If God exists, what do we need faith for?

[Zelphiel]

I took this thread from another forum. I thought it would make for good conversation...

This question is presupposing the existence of God. I don't want any discussion about God's existence, thank you.

A friend of mine asked a simple question: let us suppose that God does indeed exist (as depicted in the Bible, although not necessarily literally). What then is faith for? I know there are many answers to this question, and I could name a few myself. I would like to hear your ideas on this - this has probably been discussed before - though.

This is, first and foremost, a philosophical question. Thus I would like to maintain some argumentative level. If faith is needed because this or that, what are the (philosophical) problems associated with that answer, why is it so and what implications does it have? For example, if God wishes us to choose Him instead of something else, why does He not come right to us and ask plainly: "Do you wish to have eternal life, bliss and a big pile of wisdom? No? Well, okay. See you!", or even better, why would He even bother to ask, being omniscient and all? Why does he want to play hide and seek with us?

So. Any thoughts on the matter? Thank you in advance.

[Lancet Jades]

Well, He gave us free will, and look what we do with it. Perhaps, after a while, he just said "Ah, the hell with em all" and He just leaves us here to work with our own lives as we, and others, see fit, only interviening a tiny bit here and there to people who are truly good.

Another explanation, is that God wants us to beleive in him because we want to, because we want to beleive in something higher than ourselves, something that exists beyond life. He wants to make us work for our reward, Paradise. And if we don't, then we go to Hell for being what He may see as "ungrateful children". Its sort of like a job. The boss doesnt come right out and promote you, but rather you have to work for it. And, if you don't do the work, or you scoff at your boss and ignore him, then you get fired.

Those two ideas coupled together form what i more or less think on the subject.

[Laggy]

have you seen him? talked to him?

well i've talked to him...but i've not seen him, so that takes faith..to talk to someone you cant see

also ...even if you could see him..this is a dumb thread


i have faith in G. bush, that he isnt going to dop anything to kill us..he is her to help the US..Bush is real no?... people would have Faith in there king...so see..you have to be more cleir on what your asking.. i have faith in my dad

[Ricdeau]

If he exists, there is no faith. Believing in something when you have absolute proof that its real is not faith. Faith is believing in something when your opinions can be countered. I dont have faith that my friends exist, because i can see and talk to them. Whats the difference, if friends and God are all living beings.

[Laggy]

i dont know for fact that God exist, i do, but not really..being i havnt seen him, but i still know that he does, its hard...so the way ill put it is i have faith that God is real, but without any true knowing of this as fact.

[Lancet Jades]

Exactly. The point in faith is beleiving that God DOES exist even without knowing for sure.

[Laggy]

Right.. without faith you dont think he does, and if he does, and everyone knew it for fact (meaning they had seen him) only THEN would we not need faith

[Zelphiel]

dude... sometimes your posts make you sound like you're stoned. It's just the way you word things. :D

I think that faith can be any number of things. The obvious is the blind devotion to a deity, personal belief, military, etc... You can also have faith in someone's character. Hoping that they will make inteligent decisions in something that they're doing. This, to me, can be applied to God. You can have the "blind" devotion to whichever god that you worship following everything that's written in religious texts without question, no matter how absurd they are. You can also have faith that your god is doing the right thing with the earth and everything in it instead of using all of it as his personal toys for his entertainment or as some sort of experiment.

Like Jet said, if you believe in god without question you don't need that kind of faith. You believing that he indefinately exists eliminates the need for it.

[Laggy]

dude... sometimes your posts make you sound like you're stoned. It's just the way you word things. :D
thats cause im a recovering pot head of 4 years :D

I think that faith can be any number of things. The obvious is the blind devotion to a deity, personal belief, military, etc... You can also have faith in someone's character. Hoping that they will make inteligent decisions in something that they're doing. This, to me, can be applied to God. You can have the "blind" devotion to whichever god that you worship following everything that's written in religious texts without question, no matter how absurd they are. You can also have faith that your god is doing the right thing with the earth and everything in it instead of using all of it as his personal toys for his entertainment or as some sort of experiment.

Like Jet said, if you believe in god without question you don't need that kind of faith. You believing that he indefinately exists eliminates the need for it.

No, because you would still need faith (being God isnt on earch..well he is..but not) that he hears you...and stuff like that...its hard for me to put it lol..

faith is used in many ways all the time, every day you use faith...you just get so use to things that you dont think about it as faith

i have faith in my water, that it will run well when i need a shower

stuff like that we dont think about any more...i've had hard times where i really had to have faith in alot of things..

tell me though, anyone that wasy to answer this, because of some views i ask... what is the differnce between faith, and wishing?...

[Lancet Jades]

Yeah lathan, its fine if you BELEIVE that God exists definitely 100%, but you dont have any hard, absolute evidence that he does. Thus, your belief is still faith. If someone has personally experieced things w/ God before, like miracles, then it may not be blind faith, but its still faith.

When you "have faith" in someone or something, your faith isnt in beleiving that they exist, its in them accomplishing some goal. If my mom "Has faith" in me, it isnt in my existence, but in me succeeding in life.

[Laggy]

well put, Lades.....

why couldnt i say that? :lancy

anyways,... i have had personally experieces things w/ God before, like miracles, but thats MY experiece so i cant prove them, its just how i've seen things, they dont help anyone but me.. but i still have faith in him, even though i know he has to be real for doing things he's done

[Zelphiel]

tell me though, anyone that wasy to answer this, because of some views i ask... what is the differnce between faith, and wishing?...


good question. I don't really think there is a difference. They're both just hopeful thinking.

[Lancet Jades]

Faith is passively having belief. Wishing is actively beleiving.