by Silverleaf 47 Replies latest jw friends
Hello all,
I've been interested in the discussion on the 'For those of us who believe in God' thread and AGuest wrote this:
"we have been MISLED into understand what 'faith' REALLY is."
If we have all been misled, then can someone explain what exactly faith REALLY is? AGuest, I'd love to hear your ideas.
Silverleaf
faith (fth)
n.Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.
I have faith that everytime I leave my apartment in the morning to go to work, my cats begin conversing aout world affairs and the latest episode of FRIENDS.
-Dan
Faith is believing in something you
know doesnt exist"
twain
As with all things, with faith there is a balance.
On the good side, faith is confidence
on the bad side faith is nothing but wishful thinking
reableoj
Dan wrote:
I have faith that everytime I leave my apartment in the morning to go to work, my cats begin conversing aout world affairs and the latest episode of FRIENDS.
Okay, this may be what faith is, but 'truth' is that FRIENDS is not intellectually stimulating enough for cats.
Silverleaf
Silverleaf,
Funny you should ask this question now.I just got the October 1,2001 issue of the watchtower in the mail and the cover article is "You can Have True Faith".
Let's see what they say about faith.Will it be what your looking for?
Lets see,Under the sub-heading intitled True Faith it says:
"To many "faith simply means having a religious belief or following a form of worship.As used in the Bible however"faith" basically means total trust-complete, unshakable confidence in God and his promises.It is a quality that marks a diciple of Jesus."
My definition of the word faith is that it is a very strong belief in something with nothing but a feeling to back it up.Faith is belief without proof.
Ranchette
Hi Ranchette,
You wrote: Faith is belief without proof.
Dan wrote: Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.
nytelcom1 wrote: Faith is believing in something you
know doesnt exist.
I can't dispute any of these answers. But I raise these questions:
1. Why is it wrong to want proof of something before we believe in it?
2. Why is 'faith' needed for God to supposedly care enough about us to try to reach us personally, but 'belief' is not?
Am I making sense?
Silverleaf
To me I think faith that the Bible talks about is more like trust.
Abraham had faith and did what God asked even though he didn't know all the details, he didn't have to have everything spelled out before he acted but did what ever God asked not knowing all the why and what-ifs.
I think faith is trusting what God says in his word without having to know every detail and living a life that shows that trust like Abraham.
Thats my little rhetorical thrust on Faith.
Best quote in a movie sums it up for me, "I had a girlfriend named Faith once. She cheated on me with a girl named Chastity."
Silverleaf,
My oppinion on #1:There is nothing wrong with wanting proof of something before were completly convinced to believe in something. But being skeptical allows you to take middle ground till all the facts are in.
Theres also nothing wrong with having personal "faith" in something even though its not based on fact or logic.Faith can help a person to cope and be a more positive person,However I believe that it is wrong to expect others to share your faith or push it on them.Believe what you want,share if you like and leave it at that.Does this make sense?
#2 Since we really have no proof that God exists,don't you think belief in him is faith and if he does exist and you do believe you'll be covered either way?
Ranchette
