So im wondering what is the trick to ACTUALLY having faith? do you need to see or meet god or have some sign of him? This has always been the part i dont understand. You just have to blindly know that its real to actually get to heaven? What about all the people that do that every day and worship God when there is a part of them that feels like it might be fake? They aren't giving ALL of their faith because part of them notices that theres no real proof and its just a guessing game. Do you have to commit yourself 100% and how many people ACTUALLY have that kinda faith and ACTUALLY get to heaven then? Haha if thats true heaven must be so lifeless with such a minority of hardcore christians. Sorry dont mean to offend just had to get this question off my chest
Having faith...what an interesting subject. I'm sure you have heard of the phrase, "leap of faith"? Well, it is most descriptive, and I'm not being smart. It's like after you get convicted of something (in this case lets say "it's" God), it still takes that leap to know within yourself that you believe. For if you truly believe, you will be eager (imo) to take that leap of faith. You may really be wondering how one truly can believe? There is no trick unless you call turning yourself totally over to His Will a trick. I cannot answer for others, nor say who will or won't "get to heaven"...I can only answer for myself. I will say I do not agree with what many so-called "hardcore christians" proclaim to be "right". I can only speak for my own interpretation and my own faith. I'm not thinking this is the place for a testimony.
"Johannes de Silentio believes that Abraham is one such knight of faith. In the Book of Genesis, God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham dearly loved his son, but although bemoaning this fate, Abraham obeyed this command faithfully. Just as he was about to commit the act, an angel stopped Abraham and rewarded him with his son and his steadfast faith. In the same paradoxical act of committing murder, which would humanly kill off his son, Abraham believed, through virtue of the absurd, he would still have his son alive and well." - Description in part of Fear and Trembling by Kierkegaard Faith is a shield in the armor of God. It protects the Christian from what he may not currently understand and among other things but does so out of trust. I think many people have that faith; just look at how many people refused to say Heil Hitler (which means salvation is obtained through Hitler) and were eventually killed because of it or die for refusing to say they aren't Christian. Also, I have personally found faith to be very rational and proof oriented. It's just that many have their own views of what constitutes as proof. There is also a lot of misinformation out there that ends up confusing a lot of people.
No offense. It seems that you have been mislead to believe that God wants "blind faith" from us but nothing could be farther from the truth. The Bible describes Faith as the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld. (Hebrews 11:1) As an example you might understand, it would take faith to believe in things like atoms, which can not be seen but evident demonstration shows that they are a reality.
Faith as it is used in Scripture could be reworded as trust. That being said, the initiative always comes from God, but requires our free response.
It's not that different from being an atheist, really. Seeing something written down in a book, seeing it on a video or seeing a lot of other people with faith in something and deciding that that's your truth, too. Look at how many people have faith in the economy, in people, in science, evolution, psychology, politics and various corporations. There is more evidence to disprove most of the things in that list than there are to disprove the existence of any god. So many people believe that 9/11 was coordinated by a man in a cave, many people had faith that Obama would bring change. Some are even so faithful that they believe he actually has brought change. I really think that it takes no more faith to believe in god that to believe that depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Chemical imbalances may sound scientific and convincing but there's no actual science behind it, it's just an advertising slogan dreamed up by drug companies, yet many many people believe it to be true and think it is science. Atheists, in a way, have FAITH that there are no gods. They have faith that the bible was written with the idea of controlling people. They have faith that they are so much smarter and somehow more contributive to the bettering of man than, say, a Christian. But unless they actually contribute to the betterment of man (most atheists don't because they're playing on Xboxes, watching porn and driving around in petrol cars) then their faith is misplaced and they're no better than the religious people that they love to condemn.
i'm an atheist, thought i'd respond: wrong, i don't believe in most gods, it is true, but i'm partial to animism, nature spirits and such - less a philosophy than an aesthetic, perhaps... i have no idea why the bible was written; don't confuse the writing with how it is used most christians, yes, they seem so concerned with making everyone else a christian, or at least making us conform to their narrow moralities [you got one half-right] no xbox [no tv], no porn, no car - i should ask: how exactly do you contribute to the betterment of man? apart from casting stones? as far as the earlier faith in god vs faith in atoms argument, perhaps it's just that some of us trust people of science more than we trust people of religion? trust may be a point of departure for faith?
No great faith is needed. As ukr-cdn states, trust is a more familiar word in this case. First off no remedy is needed if there is no problem, but if your life is problematic to you and you are looking for solutions then you may find yourself suggestible. So at some point you decide to trust some example. In the example of christ teaching you are asked to apply certain principles. It is in that first moment that you agree to try something that constitutes the whole amount of faith required, and it is the practice of applying those principles and the results thereof, that in turn convinces you that the principles are sound or true. So trust leads to confidence which leads to competence. Another way to say the same thing is the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that starts as the smallest of all seeds and grows into the largest shrub until the birds of the air make their nests in the shade of it's branches. Mistrust leads at best to suspicion and viciousness at worst. There is good reason for faith.
You say that like I am a Christian and you're trying to take a dig at me. The thing is, I'm an atheist, I just try and be critical of my own school of thought, too, since I stand a better chance of learning by thinking that way. I suppose I should have said MOST atheists, or some. Or whatever. But ..thanks... for taking the time to pick apart my last paragraph and prove it wrong, that'll show me to generalise (something atheists do a lot). And, in terms of the betterment of mankind, I've more or less given up on the subject, I'll be going to live in the wilderness soon since people are too tied up in their lives to do anything about the things that make their lives shit. But things I did do: Buy from local businesses, not supermarkets and chains, buy organic/eco-friendly where possible and only from ethical companies, avoided paying tax where possible, never contributed labour to organisations with no ethics, cycled or walked rather than taking vehicles where possible, donated to wikileaks and other activist organisations, raised awareness wherever I went, even tried to form a protest group, bought things from charity shops rather than new or tried to make them myself. The list could go on and on but really I guess it all amounts to nothing in the face of people's oh-so precious artificial lives and wants and needs. My attempts at betterment were like drops in the ocean, I guess, nobody really noticed or if they did then they didn't care.
Oh, I almost forgot: Pull your head out of your arse, you silly sausage. You're stating your faith in animism and nature spirits, not exactly what I was saying but pretty much proving it. And that shit's dumb.
Dreamer, can you put your hands in your HEad, Dreamer? Hey, LOL, we've got a generation gap; football game on the side posting of the user-name. :2thumbsup:
Do me a favour willedwill and only reply to me if you check your prose thoroughly and make sure it makes sense. Otherwise, piss off. If anyone can tell what you're trying to say in THAT post, then they are a genius through my eyes. I read quite well, actually. I even understand what is trying to be said, sometimes.
- - - - - - - - - - Well done, Lynnbrown. Can always count on you for a good answer [whether I agree with you or not]. On this one, I do. My faith comes in the form of the Roman who approached your Jesus regarding his sick servant. In my case, I more than once privately sought out the Christians at work (the strong ones, which means a very small number; and yes, I know who they are by their works). Got them to pray over a hurting person [without his knowing]. It really works. The more you exercise faith the stronger (surer) it gets. Three cheers for the person who started this outstanding thread. - JKHolman
Once strong, the faith, then the faith competes with the feeling against the two dimensional expressing of goodness.The feeling, I do believe, feels to be maintained in blind faith. But strong faith is not blind faith; it is the faith shared in the word. JK, the word strangely tells the truth but the rendition in the full three dimensions of It is, wrong or right: Love. Done.
