Since all beliefs are based on evidence, are those who claim to believe without evidence lying to themselves?

Question

All beliefs must be based on evidence. This is a fact. Therefore if you try to claim you don't require evidence to believe something, you're lying to yourself. For example: If you believe in the Judeo Christian God, you *require* evidence to hold this belief. If you didn't use evidence on which to base your beliefs you wouldn't even know about the Judeo Christian God. The evidence you probably rely on is: a) ancient texts b)religious teachings, and (possibly) c) personal observations.

All very unreliable forms of evidence. Personally, I believe that religious people know this and through a twisted "sour grapes" method of thinking, claim they don't require evidence..which is knowingly impossible and therefore a lie.

Answer 1

You left out a very important evidence: the power of God (the Holy Spirit). Unless you are "born again" you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

Answer 2

If you're talking about the Christian faith, then you need to realize there are millions of people who 'believe'. Yes, they are as you say, 'ancient text'....Ahhhh, but, the content of that text has never been proven wrong...The Bible is the most accurate record of all, past, present and future...

Let me ask you, what evidence do you use to spout your 'unbelief' ?....is it from truly studying the Word or are you just echoing the skepticism of others without actually picking up a Bible and studying for yourself? The Bible is full of the amazing things that Jesus did, the old testament tells of His coming and the things 'He would do' which He has since fulfilled. There were eye witnesses to the things that Jesus said and did.

I don't see a "sour grapes" method of thinking other than your posting...I have a challenge for you if you're up for it...Do like some of the more famous atheists have "tried" to do in the past....Get a Bible, several different versions if you would like...Get a note pad and set out to "Prove" the Bible is wrong rather than just saying it is, PROVE IT!....Then you can come back here with some "Valid Arguments"....But I must warn you...If you seriously read the Bible, God will touch your heart and "your eyes will be opened to the truth"...

Give it a try, IF you dare....otherwise, you really shouldn't give argument to anything you know absolutely nothing about...

Answer 3

Those are only unreliable sources to an anti-believer.You're right to say that "beliefs" are supported by so called evidence.Faith is not a belief it's a way of life.It's a "knowing" big difference.As soon as we critically examine faith,demanding "evidence" we ensure that we find an answer critical to it because we have already decided what we want to "believe",therefore cannot be convinced otherwise.So who's living the lie?

Answer 4

The only reliable evidence for anything that I have ever encountered is that there is no such thing as reliable evidence when it comes to substantiating a belief.

So anyone who has "good reason" to believe anything, or to NOT believe in something, is only deluding themselves. I wouldn't consider it lying to yourself, because that is even more absurd. Lying requires a lack of ignorance: you know better but you lie about it anyway. I don't even think its possible to really lie to yourself, because lying presupposes that you already know the truth!

So to make your mind up about anything, like whether things like God or electrons actually exist or not, based on available evidence, or lack thereof, is completely foolish. What evidence is good for is predicting things like where something will land based on atmospheric conditions and the object's initial trajectory and acceleration. To take that evidence and conclude anything about the nature of gravity is an absurdity and naivete that continues to plague the faculty of human intellect.

Answer 5

You see, it depends on whether you accept the evidence you have, or whether you conclude it is what it is correctly.

You could walk into my house and see that my salt shaker is very full, but the pepper shaker is very low. You might think that we eat a lot of pepper. But something else is actually true: We eat a lot of both depending on what is served. So sometimes the pepper is full and the salt is low.

Circumstantial evidence is difficult to process; you can determine physical things with the physical senses, emotional things with the emotions, mental things with the mind, and spiritual things with the Spirit. That's the reality of it.

So, when you think people are believing without evidence, you are mistaken.

Answer 6

lol, when i was little i believed in the tooth fairy, easter bunnie and santa claus, because of money under my pillow, eggs that had candy in it and presents under the tree- which showed evidence that they exist, well to a kid anyway.. what i'm getting at is that even with evidence something that doesn't still could and something that does might actually not, catch my drift. and beliefs are not based on evidences, but rather, thought. i could believe "think" i could fly until i jump off a building and land on what used to be my head, so in sort beliefs are just what "we" think..

Answer 7

I don't think all beliefs are base on evidence, it's base on faith.
I'm not a religious person but I do consider myself to be spiritual.
I cant imagine sending money to religious "centers" for them to use it to pay off law suits for child molestation,
I practice my religion by helping people, and doing the right thing, (even when no one is looking).

Answer 8

No, certainty is based on evidence. People who claim certainty without evidence are fooling themselves. Faith by definition is a belief that cannot be verified by evidence. Properly, it should be about ideas like peace, compassion or the intrinsic value of life, not historical trivia.

Answer 9

Your good judgment is woefully improper. All ideals should not be in keeping with info. Your declare that "all ideals ought to be in keeping with info" is a actuality is punctiliously faulty. somebody can carry a concept devoid of any info in any respect. we are in a position to argue the semantics of your assertion in case you like, however the straightforward premise is faulty. The definition of a concept is as follows: a million. something believed; an opinion or conviction: a concept that the earth is flat. 2. self belief interior the actuality or life of something no longer on the instant at risk of rigorous info: a assertion unworthy of concept. 3. self belief; faith; have confidence: a infant's concept in his father and mother. 4. a spiritual guideline or tenets; religious creed or faith: the Christian concept. those are pulled promptly from the dictionary. be conscious that nowhere is the observe "info" reported.

Answer 10

Belief vs. faith: belief does require evidence. Faith is acceptance of something without evidence. Many Christians believe, few have faith. But, is faith a good thing?