Christians - what kind of reasoning is faith based on?

Question

My last question was - Is faith superior to reason. A couple of believers responded that faith is based on reason. Which leads to my question - what kind of reasoning.

Is not faith based on circular reasoning - can reasoning in a circle ever be considered reliable?

Platik Punk - That was a bunch of nonsense. Sure it might sound "cute" but to anybody that understands the rules of reasoning - saying that it must come back in a full circle is nonsense.

A better statement might be that all forms of reasoning require us to make certain assumptions. Not that it comes back in a full circle

Answer 1

You are asking for faith based on "reasoning" and not proof, but my reasoning for my faith, IS based on proof. First thing to not is that faith itself is believing in something without proof, although reasoning is a necessity for faith I believe. You can have faith in a person to persevere based on your reasoning from seeing them do it in the past. So my reasoning is found in my common sense and in the bible itself. Common sense tells me that nothing from nothing leaves nothing! Now some scientists would ask me to believe differently and I did so for many years, but I know that I was taking their word and theories based on "reasoning" that just doesn't seem reasonable. As far as the biblical reasons for my faith, here are some I have put together for you below. Peace

Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." In 1982 scientists from the Nasa Ames research center found that clay and earth contain EVERY single element in the human body. They were trying to DISPROVE this fact, because science then thought there was no link.

Job 26:7 "He stretches out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth upon nothing." Science then (1500BC) thought that the earth sat on the back of a huge elephant, and the Greeks thought that a mythical god known as atlas held it on his shoulders. Just over a century ago the scientific community believed that a "thick substance similar to either" held the stars and planets in place, but again the Bible says "it hangs upon nothing."

Isaiah 40:22 "It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in:" Here we see that the bible says the earth is spherical 2400 years before Columbus sailed. Science at that time thought it was square with corners.

Ecclesiastes 1:6 "The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits."
Science then thought air currents blew straight across the earth, but Solomon observed otherwise.


Genesis 1:1-2 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Science expresses the universe in 5 terms, these are...TIME "in the beginning", POWER "God created", SPACE "the heavens", MATTER "the earth", and MOTION "the Spirit of God moved."

Answer 2

Faith is based on the best evidence available to you, and on the probability the evidence is correct, and then on the reasoning of the most likely completion of the evidence you have.

For example, you know about electricity, and you know about light bulbs, and you know that light bulbs are connected to the switch on the wall, and you assume that the power grid is supplying you with power. You have the experience of operating the light switch in the past, and the light coming on. This time, when you operate it, the light might not come on. The bulb might be burned out, or the power may be off, but you operate the light switch as if the light WILL reliably come on. It is based on your experience and knowledge.

So it is with religious faith. If you are familiar with the facts, and if you have past experiences that lend weight to the facts, it is not a huge leap of faith to say, this is probably true, and I am willing to trust it.

We should not have a double standard, where we express faith without hesitation that the light will come on, or that the nation of Japan really exists, even though we have never been there, or the events we hear on the news are accurately reported, on the one hand, but then demand absolute proof before believing in the Christian faith. If we demand that absolute proof, we make ourselves susceptible to the fallacy from authority. We live in a world where absolute proof is not possible. So we should gather as much evidence as we can (by that I mean historical, scientific, and other kinds of evidence; observe the universe and how complex it is and how well it works, and how complex living things are, and so forth), read the Bible, take a look at our own experience and the experiences of others, and then plan to make that very SHORT leap of faith to complete the conclusion that Christianity is true, and put our TRUST in Jesus as our Saviour.

In reality, faith is a gift from God. But that's basically how it works. We have a basis for our faith; it's not just a blind leap of faith at all.

Answer 3

Faith must be based on evidence. (id est, you can't trust in something you don't know exists). That evidence comes from the Holy Ghost (John 14:26). We can, for example pray and ask for evidence that Heavenly Father exists. We can also pray to know for sure if something is good or true or not.

Once we have this evidence, we can begin to have greater faith. I can promise that the more we understand our Father in Heaven, the more faith we will have in Him.

Initially, we pray - we ask to discover knowledge. The common idea of circular reasoning comes in by the following statement: it takes faith to actually pray - the evidence for that faith comes from what you hear from other people.

So, put another way, you must hear that we can pray, recieve answers, test out what you hear (have faith in what you hear, in other words), and continue on. Initially, you must have faith in the words of another - a prophet, preacher, apostle...whatever. We must hear about it from someone somewhere at sometime.

Once you pray and recieve that answer, you then have reason to suspect it might occur again. When you do it again and recieve an answer again, you have reason to suspect it even more. Eventually you will have a sure knowledge that God will always answer you prayer. You then know that thing.

Faith is based on reason in that regard. It is to have faith IN God...we are not asked to have faith OF God. We must know He exists to have faith in Him. For many people, it seems, that is the starting point - to find out if He exists. There are multiple way to accomplish such. I would recommend just asking Him what He would like you to do.

I know He exists, loves us, and provided the way for us to become perfect and happy. Learn from others how to ask Him (make sure you learn from a reliable source) then ask Him. Just do the best you can and you'll be alright.

Seek always for truth with an open mind and NEVER give up.

Answer 4

Without faith there would be no religion. You can not prove religion by reason.

faith and reason are two totally different concepts.
faith is defined as a hope in things not seen. Reason is based upon empirical judgment.
where there is a reason you do not need faith.

blind faith and circular reason = must be talking about religion.

Answer 5

Well, that depends on your definition of faith. In Latin and English, "faith" is generally belief, hope and trust apart from evidence. But in Greek, faith is essentially belief, and may be based on reason, evidence, scientific analysis, or wishful thinking. I have faith, for example, that my checkbook balance is correct. How did I arrive at that faith? Through reason; in this case, my mathematical calculations. Some folks may have faith based on the argument from causality, for example. Whether or not the reasoning is faulty, the faith is based on reason, and it isn't circular reason.

Answer 6

If you believe your actions have consquences and you will be punished or rewarded at the end of your life, then you will try to achieve the reward which improves your chances at happiness pre-afterlife. You reap what you sow. Faith itself is a kind of psychological motivational tool which encourages personal growth while discouraging selfishness. If you believe in nothing or simply believe against something how is this going to build society?

Answer 7

It is not circular reasoning. I believe in God because of evidence, not because of experience. Some explanation must be given for how the Universe began. You say it just popped out of nothingness. I say it was designed and created by a Being superior and anterior to it. That is not cirular reasoning. The response is always, "But where did God come from?" and I ask still about matter, which we know is not eternal. You choose to believe that matter, which we know is not eternal, sprang out of nothingness. I choose to believe that something that is not matter but eternal created matter. Something eternal is not dependant upon me to explain but to accept as there. If you are truly interested in discussing this, email me and we can discuss it away from such a hard format.

Answer 8

Faith is believing in things not seen that will come to pass. Believing before seeing. Example Blessed is the man who does not see and still believes. (Jesus)

Answer 9

Faith comes by the grace of God. Actually the Greek word means faith/believing (active voice).

There is no rational for faith. You can not get to God by applying scientific method to revelation.

If you want to find faith, look where everything else has failed. There is where you find the grace of God.

Answer 10

Hebrews 11:1 says
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"