind, the concrete thinker will think you are wrong. Believe what you know is true........ that is your faith.

Answer 6

You have to have faith. People need to believe in something, even atheists. There are too many big problems in our lives not to have faith that there is something to reward our patience with this life. It does matter what you believe in just believe in something. If a purple dragon does it for you then amen to that. That problem with faith is that it can be proven with logic or science - that is why one has to have faith. Faith is believing in something that you know to be true but have no proof. For example - I know my oldest son broke the window on the garage. He denies that it was him. I have no proof that he did it. I do know that he was playing with baseball near the garage. I know that a baseball will break a window. I know that the window was broken from the outside. I have a believable and convincing case. I have to have faith to believe that story.

Answer 7

Choose for yourself.

The only "logic" that could be found in the purple dragon cosmology is if you took the liberty and time to fill in all the "gaps."

Basically, the bible did that, it filled in the gaps. Not to say everything was true, but the bible has a definite answer for everything. Not that anyone has to listen to it.

Answer 8

Your question is WAY TOO LONG, dude...

and the point Your trying to make and question is???


Go beyond faith:


Here's the simply Solution for religion:


Eliminate religion from Your Life, A.S.A.P.;

Freedom of religion is Freedom FROM religion; religion is Spiritual fraud;

Universal Truth eliminated religion from Spirituality a long time ago;


Accomplish this:

Create a Private, Personal, Direct, Divine Relationship with Our Creator and save Your Soul from religion's and atheist's beliefs and start Your journey back home, to Heaven.

<<<<<<< UnConditional Love is the only answer >>>>>>>

Love and Believe in Our Creator;
Love and Believe in Yourself.

Only with Our Creator's Love and Peace will we be Truly Free!

Answer 9

One of my professors recently said, "Religion is based on faith--not fact. Yet, people still follow it." It is true. If you try to prove religion with logic, you will come up short. It can't be done. That's why the other option makes more sense (faith). I'm still trying to figure all of this out though myself.

Answer 10

using my powers of empathy and becoming you, i would say to myself "im one step ahead of a lot of people in this world" basically, faith and why people have it is so diverse, and comes in so many different forms (for example, to ease pain when a loved one dies, to reassure us when we are upset, something to blame things we dont understand) thats its realy hard to actually say WHY people as a whole have faith. its more individualistic, i guess. i dont have much faith at all, but a guess some people just think they know because they've had an experience. my motto is: if it can't be proven, dont believe it. obviously this doesnt apply for everything. why people beleive every single thing they are told just because it was written in a book thousands of years ago is beyond me, weren't those times famous for story-telling to pass time. im not being critical and not saying its not true, just seems a bit odd, ahh i dunno. sorry for rambling, i must be bored! but never stop asking questions :)