View Full Version : Faith/Logic?



Karried
08-22-2005, 05:00 PM
I always wonder how scientists and doctors, physic majors and engineers can ignore some of their logical thinking and have such incredible faith in something they can't see - a higher power?

Most people that think logically want to dissect and reason and have tangible proof.

How do they have such incredible faith?

How does one not question the validity of religion and faith. How do people justify and believe all the while thier minds are continually questioning and searching for concrete proof and evidence? How do they keep the faith when theories such as evolution are accepted?

I know that is the definition of faith but how do they stop analyzing and searching for proof of a supreme being/higher power/ God?

I really would like to know - how do some of you do it?

Curt
08-22-2005, 09:05 PM
I guess I dont really know what to beleive in sometimes. Basically I believe that if your a good person, not going around hurting other people you will have a better place to go to when you die.

I dont beleive that you have to go to church to go to a better place when you die.

ibda12u
08-23-2005, 08:42 AM
I think it comes down to absolute truth. Do you believe in absolute truth or do you not believe in it. And if you believe it absolute truth, what is that truth? For Christians it's supposed to be the bible. And if the bible is absolute truth, the it is absolutly correct, and factual. And it makes believing possible, because you entire line or reasoning is based around the bible.

If you do not believe in, or have absolute truth, then you'll never know what to believe, and can be swayed by someone's impressive arguement in most anything. I choose the bible as my absolute truth, and I believe one day, we'll all know what truth is the absolute truth. I sometimes tell people, the only thing that matters in the end, is did you make the "right" choice in what you believed? If you can't find absolute peace in your absolute truth choice, then perhaps you need to re-evaluate your truth, your self, or your reasoning.

Karried
08-23-2005, 10:24 AM
That's my point in some ways - there are stories in the Bible that make no sense to me - I know some people say you can' t take it literally, well if you don't take it literally, how is it truth? Which parts do you take literally? It's confusing to me.

Faith
08-23-2005, 11:44 AM
I believe that if I live my life morally and treat others with respect that I will have everlasting life. I believe in God and I am not ashamed to say I don't attent church. I instill christian morals in my children. I do hope one day to locate a church that I would be comfortable in attending with my family, but for now most churches I have been to have been very hypocritical. I believe the bible stories are teaching us of morals. Not taking it literally probably means to look at the story as a metaphor. Just because we can't understand or disect the meaning of every word or story doesn't mean there isn't truth to story as an entirety.

ibda12u
08-23-2005, 12:40 PM
That's my point in some ways - there are stories in the Bible that make no sense to me - I know some people say you can' t take it literally, well if you don't take it literally, how is it truth? Which parts do you take literally? It's confusing to me.

There are some things in the bible that are literal, and some are not. The key is correctly reading and understanding the bible. I know some people just kinda jump in the bible, or flip it open and wherever it lands, they just start reading, and that may work sometimes, most of the time it just leaves one confused, because we don't know what's going on, why, the background, the meaning etc.. They become just words. I can truly understand the need for teachers and preachers, not to condem people, but to help them understand the bible.

Curt
08-23-2005, 02:49 PM
That's my point in some ways - there are stories in the Bible that make no sense to me - I know some people say you can' t take it literally, well if you don't take it literally, how is it truth? Which parts do you take literally? It's confusing to me.
The Bible is very confusing to me. I went to a baptist school and tried to read the bible a couple times, but I could never understand it really, and actually cant say if all of it is true or not. Everyone has their own idea of what the bible is saying, so how do you pick which story is true or false?

Patrick
08-26-2005, 11:03 AM
I think the Bible is pretty clear in what it states. Unfortunately, people come up with their own warped interpretations, and that's what leads to problems.

Personally, I'm very intellectual, but I have a strong faith in my religion, because I've seen how God has worked in my own life and the lives of others. God has spoken to me in various ways and given me clear direction in my life.

Didaskalos
08-31-2005, 07:00 PM
I always wonder how scientists and doctors, physic majors and engineers can ignore some of their logical thinking and have such incredible faith in something they can't see - a higher power?

Most people that think logically want to dissect and reason and have tangible proof.
I have the luxury of being one who came by my faith through reason. Believe it or not, in my experience, it is easier to find an athiest in a philosophy department than in an Astrononmy department. I think it is nothing short of intellectually arrogant to suggest that science and reason provide all of the answers to life. A doctor can spend their life trying to understand the human body but can't explain the 'science' behind sacrifical love, humor, or the creativity it takes to write a symphony. These are not necessarily rational and yet they are very real.

A astrophysicist can point you back to the 'beginning our our universe' but hasn't preteded to explain where the matter came from in the first place or how such complexity is possible in a limited time frame.

There is infinite 'truth' to be found. Science doesn't have it yet (only the arrogant would believe otherwise). It is very difficult to 'know' the non-existence of something so any attemp to prove God cannot exist seems futile (at least to me) and not something science can easily do.


How do they have such incredible faith? The answer is simple, many of those people have had a very real and personal experience with this God that "thinkers" think is just a crutch.

Love is extremely irrational. If one has never been 'in love', they will never understand the actions of those 'in love'.


How does one not question the validity of religion and faith. I think this is one problem with the premise. Religion is a man made institution and comes with all the inherent shortcoming of man's creations. I have faith in God but not much faith in any of the religious systems. As a matter of fact, I would contend that Jesus himself wasn't too crazy for religion either.
How do they keep the faith when theories such as evolution are accepted? I think it is unfortunate that religious people have put reasoned thinkers into a 'it has to be my interpretation or you are not a true person of faith' choice. There are many who believe that science is supported by scripture. If one accepts the young earth theory as fact, evolution makes 'faith' difficult. If one does not accept this theory, it is not a problem. It is unfortunate that other 'truths' are proven false by this one theory. Instead of doing personal research, many religious people bye the common theory and then their faith hinges on its being proven true or false. Christ is the center of Christianity and should be the focus of Christians. The truth around Christ's life and message shouldn't hinge on whether someone agrees with the Genesis account, the flood or Revelation. Those that present the bible as 'it must be accepted as I present it' or 'you are going to hell' are doing a disservice to Christ and his message. I would love to introduce the world to my Lord and Savior but have no compulsion to make them see every verse in the bible the same way I do.


I know that is the definition of faith but how do they stop analyzing and searching for proof of a supreme being/higher power/ God? I have never stopped. I find it significantly easier to believe in the existence of a creator than in this universe happening by mere chance. Whether that belief has to translate into the Judeo/Christaian God or some other alternative is an entirely separate issue.


I really would like to know - how do some of you do it? After spending 12 years researching, it is not a matter of choice, it is rational and logical. I cannot answer every unexplainable story nor do I have all of the answers to every challenge that is presented but just because I don't have the answer doesn't mean the source is unreliable. No matter what discipline in science I focus on, there will always be more I don't know than I will ever know.

Winterhawk
09-27-2005, 12:51 PM
I always wonder how scientists and doctors, physic majors and engineers can ignore some of their logical thinking and have such incredible faith in something they can't see - a higher power?

Most people that think logically want to dissect and reason and have tangible proof.

How do they have such incredible faith?

How does one not question the validity of religion and faith. How do people justify and believe all the while thier minds are continually questioning and searching for concrete proof and evidence? How do they keep the faith when theories such as evolution are accepted?

I know that is the definition of faith but how do they stop analyzing and searching for proof of a supreme being/higher power/ God?

I really would like to know - how do some of you do it?

How do some of us do it?

Well that is because spirituality for us is a personal definition, not something defined by an organized dogmatic structure or other people's opinions of what is and is not good, or how to live our lives.

Your spiritual life is your business and no one else's to define. People should shape the scope of their spirituality based on their own experiences, not those of others, especially thousands of years ago.