Faith
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
The word Faith is commonly used in several ways:
- Being loyal and trustworthy toward a person or idea (e.g. "He had been a faithful husband")
- Strong belief that a person or idea deserves one's loyalty, and will prevail (e.g. "She has faith in her friend to do the right thing.")
- A set of beliefs which cannot be scientifically proven or disproven, but which form one's values and approach to life (e.g. "I have faith that Love conquers all.")
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Faith and Science
The word faith is also sometimes misused to describe belief that contradicts science (e.g. "Creationism is faith; evolution is science.") This use of the word is deceptive, because it defines faith as belief that has been proven false. Thus, the sentence "I have faith in God" stops meaning, "I have a firm belief that God exists, is worthy of trust, and will prevail" and begins to mean, "I believe God exists, even though the evidence has proven he doesn't."
In fact, true Faith does not contradict science -- it underlies it, complements it, and sustains it.
Consider, for example, the scientific method. Can the scientific method be tested, measured, or proven in a scientific manner? Clearly not. The scientific method cannot be measured; it can't be put into a test tube and observed; no experiment can be devised to prove the scientific method is "true." The scientific method is not, itself, scientific.
Instead, the scientific method is an approach to acquiring knowledge -- one can choose to accept it or reject it, but one cannot "prove" it like one can prove that water is made of hydrogen and oxygen. Choosing to trust and apply the scientific method is a matter of faith; one looks to the past successes of the scientific method, examines its premises, and decides, "I will trust the scientific method to bring more truth."
But obviously, if science itself requires faith in science, then science can never exist by itself. Science cannot function without faith.
Everyday Faith
- Faith in an employee is trusting them with a job because you believe they can do the work right;
- Faith in science is believing that science is a good way to effectively solve human problems;
- Faith in reason is believing that humans can resolve problems through logic and analysis;
- Faith in yourself is believing that you can accomplish what you set out to do;
- Faith in God is believing that God exists, is good, and will keep his promises to those who seek him;
- Faith that there is no God is believing that no God exists, and that one can live life without worrying about His judgment;
Biblical Faith
The most detailed definition and description of faith in the Bible is recorded in Hebrews 11.[1] Faith is defined as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Examples of faith in the passage include:
- Noah, who was instructed by God to build the Ark, and who obeyed, because he believed that God was going to send a flood as he said he would.
- Abraham, who was instructed by God to leave his homeland and go to the place where he would receive his inheritance, and who did so.
- Moses, who refused his birthright as a prince of Egypt, choosing instead to be mistreated as a Hebrew because of his faith in God.
None of these men of faith believed things without evidence. They believed the promise of God, because they had reason to believe that God would keep his promises. Noah, Abraham, and Moses all spoke directly with God. They didn't just believe God existed. They knew He existed. God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush, and performed a number of miracles in order to convince Moses of his power. It was not faith that made Moses believe in God. Moses's eyes did that. Faith was what caused Moses to take what he knew and had seen -- the acts, miracles, and words of God, and led him to act with courage and resolution for a future he could not yet see -- the promise of God to lead the Israelites to the promised land.
Thus faith is not belief "without evidence." It is faith that takes the evidence one has, and acts with courage and conviction to seek the Truth.
The author of Hebrews explains is as such:
| “ | All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. | ” |
Again, none of these men believed "without evidence." They, "saw the things they were promised and welcomed them from a distance."
Faith is in essence seeing in part, and seeking the whole. As Paul said, "Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known." I Corinthians 13:12
What Deserves Faith?
Once we acknowledge that faith is necessary for humans to function, we can ask the next question: What should we have faith in? If we have faith in things that are true and good, we will reap the benefits; but if we have faith in things that are False or Bad, we will reap suffering. For example, if you put your faith in a bad employee to do his job right and he doesn't, then you have trusted the wrong person, and have been hurt by it. If, on the other hand, you have faith in an good employee, and he does his job right, then you benefit.
We've established, then, that we don't have a choice about whether to have faith -- we must have faith in order to function on Earth. We've also established that it's important to put our faith in the right things -- the things that deserve our faith: things that are good and true.
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Categories: Bible | Bible study | Philosophy | Religion
