Is faith necessarily unreasonable?

Question

If faith and reason are two methods of attaining knowledge, does that mean that faith is a process that does not utilize reason?

((I base this on the claim that faith concerns spiritual matters while reason concerns physical ones and that faith completes a task that reason cannot))

Space Cowby, I think each of those require a different definition of faith.

I think many have confused faith with induction.

Answer 1

11-T, no, faith isn't unreasonable. To varying degrees, we all employ faith, and we do it constantly. I view faith as belief, based on enough evidence, but with the evidence not quite enough to prove something.

For some reason, you and I have different sets of evidence - our physical proximity is one obvious reason we both have different sets. I'm sitting here in Chicago, and I can attest to the fact that the sun is not currently shining here. You can check the Weather Channel, or CNN, or whatever, or you can call someone who lives here, and ask what they see, to provide further evidence. Unless you're standing / sitting here, all you can do is seek further evidence.

Now with the spiritual, there is, in my view, a very different issue to be addressed. Physical proximity is irrelevant. God is omnipresent, allowing contact, in a spiritual sense, in your world and in mine, at the same time - or at different times, however He decides to act. He has provided evidence of His existance. The evidence is strong, and pervasive, on a spiritual level. Its provided internally to all of His creation, in my view. You can ask Him for more evidence, if you believe in Him or not, and He has promised to show Himself to you. Enough evidence will be provided for conviction. He will expose you to what evidence is needed for your heart to turn, and be convinced, as I am, of His love for you.

In my world, others call my 'knowledge' of God faith, where I just call it a relationship.
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Although I'm sure my comments are complete jibberish, I'm still giving a 'High 5!'

Answer 2

The fact is that faith isn't a way to attain knowledge. As the saying goes: "Anything can be justified by faith, so faith ultimately justifies nothing."

Do we decide based on whose faith is the strongest? No, the strength of a belief is irrelevant to its truth or falsehood. Do we decide based on whose faith has changed their lives the most? No, that's no indication of something being true. Do we decide based on how popular their belief is? No, the popularity of a belief has no bearing on whether it's true or not.

Claims about faith can be used to justify and defend absolutely anything on an equal — and equally unreasonable — basis. So yes, faith IS necessarily unreasonable.

Answer 3

I don't agree with that.

There are many reasonable -- from the standpoint of specific premises -- aspects of my faith. (And I openly admit that you or any reader here might have problems with some of the premises of my spiritual syllogisms, but that's another question.)

Reason has an important place in faith: to keep it from being a "blind faith" that is afraid to analyze and introspect.

Of course, just like in the physical realm of science, logic and reason has its limits concerning faith. But just like in science, you have to know when your reasonableness (is that a word?) has to give way to the mystery before you.

Faith and reason are 2 ways of attaining knowledge, but not the only 2 ways.

Answer 4

One doesn't attain knowledge through faith. Even the Bible calls faith the "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Hope and belief, obviously, but one cannot attain knowledge simply by believing something is true.

Answer 5

Faith in superstition is counterproductive to attaining genuine knowledge. Faith asks us to dispel or disregard reason to embrace something very abstract and not at all in evidence.

Faith can also take a person to places the human mind can't go with reason and evidence, facts can hinder certain tasks when waaaay out the box concepts are required.

Answer 6

According to the Bible, faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." So yes, faith is necessarily unreasonable. Things that can be logically, scientifically proven negate the need for faith. The philosopher Kierkegaard said "Without doubt, there is no faith." Good question.

Answer 7

LAST NIGHT THE QUESTION OF MEDITATION WAS ASKED AND A DIFFERENTIATION OF EASTERN AND WESTERN PHILOSOPHIES.

CHRISTIANITY WAS A MIND / BODY EXCHANGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT OF CHRIST, THE CRUCIFIXION, OR ANY RELIGIOUS BELIEF, TO DWELL THE MIND UPON SPIRITUALLY.

BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM WERE OF MIND AND BODY TRANSCENDING TOGETHER.

KNOWLEDGE IS A COMBINATION OF DIRECT PERCEPTION, UNDERSTANDING, ACQUAINTANCE WITH, PRACTICAL SKILL, INFORMATION AND LEARNING.

REASON IS THE FACULTY OF THINKING, THE LOGICAL PREMISE OF AN ARGUMENT.

FAITH IS A SYSTEM OF RELIGIOUS DOCUMENTS BELIEVED IN

THE METHODOLOGY AND POSTULATIONS YOU PROPOSE CANNOT LOGICALLY BE SUSTAINED WITHOUT A REVISION OF WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT AS A BASIC THEORY WITHIN A DEFINITION OF THE ABOVE.

FAITH IS A BELIEF, KNOWLEDGE IS THE UNDERSTANDING AND REASON IS THE LOGIC APPLICATION FROM DEDUCTIONS OF FAITH, KNOWLEDGE AND REASON.

Answer 8

Without faith reason cannot answer our deepest questions.

Faith isn't devoid of reason, it just doesn't rely on reason alone.

God is a spirit and faith is reasonable spiritual knowledge. God has even said, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD,"

Answer 9

Faith is seeing it (blueprint) before you see it (completed project).

For example, seeing in the mind's eye a house being built on a vacant piece of land vs 1 year later where the house is built and grass is growing in the yard.

Answer 10

we all accept things on faith (nutrition labels for example). we believe there are 200 calories in that soup because the label says so, and there are laws in place to regulate the information on the label.

its the foundation of faith that is reasonable or unreasonable. the word "faith" describes a type of understanding. i disagree with the claim your question is based on. i hope that is ok. lol