2007-12-03 06:02:00 · 32 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If they knew it wasn't true, they wouldn't have faith anymore.
That is why they run away with their fingers in their ears rather than learn the truth.
Faith is nothing more than the suspension of disbelief, by maintaining ignorance of the facts.
It's getting harder and harder for them to maintain faith in this day and age though.
2007-12-03 06:06:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
That's how Mark Twain defined it. "Paul" preferred to call it "the evidence of things unseen" - more or less the same statement.
It's at least the acceptance of a given statement as "true" without criticism, examination, verification, or any other method of test. In fact, to even want or expect "proof" is offensive to God, apparently. Remember Doubting Thomas?
People are saying "But if they knew it wasn't true, they wouldn't have faith in it!" They misunderstand the irony, poor kids. The point is that you have "faith" in things that would otherwise be ridiculous to believe. Did Jesus rise from the grave after 3 days? If this was said of anybody other than Jesus, you'd automatically dismiss it - and rightly so. You believe it when it comes to Jesus because you have "faith" in what is otherwise an absurd idea. If it wasn't absurd, you could simply accept it (or not) on rational or empirical lines. Nobody needs "faith" to believe that fire is hot, or that 2+2=4.
2007-12-03 06:17:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
No. Faith is dwelling in this world... We live by faith. Even the smallest action requires faith: faith that our action will have positive results.
Thing is, faith is a state of mind where we are open to believing, and willing to experiment with the possibility of something (or everything) being true, because of the feeling within our hearts.
If it is true, it bears fruit to our souls. If it's not true, it tends to be much more easily forgotten.
2007-12-03 06:12:23 · answer #3 · answered by MumOf5 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Do you see the wind? How do you know it truly exists?
Surely you see evidence of its existance in how it moves the trees, blows your hair, gives white caps to the water, etc?
Faith is the belief that wind exists - you can't see the wind, only its effects upon other things.
Faith in God is similar. You can not see God. But you can see evidence of His existance and evidence of His working in the lives of people around you.
We teach our young ones that simply put faith is believing. But you asked if it was believing in something we know isnt true and for this answer, I would say No. Faith is believing in something that you cant prove tangibly but is true ...
(well when you are talking about faith in God if youre talking about faith in something else...well then your faith may not be in something thats real)
2007-12-03 06:13:20 · answer #4 · answered by Polly Wanna Cracker 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No.
Heb. 11:1-" Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld"
True faith is not a readiness to believe something without sound evidence of just because a person wants it to be so, true faith requires basic or fundamental knowledge, acquaintance with evidence, as well as heartfelt appreciation of what that evidence indicates.
2007-12-03 06:15:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Faith is believing something you cannot prove. Faith is in lieu the substance of things one hopes.
Before I was married to my first husband, for a year and a half I had faith we would be married. It was not in evidence and there was nothing that told us it would happen other than faith. We were married for 53 years, but before it came to pass, we only had faith it would.
That, my friend, is faith.
EDIT: jonjon, if you read Hebrews in the Greek, you will see it is written in classic Greek, not the language spoken by Paul. It uses different language from Paul's letters.
2007-12-03 06:11:34 · answer #6 · answered by mesquiteskeetr 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Not necessarily. I believe a person is innocent until proven guilty. E.g. the McCanns. Some people think they did killed their daughter. I choose to have faith in them - I believe they are innocent, although I don't really know one way or the other.
2007-12-03 06:12:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
nope, faitrh is belkieving something even though proof of it is not immediately forthcoming. Happened for me some years ago. My apprentice got ahold of my bank card and ran up $13000 in cash advances, I couldn't pay but felt that God would help me. I had faith and sure enough I got two cheques in the mail totalling $13000 that i had no idea would come. I had faith and my faith was justified, Thats how faith works!!!
2007-12-03 06:06:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore, if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.
2007-12-03 06:07:18 · answer #9 · answered by colebolegooglygooglyhammerhead 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Hebrews 11:1.. faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen
2007-12-03 06:06:46 · answer #10 · answered by loveChrist 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No; faith is a belief in something that is true that isn't always seen. Faith is something you believe in that is unchanging, like God. Faith is also an action word. It means you act upon your belief.
2007-12-03 06:04:42 · answer #11 · answered by Bloodscythe T 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋