According to theists, the reason god doesn't appear to the world is because this sort of proof of his/her/its existence would cause most (if not all) people to believe in him/her/it for rational, logical reasons, as opposed to faith. God wants faith.
Coincidentally, the theist's strength comes from their devotion to that belief which can't be proven (faith.) Greater doubt requires ever greater faith, which equates to ever greater devotion, and so on.
The more you attack the belief, the more faith they employ, which then reinforces their perceived worth in the eyes of their creator, which results in a self-feeding cycle. In essence, trying to free them from the delusion feeds into their resolve to remain deluded. Their "reward" for giving into the delusion is an ever strengthening belief that the delusion is both real, and rewarding.
In a very real sense, there is no way to prove that this faith is anything more than an elaborate mind-game, similar in ways to a drug addiction.
2007-08-21 11:02:29 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Actually, no.
The senerio you pose is a generalized progression theory for any physical addiction. The more one allows onselve to be exposed to the desired stimuli the more necessary the stimuli becomes.
Religious progression on the other hand can only come from the accumulation of aquired truths and knowlege. True, faith is a part of the equation in pursuit of knowlege, but is not faith necessary in pursueing the result of any hypothosis when scientific researcher is in his quest to turn hypothosis to therory to confirmed law?
Why is it so difficult for non-theist to apply the same standards to theistic thought? The scriptures are full of textbook experments that can be trialed, proven true, and replicated. What is more, the scriptures are wrought with senerios that include promises of results that come from executing the required senerio. In theistic terms these are called commandments and blessings. Those who understand the gospel know that whenever we receive any blessing of our Father, it is by obedience to the law upon which that blessing is predicated.
When a researcher is validating another's work it behooves him to replicate the result of the prior research to achieve the same result. The same is true for true principles of the gospel. When we do what we are commanded then we are entitled to receive the benifit of that obiedience.
I prove out the validity of various theistic beliefs daily without fail. They are natural laws, truth, which is unchangable. Just because I do not see God does not mean that I have to rely only on faith to know that he is there. Noone should. That would be counter to the teachings of the scriptures.
Why is it that non-theist, who often claim to be pragmitists, are unable ot unwilling to apply simple standards to theistc teachings as they would in any other aspect of their lives? The truth can easily prove the validity of the gospel.
2007-08-21 12:40:50 · answer #1 · answered by MtnManInMT 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Though i find some of the atheists very well able of creating doubt in the minds of theists, who are sensitive towards logic, but i think, 'spoiling the mind' is something different than that.
2016-05-19 02:07:05 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"greater doubt requires ever greater faith, which equates to ever greater devotion, and so on"
so what you're saying is that your doubt of the existance of a creator requires greater faith than faith there is a creator, so wouldn't that make your unbelief a mindgame?
2007-08-21 11:22:21 · answer #3 · answered by shrugger 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Eh, I'm not much of a theist. But I'm pretty addicted to mind games.
2007-08-21 11:06:48 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I suppose one could view it this way. I don't expect anyone to understand faith and evidence of God without personally experiencing it themselves.
2007-08-21 11:12:08 · answer #5 · answered by . 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would describe it as an overwhelming emotional investment which makes it impossible to consider any other possibilities.
2007-08-21 11:20:03 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I'm not addicted to any "mind-game", but to the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, rather. It is so REAL, you should get you some of it! :)
2007-08-21 11:10:48 · answer #7 · answered by blessed1 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Turn that 180 degrees around and you have got it!
2007-08-21 11:11:48 · answer #8 · answered by Nickel-for-your-thoughts 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Um, yeah, what he said.
2007-08-21 11:08:40 · answer #9 · answered by Voodoid 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I am not, but thank you for thinking of me.
2007-08-21 11:07:53 · answer #10 · answered by batgirl2good 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋