Thoughts on Faith

Originally Posted by pdizzle45

bkveda,

I don't think everything can follow reason. Are you saying faith is irrational because it does not follow reason and anything that cannot be reasoned is irrational? Hmmmm could you imagine the strength of currency if there were no faith in it? Thankfully we put faith into it and it maintains its purchasing power. And that is a very practical example of why faith is rational. If I got paid Friday, it would be irrational for me to not believe that this money was no good(Especially because I put in work hours for it). Or, getting re-married after a first failed marriage. It is somebody(or two people) putting faith over their experience.

Purchasing power of money is fact. it doesn't need faith. If you go to a shop and pay money, you get goods. It has nothing to do with faith. These are facts. Faith would like if people refused to accept money as payment and still you could get the goods by miracle of your unknown potential. Faith by definition is belief in something that cannot be shown as obvious fact. purchasing power of money is a fact, so it cannot be faith.

[God-Like]

I can relate to faith for sure .. I think it's something you have or you haven't, I think there will be a reason why one has or one hasn't . It's usually down to experience in some shape or form whether it be on a practical level or within a realization of sorts .

Many can relate to faith healers as a prime example . The faith healer has no doubt that what is happening is happening and the connection of such a happening results in having faith . When one has no doubt about something one has faith .

Faith strengthens a bond or a connection had with self or with anything that one puts their hearts and minds too .

x daz x

Originally Posted by God-Like

When one has no doubt about something one has faith .

x daz x

That is as close to faith as we can get to describe it in short.

[Dwerg]

Faith can be trust or confidence in people, a view, a deity or pretty much anything. So to me it refers to a state of mind as I don't operate with absolutes, which makes it hard to explain.

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by bkveda

I was thinking about Faith as a powerful tool and basically irrational belief which is not supposed to be based on facts but on theories or assertions. would like all of your philosophical thoughts on Faith. thanks

Spiritual belief is about faith. It's believing in something we don't know for sure. We can tell ourselves we're sure, but unless it's proven beyond any doubt we don't know. But it helps us to believe in spiritual ideas like reicarnation or some vague energy 'out there' or Love or God, so we do.

Much of science is based on theories, which is similar to faith, we don't know for sure but believe anyway. Faith is a wonderful thing, if we were mechanical robots with no faith the world would be intensely dull and grey.

Some say 'they may have faith, but I know'. That's just being really sure of your faith, but you still don't actually know. All spiritual belief in based on faith. Same thing applies to scientific theories. They've been tested more and we have more assurance, but we don't know 100% or else it wouldn't be called a theory. Widely accepted scientific theories have been proven wrong before.

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by energyman

Hello, I do not agree with your suggestion that spirituality is always based on faith, and that we cannot know for sure. In 1975 I had a Near Death Experience which was transcendental. I returned with what PMH A****er describes as the Gnosis the knowing about spirituality. Now, unless you have had an NDE it is unlikely you would understand how that can be. There are many experiencers, (about 5% of the population) who have this Gnosis also.

I've had incredible spiritual experiences as well that most have not, but I still think of my beliefs as faith because I understand that experience is subjective. It doesn't bother me, in fact it's proven to be more fulfilling to understand that my spiritual beliefs are based on faith.

I don't feel a need to know for sure, there is no emotional attachment to have a sense of control anymore. I used to want very much to know for sure, and thought I did, but now I'm ok with the possibility of being wrong about my spiritual beliefs. It used to threaten me that experience is subjective, now it's a blessing to be free from needing to be sure.

For me, spiritual beliefs are even more powerful and effective this way. Which might seem confusing, because you would think that the more sure you are, the more effective faith is, but I've not found that to be true.