RE: Evidence Verses Faith
November 25, 2008 at 12:13 pm
(This post was last modified: November 25, 2008 at 12:17 pm by Daystar.)
(November 25, 2008 at 4:38 am)CoxRox Wrote: ''Faith and evidence. There it is. One man's faith is another man's evidence and one man's evidence is another man's faith.'' I would agree with this.
I tried to debate 'faith' in this post here: http://atheistforums.org/thread-257.html and I had to conclude that having to employ 'faith' in any situation immediately puts you at a disadvantage because you are suspending 'certainty' and holding out for 'proof' which you believe one day will be manifested. (This was not the case in the 1st century. The apostle Paul and the first century Christians supposedly had supernatural experiences- they witnessed miracles; Paul had a personal encounter with Christ, etc that meant their faith was not really the same faith I have to employ. Non believers coming into contact with them would initially hear their claims and then after a miracle, they would have had 'evidence' that what they were being told was true. Even Jesus recognized people's problems with believing something because someone tells you to believe it. Doubting Thomas was given the proof he needed to believe). When we talk about faith in a 'natural' situation there is a good chance we will see the end result- (you did find out who killed the man), but to have faith that the 'supernatural' exists- I can see how scientific minds have a problem with us believing this.....I struggle with it myself......
I understand what you are saying and I pretty much agree with you, but at the same time I would add three points
1. That some people, like Jesus said, wouldn't believe if the stones came to life and told them.
2. The demons know and yet shudder. They don't have to rely on faith because they know and yet that doesn't make a difference.
3. Proof in ones man eyes may be an illusion. Doubting Thomas, for example saw the marks that Jesus showed him which were not there earlier. The magic practicing priests up against Moses were able to perform some impressive acts themselves.
Faith is the expectation of things though there is no convincing evidence beheld, but that doesn't mean that there is not good reason to believe it unless you are wrong yourself. The Jews thought that Jesus was going to be an earthly King to save them from their earthly foes. They were wrong and they were stumbled by it. When ones religious will supersedes that of God's will it often stumbles people. Scientists though, who are working on their ideas and they fail then they start again having faith that they have the right idea and will eventually succeed - so it is with faith.
