if you don't TRUST HUMANITY, can you ever TRUST GOD?

Question

or if you don't TRUST GOD, can you ever TRUST HUMANITY?

does our FAITH in GOD & HUMANITY go hand in hand?

Answer 1

BINGO. ^_^

Here's the thing....to my best understanding, we don't live in a day and age where a god or gods walk among us. As in, clearly and unambiguously, right here tangibly in reality *with us*.

So....we have to *start from* what we know, and work from what we have. And what we have are other human beings, both as noble and as *epically* messed-up as we are.

Meaning? Your religious fundie types don't get it, why people who have survived abusive, violent parents, *turn away from them*, and then they turn around and preach about God The Strict, Intolerant Father.

They also don't get it, why people who are in the habit of *using* their intelligence sneer at them....and sometimes *hate* them for being so willfully and deliberately obtuse and stupid. The fundies have no idea why this happens.....and then they turn around and spit hatred of the *very science* that makes *THEIR LIVES* possible: electricity, motor vehicles, modern agriculture, the computer and the internet, all of it. Some of these trailer-park fundamentalists wouldn't even *be* so churchy if it weren't for that Television, would they? They wouldn't be alive, or as *healthy* as they are without the benefits of mechanized farming, trains and trucks to *deliver* foods, and modern medicine to fix them when they get sick....but no, we who put our faith in *evidence* and *things that actually work* are wrong, aren't we? o_O

I know, people are going to hate on me for saying these things and they'll miss the point, rather deliberately, when they do. It's par for the course I guess. What can you do?

But the point is this: As people, we are limited beings, still.

We see reality first, and then if we are lucky, we see a *piece* of God within reality, we get a piece of the bigger picture, all we can handle but no more than that. But to get to that place, we have to start somewhere....

And that somewhere, as far as *Trust* goes, is with other people.

So do you trust a Father figure when your own father has *hit you* with his closed fist?

Do you trust someone to be all-wise and all-knowing when his followers encourage ignorance and deception?

Do you trust a Father figure when *every* human Father figure, every social and political and *Moral* authority of any reknown and credibility has ended up *abusing* the power they were given, using it to *sow fear* and *reap exploitation*?

Am I making sense here? If the life you live, and the life you've *survived* so far, tells you Human Fathers are evil, wicked, and a threat to your life, you won't follow a God that is *sold to you* as an Almighty Father. It won't work, not if you have *one lick* of sense or more than two brain cells to rub together for sparks (ideas, that is). And when ministers and priests, so-called Moral Authorities, are *Also* caught red-handed *raping* and abusing young children, just like every *other* power-mad wannabe Alpha-Dog in more secular walks of life....this doesn't encourage you to trust in the God *they follow*, especially when there *is* no punishment or consequence for their atrocities. What loving God lets *children by the millions* suffer and wither and die like this? *Nobody* of faith has a good answer to this question, nobody, because there *is none*.

And how do you *trust* a God, a Knowing Father, to be wise and all-knowing when the followers preach spite and ignorance and exploitation and a *festering, open hate* of human knowledge, in total spite of *everything* human knowledge *does for* the haters themselves? How do you associate God with Wisdom when "his people" are dumb, demand further stupidity from all around them, and are *violent, raving lunatics* besides? Really, religion has been the *Open Enemy* of Wisdom since Galileo had the audacity to suggest that the Earth was "rounded" and that some evidence out there might prove him right. Evidence of the world and reality that *is* supposedly a Part of Creation, after all. What, are we supposed to trust the ramblings of some stranger before we trust our own senses and our own lived experience?

So, yes, in brief, I am with those who would suggest that faith and trust in God *is* a reflection and direct by-product *of* faith and trust in the *tangible human beings* of this reality, this world around them. You have to start somewhere. And one of these things *has to follow* from the other. Has to.

If you don't trust other people, you won't trust yourself, and will never be *able* to trust in a God if that is *not* corrected.

This includes trusting other people to be wise, trusting them to not be violent and abusive, trusting them to not sow fear, trusting them to speak the truth, trusting them to not *use and exploit* you, trusting them to not be a "taker" and just *always take* and *never give back*. It's a lot to ask of anyone, other people or yourself. It's a high standard.

And yes....it really does start from love.

If you don't know love you won't trust. And if you don't know love *for yourself*, you won't *know* what love is well enough to love others, up to and including one God Almighty.

So...that's my ten cents. Thanks for your time.

Answer 2

When you pass through a tough time in your Life, that you never in your wildest Dreams, thought it could happen to your family is when you lose faith in Humanity, and yes, sometimes with the most highest which is God. Life showed me a hard lesson, in life, that I even went into depression, for three years after the tragedy, that now, when I look back, and think about it, it was the Hand of God that made me realize that yes, we Lost our grandson, in the most terrible way possible but, we needed to realize that Life had to go on for us, and we needed to be here for our other Grand-kids. I just wish that I could trust Humanity, again, but since that day, I have become careful, as to be seeing who or what is in front or back of me, we were a very trusting people that we would give our clothes to whoever needed them, but now, we would rather be left alone, and Live our Life in Peace.

Answer 3

I believe trust is a quality that is independent of the object of trust. Those that have a family foundation of love and security are most likely to have the ability to trust, though there are those who have more trusting native dispositions. Learning combined with innate qualities can provide an inner stability that enables faith in God or humanity.

I've noticed persons that don't have any interest in God and are even are resentful of those that believe in God, and yet they profess to trust people. So apparently one does not need to trust God in order to trust humanity. Nonetheless, this type of trust seems to be quite limited, since there is inevitable mistrust of those who trust God.

Trusting God is most likely for those that have inner strength that is not dependent upon the actions of humanity. Events don't weaken it, and people's foibles don't subtract from the faith that all will be well, that there is an ultimate justice, regardless of how the moment appears. True love gives a purity of outlook from which trust naturally arises. The Judeo-Christian heritage, unadulterated, is based on the premise that one's foundation proceeds from loving God with all one's strength of heart and mind. Ideally, out of this comes the ability to love mankind. Progressing from such love is trust - the desire and ability to expect the best, because of unshakable certainty that ultimately God provides the best. Those that trust God as the creator of all quite surely have a much greater tendency to trust people, because their trust has this element of faith.

I believe faith in God and humanity go hand in hand in the large overview. Yet there are so many conditions and definitions of God and what it means to trust others on an individual level that the answer to both questions can be that trusting God is not necessary to trust humanity, and vice-versa.

Answer 4

Enki, I believe it's very unwise to introduce religion in the philosophy section. The two most definitely cannot "go hand in hand." Nor can faith in God & humanity.
To take the position of trusting, or not trusting humanity, is painting with a very broad brush.
If one believes in God, (as in Christianity), it is presumptuous to impose on God, the little concepts of humans.
I decline to express my beliefs as I have no wish to evoke the wrath of either side, but this I will ask--rhetorically: Was God created in man's image & likeness? Who created "sin" only to tempt, & determine loyalty & worship? (Human feelings.)
I don't believe sin is an "entity;" a living thing, or "bad" spirit.
If we trace history, without bias, we can see that the human condition has never changed. What has this to do with trust? We can only acknowledge that humans are a disparate species.
If we believe in God, it follows that we would trust God; not as one who thinks & acts as humans, but is in in His omnipotence, beyond our ability to truly comprehend.

Edit: I simply must comment on the excellent answer from Zelda.

Edit: Does ANYONE understand what Frederique C is "trying" to say? There were so many thoughtful, intelligent answers with different points of view. What has a judge, who is "obligated" (by law), & midwives have to do with the question? I feel his incoherency was probably caused by so much anger, thinking wasn't possible. Who is this Yahoo guest "Psyche," & understanding "music cruelty"? ...Perhaps I shouldn't have commented; I'm apprehensive about this person's mental stability.

Answer 5

I think they do somewhat go hand in hand. If god is in our life and we trust him then we must love, care, and give to others thus this is the basis for humanity but that doesn't mean we have to trust every person, we can be aware of the dangers and still give, share, care and love, just in a smart way.

Answer 6

The question would really tickle those who try to seriously 'evaluate' within themselves !
A good challenge to the blind beliefs !
We can know what it takes to trust, when we try it out with humanity! And then, trust in God happens quite by itself!
Trust happens to be a personal quality, not dependent on the other person! We are capable of trusting, or we are not !
Only when we "relate" trust to a manifest form of action, we seem to 'feel' the trust, hence the confusion!

Answer 7

I have all my trust and belief in God. There is very little humanity being displayed in the world we live in now or those in the past. Man does not have the strength/will of God and act on their free will, which tend to be selfish. I believe that you can fight to be a good person but humans tend to choose the most traveled(easiest) road. There is no man on earth that has the capacity of love that God has, so therefore we must fight verbally and spiritually to overcome this inhumane society.

Answer 8

God created all humanity, yes. But God gave humanity free will and sin came into the world. Now humanity does not reflect God for the most part. Now humanity is inherantly bad and have to work very hard to be good. Has to work very hard to reflect God now, it doesn't come naturally for anybody now.

That said, I would trust God before I trust man. I kinda use God as a filter of sorts as I deal with other humans.

Answer 9

This is a interesting question dispensing the fact that Humans were made in the image of God, Some Humans are Angels unaware, In the last days God is supposed to pure his spirit out on all flesh.
Humans are not God, Evidently. To trust Humans is an inborn characteristic that began at birth. Trust in God, Faith-Wise Speaking began that hour he created our soul. Can you imagine trusting that which you have not seen? We trust God, because the Bible is his voice, it has been tried & true, God's Portfolio (sort of). I have read the Bible and went to Churches since I can remember, I have learned to trust God through his teaches, Where Men sway from the Bible is the Point that brings in Mistrust. I can trust Humanity that abides by the rules and laws that Govern the Land. A typical rederic following society. Now, when I began to see People stepping out against what their positions & jobs are, that is where I distrust. God gave the 10 commandments to the Children of Israel in the Wilderness to follow: They too began to stray seeking & worshipping after Idols, Committing Fornications & Adulteries, etc. Moses immediately could not trust them. Indeed, God's Laws and the Civic duties of Humanity are intertwined. We know God doesn't lie, he wouldn't have forbid it in the Bible and be a Liar himself. How do you know everything you read about Humanity isn't a Lie? Everything about a particular individual isn't fabricated? You cannot, you take what they say and their history says at *Face Value*
Now, I am a Skeptic! I do not trust people, I question almost everything, and how Humanity operates the job's they are being paid to perform. Perhaps, that is the outcome of having witnessed injustices in this hand of Humanity. Still, that is where I reside, and I don't want to have them crush me with it, so I abide.
I trust God, yet I may be crushed by his hand if I bring filthiness there.
We can trust humanity or God, and Not Jeapordize the other because we are born free, if we choose to remain free, that is our decision in Humanity

Answer 10

You bring up the idea of trust. From your question I think in invoking trust you are asking for some sort of certainty -- for example the certainty that all is for the best in the larger scheme of things, or humans are fundamentally good but just ignorant etc, etc. Certainty helps us sleep better for then we are less troubled by the contradictions we see all around us.

Ultimately I think trust and/or faith is a matter of choice. We can never be absolutely certain but we can still live in the place of trust and faith despite all we see.

Answer 11

If you understand human being, trust is not a big problem....
The biggest problem is do you trust yourself? everybody easily shaked by others.....looks like they have confidence to themselves, but actually they do not...that's why they cannot live without crowded and noises....
God? god prefer quiet place...that's why where ever there is things related to god..the places usually extremely quiet, right? humanity and god go hand in hand....??? god never talk, till now i never see before...so human got to give in....change themselves and stick to quiet environment, can they do it? if so, hand in hand should be able to work it out!!!probably the god will come and shake hand with them...ha ha ha ha ha