"Faith is required to believe in God" and "God's existence is evident"?

Question

Can anyone reconcile these two statements?

Answer 1

somthing in ur heart is as real as somthing in ur hand ...

Answer 2

Yes - these two statements can be reconciled.

Your two statements are NOT:
1) Faith is required to believe in God
2) God's existence can be definitively proven
...these two statements would be contradictory.

However, "evident" does not necessarily mean "definitively proven"

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The problem lies in "evidence"...and the different types of "evidence". There is historical evidence and then there is scientific evidence.

We cannot "prove" scientifically that William Shakespeare wrote what he wrote...and many even dispute this! However, historical evidence would suggest that he did. In other words, it is evident that he did, though we cannot "definitively prove" it.

A much "sillier" example:
Are you sure the moon REALLY exists?
How do you know?
Does it require faith to believe in the moon?

Have you actually touched the moon?

Is the moon a propaganda hoax?

Think this is silly?

Consider this:
http://www.revisionism.nl/Moon/The-Mad-Revisionist.htm

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Now then, I am NOT saying that the moon does not exist. However, I AM saying it is EVIDENT that the moon DOES exist. Though, I can NOT 100% prove that the moon does exist to another person.

You say, "Well can't you SEE the moon???"

Well...the person on the website above says:
"...it could be a hologram, projected from various government installations throughout the world...etc...."
http://www.revisionism.nl/Moon/QA1.htm

But, we would ALL say that it is EVIDENT that the moon exists.

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Now then, I am NOT arguing that God's existence is evident...that wasn't your question (though, I would say it IS evident that He does exist)...

But what I AM saying...is that your two statements are NOT contradictory...

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Romans 1 does state that "for since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen..."

And when we say that the universe is "clearly seen", we say that it is evident that this universe did not come from nothing (see my answer to your other question...).

YET, neither I nor ANYBODY else can PROVE DEFINITIVELY to you that God DOES exist.

Therefore, it must be taken on grounds of FAITH!
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An interesting, and not completely unrelated fact is this:
Over and over again in the Bible, Jesus states something like this:
"IF you would believe, THEN you would see."

And yet, so many skeptics in the world say:
"IF I would see, THEN I would believe."

Do you perceive the predicament? The catch-22?

IF you must have faith...in order to see the evidence of God (i.e. witness or experience a supernatural miracle), and YET you demand the supernatural miracle in order to have faith...

What is the conclusion...?

You will NEVER see EVIDENCE for God's existence! That is, you will NEVER witness or experience a supernatural miracle.

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And I, as a former atheist...TESTIFY to this truth.
For 21 years of my life, I NEVER saw one bit of evidence for the existence of God. That is, I never witnessed or experienced a miracle.

Then, when I read the Bible to prove it wrong...and "accidentally" became a Christian...I THEN had the faith that I never did before...and it was then, and only then, that God revealed Himself to me...providing ME with the evidence of His existence...even via supernatural miracles.

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Answer 3

It's true that faith is a requirement for a believer of God just as it is a requirement for one who claims love for another. These are choices made that disregard the intellect to serve ones emotional self.

God's existence is evident only to he who chooses to attribute to god the things outside of his own imaginings and this is quite frankly incorrect... it is in fact a lie.

Just as it is so for faith and belief, that they are products of ones emotion and do not extend beyond the boundaries of ones own mind, the existence of god is also an entirely internal reality and does not effect in any way the realm beyond the mind, i.e., there is nothing to show god exists in the real world.

The two statements can only be reconciled through a lie, yet those who choose to believe in God are more than willing to accept the foul taste of falsehoods all in a gulp.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Zondo_GIF.gif

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
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Answer 4

No. :) I study that, and . . . That wasn't a joke. Jokes are humorous. That wasn't even an attempt at being humorous. Take a style in comedy writing. it's going to do ya' reliable, mantazma. besides, the placement could atheists pass to get carry of such skills? with out doubt now no longer church, ideal? Is there like a theory education Workshop Seminar someplace? How do they degree in case you have exceeded the education or no longer? /walks off thinking some new business enterprise theory

Answer 5

God's existence is evident through creation, however, since the fall in the garden the desire of men is only toward himself as god (or evil, if you want to be biblical), therefore God is just to condemn men. Since He's had EVERY reason to condemn them from that point onward, He shows His mercy by bestowing some to the redemption through His Son Jesus Christ.

These vessels of mercy have been chosen from the foundations of the world, and are predestined unto life with Him eternally. There is nothing 'good' within them, otherwise God's mercy cannot be made evident, and they would have a reason to boast. Therefore when one is granted the gift of faith, it is really His faith, in Himself.

Clear as mud, I expect.

Answer 6

God's existence is only evident to those of faith. B cannot be true unless A is true. This formula only applies to each person respectively, not humanity as a whole.

Answer 7

We are all given a measure of faith at conception. All we have to do is exercise it. That's when we will start to see the evidences of God!

Answer 8

God's existence is evident.
We know something can't come from nothing. Before the universe existed, there was nothing. How did intelligent life form arise from nothing?

Answer 9

consistency is not important. only belief is important. trust whichever statement causes you to believe. believe, darn you!

Answer 10

Not without being very unkind or very drunk, sorry.