We hear alot about "faith-based organizations" and some say we should keep faith out of politics and public policy. But really, how do you do that. Everyone lives by faith. People who believe in God or a Supreme Being or reincarnation, etc. are said to have faith because they believe in something that cannot be proven or measured with current metrics. However, their faith is really rooted in the word of someone else, usually a book, a holy book in some cases. If anyone claims to have information from God then each person must decide for themselves if the person claiming this is credible and reliable. The same thing happens in a courtroom. A witness testifies to what they saw. A jury must decided if that witness is truthful and reliable and render a decision. That decision is based on faith. Faith=Belief. If you believe what someone said about events that you did not witness then you have faith in what they said. This is definitional and indisputable. All beliefs are by definition faith. Some beliefs have their basis in personal experience. I believe that at this moment I am typing this blog. You may or may not believe me later when I tell you that I did. If you believe me then you are taking my word "on faith".
An Atheist believes that they do not live by faith. However, it requires perfect, absolute and comprehensive knowledge of all existence to assert that there is no god and be certain to be correct. Such knowledge is beyond any human mind no matter how brilliant. Therefore, an atheist believes on faith that there is no god. An atheist may say that this is a different kind of faith. But in fact, it is not. Belief is faith is belief.
An individual may believe in global warming. However, unless a person has personally conducted the research and has access to all necessary measurements then they believe the word of someone else on faith. Even believing something on concensus, because it is popular to believe, does not make it fact. Believing second hand information is faith.
Everyone lives by faith.
1 comment:
This is a great description of faith. I love the part about atheists because I always thought it took much more faith to believe in evolution and no God than I could ever muster. My faith is in the Creator God of the Bible!!
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