In Christianity we are told to have faith, if there is evidence of what we have faith in, is it then a fact..?

Question

and no longer faith?

By evidence I mean quantifiable and reproducible facts.

What happens when faith turns into a fact?

That's good for Thomas but I didn't get to stick my finger in the wound.

Well for the eyewitnesses they had fact and not faith. Jesus said those who believed without seeing were blessed because it was of faith.

Is it then that faith is more valuable to God than fact?

AtC - that is faith. Faith to the faithful is as good as fact, but only those who believe the same things.

I know that YHWH exists on faith, but I can offer no facts to others outside of this faith other than my own experiences. They'd still have to accept those experiences.

Answer 1

"Faith is not belief without proof,
but trust without reservation"

Answer 2

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things we hope for, the certainty of things we cannot see.

We can have faith based on facts. My chair has always supported me - that's a fact. I plop down without hesitation, because I have faith it will support me this time. It's faith, because I cannot see the future.

God has always been there for me - that's a fact. I have faith He will answer this weeks prayers also even though I can't see how.

It's a fact that Jesus died for my sins. I have faith that I'll go to heaven since I believe it and accepted the free gift.

We can have a blind faith. For example, praying if a religious book is true without reading it and looking at the facts.

Take that with the Bible. The Bible has a proven track record with fulfilled prophesy. It is unique in that it was written by many authors over thousands of years and is consistent between many controversial topics. It claims to be the word of God. I wouldn't know those things and would have faith without reason. In this case, your "blind faith" would happen to be correct.

Take that same faith with other books, it might not turn out as well though. A person wouldn't know without looking at the facts. Yes - we are to pray for wisdom. We are also told to test the spirits that come to us. If they contradict what the Holy Spirit has already said in the Bible - that spirit is not from God. If prophesies aren't 100 percent accurate, that prophet is not from God. Our faith would be based on a lie in that case.

Answer 3

I think that it would help you to do a study upon the Greek and Hebrew words translated into the word 'faith' or belief', 'believeth', or 'believe'.

Example:
John 3:18
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Believeth
Strong's Number: 4100
Pisteuo
Verb ( Note: it's a VERB, an action! )
Definition

1. to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
1. of the thing believed
1. to credit, have confidence
2. in a moral or religious reference
1. used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul
2. to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith 1bc) mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith
2. to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity
1. to be intrusted with a thing

Doing it this way gives you the mindset, and difference in context and meaning sometimes where it may be understood better. English sometimes allows for error because it may imply certain definitions that are inaccurate towards alternative meanings. The Greek stated above tells about what the word meant to those who were reading it back then, not now. So by examining the word from the past, we can be better at gaining the meaning implied.

So believe falls short a little. There is actually action implied by the use of the word 'pisteuo' in the Greek. There is confidenc also implied in the verb.

If the object of faith becomes reality, that is; physical and substantial, then a new object for faith is gained. Say if my health was bad, and my object of faith is that Jesus is my healer, then I would have other verses also to trust God for, like "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

So it's just adjusted according to need. Faith continues, but with a different promise.

Answer 4

Reason can always question faith, faith can always supplement both reason and logic. Reason creates the probability which faith can transform into a moral certainty, even a spiritual experience. God is the first truth and the last fact; therefore does all truth take origin in him, while all facts exist relative to him. God is absolute truth. As truth one may know God, but to understand—to explain—God, one must explore the fact of the universe of universes. The vast gulf between the experience of the truth of God and ignorance as to the fact of God can be bridged only by living faith. Reason alone cannot achieve harmony between infinite truth and universal fact.

Science seeks to identify, analyze, and classify the segmented parts of the limitless cosmos. Religion grasps the idea-of-the-whole, the entire cosmos. Philosophy attempts the identification of the material segments of science with the spiritual-insight concept of the whole. In science, the idea precedes the expression of its realization; in religion, the experience of realization precedes the expression of the idea.

Answer 5

Then you lose the humility of knowing you can't know all and see all, start thinking you're right and everyone else must be made to comply, and ultimately elevate yourself into God's throne.

In the Brother's Karamazov, the Grand Inquisitor sees that Jesus has returned to earth and is giving people the choice to follow him or not. The Inquisitor has him executed because in giving people a choice he risks some of them choosing wrongly, they must be made to think rightly out of our great compassion, says the Inquisitor. THAT"S what happens when you're 100% certain it's a fact.

But the opposite of faith is never doubt or tenativeness - the opposite of faith is certainty.

Answer 6

Yes, I agree that if there is evidence of what we have faith in, it then becomes fact. But there is no evidence for God, beyond our faith, perceptions and personal experiences.

If my faith turned into a fact, it would really not change anything for me personally. I would believe in God whether it's based on faith or fact. It might, however, change reality for all those who clamor for "proof" that God exists.

Answer 7

If you know the route to a city, and someone shows you a map that illustrates your knowledge, is it then fact? Yes!

And Faith is fact as well.

Before the Ressurection, NONE of the disciples had that faith. NONE. Otherwise, Peter would never had denied him, and Judas would have stuck around for forgiveness.

Thomas gained Faith, by evidence.

Trust, and obediance are a different matter...

Answer 8

God has allowed the factual confirmation of faith to various peoples at different times through visions, miracles, fulfillment of prophecies, etc., but as Jesus told His disciple Thomas, who needed to see Jesus for himself after the resurrection in order to believe:
John 20:29
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Bible also teaches that to whom more is given more is required. We in our day with the Bible, historical and scientific evidence that DOES point to confirmation of faith (despite evolution theorists protests to the contrary), will be held to a higher level of accountability than primitive peoples who were not exposed to such an understanding of the gospel of Christ or other truths of God.

Answer 9

I've tried to make this same point to creationists many times. If you believe because of the evidence, then you just have ordinary belief, not faith. If they had faith, they would not be searching for evidence.

Answer 10

Well, you can't possible prove the answer to every theological question, so the evidence that some things are true is just evidence that the rest is true too. However, someone who has pure faith will probably be favored in the kingdom of heaven.

Answer 11

Faith is rooted in fact.....

Thomas is a great example of this, he told the other disciples that he would never believe in Jesus' resurrection until he put his hand in the scars. All the disicples actually saw Jesus and belived he existed so they knew it was fact along with having faith he is the Son of God

i was not saying that you had that chance, i was saying that the disciples believed jesus existed because they could see him.... it was fact, i was asking if you think that because it was fact that they did not have faith.