Is it just me or was whoever invented faith the most brilliant person alive? (Maybe a slight exaggeration.) I mean, honestly, if I could get people to believe in what I was telling them based solely on this thing we call "faith", I would be set for life. Because what is the definition of faith? "Belief without question" is the best definition I can find for it. If a business could get people to buy their product "without question" I think it would be a very successful business. Faith, I think, is what gets people into trouble when it comes to organized religion. You convince people that what you are telling them is the truth, and then convince them NEVER to question it, and you've got members of your religion for life! And if they ever do ask questions, you say one of two things: you either say, "Where's your faith?" or you say the universal answer to every unanswerable question "God works in mysterious ways." Does anybody else think that having faith could be the biggest mistake a human could make? After all, look at all the people who have faith in their different religions. They can't ALL be right, can they?

Yeah the ability to consider something true based on nothing.... is pretty cool. Especially for the young aspiring demogogue or tele-evangelist amoungst us!

I recently heard (or read, can't recall) a great quote:

"We're both Athiests. I just believe in one less god than you do. If you can explain to me why you reject all those other gods, I'll explain to you why I reject yours."

(Then there's this one: "I was thinking of becoming Agnostic, but couldn't make up my mind...")

faith >noun 1 complete trust or confidence. 2 strong belief in a religion. 3 a system of religious belief.
-ORIGIN Old French feid, from Latin fides.

And then when it comes to the believe of a supernatural force that control human destiny we have choices to believe or not, but is easier to accept a supernatural force because we are conditioned since childhood to relay on what others tell us is the right think to do.

Yes, I believe that the person that started faith knew that it could control many but as to how many he did not had a clue, people's minds can be a powerful thing in the hands of a few.

Originally posted by an3rkist
Is it just me or was whoever invented faith the most brilliant person alive? (Maybe a slight exaggeration.) I mean, honestly, if I could get people to believe in what I was telling them based solely on this thing we call "faith", I would be set for life. Because what is the definition of faith? "Belief without question" is the best definition I can find for it. If a business could get people to buy their product "without question" I think it would be a very successful business. Faith, I think, is what gets people into trouble when it comes to organized religion. You convince people that what you are telling them is the truth, and then convince them NEVER to question it, and you've got members of your religion for life! And if they ever do ask questions, you say one of two things: you either say, "Where's your faith?" or you say the universal answer to every unanswerable question "God works in mysterious ways." Does anybody else think that having faith could be the biggest mistake a human could make? After all, look at all the people who have faith in their different religions. They can't ALL be right, can they?

You believe in ETs, creatures from the skies, paranormals. And for some reason you don't believe there is a creator that made all of this possible?

WOO slow down new kids . who said anyone here belives in alians or parnormial? This isent sop to be taking on FAITH thats why ever thread here on alians has people going through what ever EVEDENCE is presented with a fine tooth comb. To see EVEDENCE as to weather or NOT is a ufo or pareanoramel event . And untill there GOOD compleat evedence of eather like lets say a crashed ship or a green guy waving hi or a gost in a jar.
99% of us here who are searching for answers wont say YEs theres alians .We say there mite be alians right now and try and find concreat science evedence to prov it.
my friend we not trying to teach you religion but to prove through science one way or the other if alians excist or not.
i personly belive through science evedence that alians Probly excist but the evedence I have isent good enough to PROVE it yet so I qulifi my statment with MITE be COULD be . I never say IT is . because its not faith im looking for but science . this is called a theory the theory that alian excist the theory that gost excist .Now as a scientest Im trying to eather find proff or see someone else find proff that I can see is proff.
then Ill say Theres alians amoung us. Not even I belive because now I have proff.
pss right now we have lots of evedence saying there is life on mars look up the FACTS you will see . BUt we YET have found even one bactiera .
so we say at this point theres LOTS of evedence there could be life on mars . Never yet saying there is . but with any luck that finle evedence is comming very soon.

[edit on 26-11-2004 by Simcity4Rushour]

[edit on 26-11-2004 by Simcity4Rushour]

Originally posted by Simcity4Rushour
WOO slow down new kids . who said anyone here belives in alians or parnormial? This isent sop to be taking on FAITH thats why ever thread here on alians has people going through what ever EVEDENCE is presented with a fine tooth comb. To see EVEDENCE as to weather or NOT is a ufo or pareanoramel event . And untill there GOOD compleat evedence of eather like lets say a crashed ship or a green guy waving hi or a gost in a jar.
99% of us here who are searching for answers wont say YEs theres alians .We say there mite be alians right now and try and find concreat science evedence to prov it.
my friend we not trying to teach you religion but to prove through science one way or the other if alians excist or not.
i personly belive through science evedence that alians Probly excist but the evedence I have isent good enough to PROVE it yet so I qulifi my statment with MITE be COULD be . I never say IT is . because its not faith im looking for but science . this is called a theory the theory that alian excist the theory that gost excist .Now as a scientest Im trying to eather find proff or see someone else find proff that I can see is proff.
then Ill say Theres alians amoung us. Not even I belive because now I have proff.
pss right now we have lots of evedence saying there is life on mars look up the FACTS you will see . BUt we YET have found even one bactiera .
so we say at this point theres LOTS of evedence there could be life on mars . Never yet saying there is . but with any luck that finle evedence is comming very soon.

[edit on 26-11-2004 by Simcity4Rushour]

[edit on 26-11-2004 by Simcity4Rushour]

There was once a debate about considering people that can not spell correctly a information source or an opinion to be thought thoroughly.
I only understand part of your post and I didn't read the last part because there was so much error. Anyways, ufos and the paranormal have enough eye witnesses in the world to confirm that there might be something more going on. The question about whether it exist or not right now is completely out of the question.

[edit on 26-11-2004 by newkids123]

relax newkids I wasent trying to make you upset and if I did Im sorry so please dont take my post as a attack on you.
I was just trying to let you understand the difference between science and faith . and to make you feal better my spelling can be very bad at times I know and try to make less errors but am not much of a wrighter and am very much of a scientest.And so I take no offence at your pointing it out as manny manny have done.
Ps ever see a docters wrighting?lol

You believe in ETs, creatures from the skies, paranormals. And for some reason you don't believe there is a creator that made all of this possible?

Actually, I'm in the same boat. There's far more evidence of the above than there is for any creation deity...

Originally posted by an3rkist
I mean, honestly, if I could get people to believe in what I was telling them based solely on this thing we call "faith", I would be set for life.

You should try expanding on that very idea a little and see just how extensively it IS used throughout all of our lives!!! Other than Religion, how many different ways and in how many different areas within your own preceptive reality can you find that are built upon Faith???

Because what is the definition of faith? "Belief without question" is the best definition I can find for it.

Here is an the extended version of your definition for Faith:
1.) Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

Now here is where it gets Interesting. Read the next set of Definitions and compare how they are all almost identical to that first one, yet they are NOT definitions for Faith!!
2.) To regard as true beyond doubt.
3.) Grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty.
4.) Clear perception of fact, truth, or duty.

The Words that go with those definitions are, Know(2 & 3) and Knowledge(4). Notice the use of certain safety words: ('To regard', 'Grasp in the mind' & 'Percetption of') in each defintion.

If a business could get people to buy their product "without question" I think it would be a very successful business. Faith, I think, is what gets people into trouble when it comes to organized religion. You convince people that what you are telling them is the truth, and then convince them NEVER to question it, and you've got members of your religion for life!

It certainly seems that your theory is valid. In fact the Business of Organized Religion, Government, Law, Public Education and pretty much the whole of Society all seem to be using that same principle of 'Faith' to various degrees, huh?!?! At the same time they all use 'Fear' in their own way to reinforce their ideas, such as, Fear of 'Hell, Prison, Grades, War, Terror, Taxes, Fines, etc'.)
(Side Note:Reinforce = Rein Force???)

And if they ever do ask questions, you say one of two things: you either say, "Where's your faith?" or you say the universal answer to every unanswerable question "God works in mysterious ways." Does anybody else think that having faith could be the biggest mistake a human could make? After all, look at all the people who have faith in their different religions. They can't ALL be right, can they?

I hope by now you can see that 'Faith' is in no way confined to Religious Institutions and/or Organizations. I also hope you are starting to see how "What you Believe to be True"(Faith) and "What you Know is True"(Fact) are not so different or distinguishable. For example, when considering the following ideas think about how much of what you Know is Faith.(BTW, these are just for you to think about, I'm not looking for your answers! )

1.) Your mother and father are your Biological Parents. How far have you gone in finding out for sure? Are you aware of your first moments of Birth giving you direct experience of your Birth Mother? Even if you did, how would you know that it was your Father that Impregnated her?

2.) According to History at one time People 'Knew' the Earth was Flat. Now we 'Know' the Earth is Round. Recently however science is now saying our Universe is once again Flat. So what is it? Could it be both? Or Neither?

3.) Are you Alive? Do you 'Believe it' Based on Proof(Knowledge) or Without Proof(Faith)?

Originally posted by newkids123
You believe in ETs, creatures from the skies, paranormals. And for some reason you don't believe there is a creator that made all of this possible?

I believe this point was already brought up, but it needs to be repeated: Who ever said I believe in "ETs, creatures from the sky, paranormals"?

there's no way to say that everyone is wrong, but there is no way to say there all right, it's all up to the person who has the faith. if they feel like it is something to have faith in.

Belief without question? I think not. Personally, my faith is based completely on me being a cynical, skeptical, nagging human being. Anything believed without question proves that the believer is ignorant and so weak that they will latch onto anything without knowing if it is true for THEMSELVES first.

Belief without question is for the weak.

MY faith, however, is a constant struggle. Faith in a higher power, hell, I question God 24/7. I question karma 24/7. I believe wholeheartedly in karma, that rewards and consequences which one recieves rely on their previous actions, but I also believe that this only comes in the spiritual form. i'm not going to be hit by a drunk driver if I'm cruel to animals. Humans have free will and our actions toward each other are not effects of karma. Our actions unto ourselves are not effects of karma, they are causes.

Is what i just said a contradiction? hell yes it is! There you go- I have faith in karma, but i question it so often that my belief become a contradiction.

My faith in God is even more questioned. Is there a God? In my belief, there is. Is there a messiah? In my belief, there is not. Will I be punished if I am wrong about the latter? No, I will not, I'll just feel like a dumbass and Jesus or Mohammed or krishna will be like 'Scat, you sure are one stubborn bastard." And I'll reply, "Dude, I freggin know, but at least I shut up some of those evangelists." And the saviour will then reply, "Dude I know, those guys are creepy...I mean, I know you've had a stalker before. But oh man, I've got thousands!"

Then we'll laugh and grab a cup of coffee...free of charge for the boss, of course.

Everyone who believes what they believe WITH queestion and a skeptical eye is correct, because they are true to their own beliefs. Those who blindly follow will never be correct because their beliefs are not their own.

I mean, faith is something so intagible, if you don't question it or end up contradicting yourself, you haven't done it justice.