RE: Our role(s) as Christians on Atheist Forums
May 30, 2018 at 10:35 am
(This post was last modified: May 30, 2018 at 10:35 am by Catholic_Lady.)
I'm sure it probably depends on the theist, though I haven't had any reason to think thus far that anyone who calls themselves a theist doesn't truly believe their faith is truth. Nonetheless, I will speak on my own behalf only.
Part of having a religious belief is having faith and hope. Meaning there is no solid, scientific, lab tested proof that God exists, and I know that. I believe based on evidence that is sufficiently convincing to me. (As Neo has pointed out many times, there is difference between evidence and proof.) This evidence is enough to tip the scale for me in favor of the existence of God, rather than His non existence. It leads me to believe it is more likely that He does exist, rather than to believe He does not. From there, my belief is strengthened through my choice to have faith and hope in it. Faith is what takes my belief from "just enough to tip the scale" to "very strong".
I know people hate this analogy, but it resonates with me personally, and since I'm talking for myself, I'll use it here. There is no solid, scientific, lab tested proof that my husband loves me. Many people will even say there's a good chance the love isn't anything permanent and we will eventually divorce, or cheat on each other, or at least have loss of love in the marriage... because "that's what eventually happens in most marriages." I believe based on evidence that is sufficient to me (evidence being the type of man he is, his values and beliefs, the sacrifices he's made for me, the way he treats me, etc), that he loves me in a permanent way and will be committed to me for life. Nonetheless, since there is no solid proof of this, my belief that he will always love me goes from just enough, to incredibly strong - because I have faith that he loves me, and I have hope that he loves me.
It is because of evidence combined with faith & hope that we strongly believe things that don't have solid proof.
So to answer the question, yes, I believe God does exist and it is in my desire to find truth that I believe this. But faith & hope make the belief stronger than they otherwise would be. Is the faith part of it considered "swag", making my answer actually be a combination of the 2? I don't think so. Because the truth is primary. Faith doesn't come into play until there is already enough objective reason for me to believe it is true.
As for the in-group thing, there hasn't been much of that for me personally. Catholic mass is a one hour ordeal once a week where we sit quietly, listen to the priest talk, pray, and have communion. It is not a social event by any means lol. It's actually pretty boring, and I would rather spend my Sunday morning relaxing at home, rather than getting up at a decent hour and getting prettied up for mass. I consider it a small sacrifice as an expression of my commitment. Also, growing up I was the only one in my friends group to even be Catholic, much less to go to church regularly. Maybe it's different for others, but for myself, I had no in group type benefits from being religious.[/i][/i]
Part of having a religious belief is having faith and hope. Meaning there is no solid, scientific, lab tested proof that God exists, and I know that. I believe based on evidence that is sufficiently convincing to me. (As Neo has pointed out many times, there is difference between evidence and proof.) This evidence is enough to tip the scale for me in favor of the existence of God, rather than His non existence. It leads me to believe it is more likely that He does exist, rather than to believe He does not. From there, my belief is strengthened through my choice to have faith and hope in it. Faith is what takes my belief from "just enough to tip the scale" to "very strong".
I know people hate this analogy, but it resonates with me personally, and since I'm talking for myself, I'll use it here. There is no solid, scientific, lab tested proof that my husband loves me. Many people will even say there's a good chance the love isn't anything permanent and we will eventually divorce, or cheat on each other, or at least have loss of love in the marriage... because "that's what eventually happens in most marriages." I believe based on evidence that is sufficient to me (evidence being the type of man he is, his values and beliefs, the sacrifices he's made for me, the way he treats me, etc), that he loves me in a permanent way and will be committed to me for life. Nonetheless, since there is no solid proof of this, my belief that he will always love me goes from just enough, to incredibly strong - because I have faith that he loves me, and I have hope that he loves me.
It is because of evidence combined with faith & hope that we strongly believe things that don't have solid proof.
So to answer the question, yes, I believe God does exist and it is in my desire to find truth that I believe this. But faith & hope make the belief stronger than they otherwise would be. Is the faith part of it considered "swag", making my answer actually be a combination of the 2? I don't think so. Because the truth is primary. Faith doesn't come into play until there is already enough objective reason for me to believe it is true.
As for the in-group thing, there hasn't been much of that for me personally. Catholic mass is a one hour ordeal once a week where we sit quietly, listen to the priest talk, pray, and have communion. It is not a social event by any means lol. It's actually pretty boring, and I would rather spend my Sunday morning relaxing at home, rather than getting up at a decent hour and getting prettied up for mass. I consider it a small sacrifice as an expression of my commitment. Also, growing up I was the only one in my friends group to even be Catholic, much less to go to church regularly. Maybe it's different for others, but for myself, I had no in group type benefits from being religious.[/i][/i]
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh
