On what do you base your faith?

Originally posted by RJHinds
I base truth on reality that I determine through knowledge, logic, and reason.

Haha, now that was funny. 😀

Originally posted by Lundos
Haha, now that was funny. 😀

What do you base truth on?

Originally posted by RJHinds
What do you base truth on?

The joke was not your reference to basic epistemology, ie. the knowledge, logic and reason part. The joke was that you based your truth on it. Your posts in "How can YEC's ignore ALL the data of old Earth?" thread is completely lacking exactly those three komponents. All your truth is based on ancient writings from people, who would stone you for even suggesting that the Earth is round and orbit the sun.

Originally posted by RJHinds
I base truth on reality that I determine through knowledge, logic, and reason.

OK. I want to make sure this is clear to everyone ..

Your faith is based on your belief.

Your belief is based on the "truth".

Your "truth" is based on reality.

Your reality is determined by knowledge, logic and reason?

Can you give an example of a piece of knowledge that ultimately your faith depends upon?

Originally posted by roigam
I would say that my own faith is based on the evidence or facts even as Abraham's faith and the demons faith was. It starts with a study of the Bible and it builds as the facts are proven out. The result is not only personal faith but faith that God cares and intends to do something about the miserable state mankind is in. The problem is that we have free wil ...[text shortened]... ievers..".
To study and build faith is an option but difficult.
It's like swimming upstream.

So to paraphrase you.
Your faith is based upon evidence and the bible.

Can you name just one of the many pieces of evidence your faith is based upon?

Originally posted by wolfgang59
So to paraphrase you.
Your faith is based upon evidence and the bible.

Can you name just one of the many pieces of evidence your faith is based upon?

There is a mountain of evidence.
Probably the best examples are things that were foretold thousands of years ago and have occurred.
i.e. Matthew 24:7 was foretold by Jesus in the 1st century and was fulfilled in 1914 when the First World War occurred.
A second witness Luke recorded at Luke 21:11 in addition, "There will be...pestilences.." We are seeing these in our day. Ebola, SARS, MERS, heart disease, cancer, etc. just to mention a few.
These are evidence of the truthfulness of the Bible and encouragement to seriously look into other things that have been foretold.
I am an imperfect human and therefore can be wrong, but I can't lose by seeing that the reality the world is experiencing was accurately foreseen by God and recorded in the Bible. He put it there so we can turn around and receive seasons of refreshing from Him. (Acts 3:19)

Originally posted by wolfgang59
I have no "faith" so I cannot answer.
My wife says it's just a gut-feeling she cannot explain.
Some say it's the Bible/Koran/LordoftheRings

What is your personal basis for your faith?

NOTE: Please NO DISCUSSION or PUT DOWNS or ARGUING.
All honest answers are correct.

I've been giving this excellent question some thought since I saw your OP Wolfie, and as you are asking in "good faith" (despite your immediate attack on Grampy Bobby's response on page 1) I shall attempt to engage you.

Firstly let me say what I think my faith is NOT based on:

It is not based on denominational tradition, artefacts or ancestor worship such as Catholicism and other high church methodologies are.

It is not based on brotherhood or a need for friendship as I am a lonely Christian with few spiritual contacts in the real world and I avoid the ridiculous yet manipulative maelstrom of organised religion like the plague. However I do recognise the need for more contact with the like minded.

It is not based on money as I have no financial skin in the religious game and any giving I do is done spontaneously and without expectation.

It is not based on my imagination; I challenge my own beliefs, interrogate my faith and yet cannot comprehend why I am a believer.

My faith is not dependent on my understanding of biblical text; although the Bible is a lamp as described, and it is ministry, a corrective tool by which I test thoughts, beliefs and ideas. It is also water.

What is my faith based on? I'm afraid you're not going to like (appreciate) the answer, as it is contradictory to the above, but the most honest and succinct response for me is probably described by Hebrews 12:2

"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

The reason I've chosen this response is that my experience of the Christian condition is one of being upheld not one of holding on, one of believing despite myself, one of being a seemingly perpetual prodigal child rather than a leader, preacher or guru, one of being a dependent of a parent/guardian rather than a free spirit.

My experience is that my faith is not based on nor sustained by my efforts, it is upheld despite my inadequacies, my shortcomings. I can't be any more honest than that.

Finally then:

2 Timothy 2:13

"...if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

Originally posted by Lundos
The joke was not your reference to basic epistemology, ie. the knowledge, logic and reason part. The joke was that you based your truth on it. Your posts in "How can YEC's ignore ALL the data of old Earth?" thread is completely lacking exactly those three komponents. All your truth is based on ancient writings from people, who would stone you for even suggesting that the Earth is round and orbit the sun.

You are lacking in knowledge, reason, and logic. That is the why you do not understand.

Originally posted by wolfgang59
OK. I want to make sure this is clear to everyone ..

Your faith is based on your belief.

Your belief is based on the "truth".

Your "truth" is based on reality.

Your reality is determined by knowledge, logic and reason?

Can you give an example of a piece of knowledge that ultimately your faith depends upon?

My existence. I am not an illusion.

Originally posted by roigam
i.e. Matthew 24:7 was foretold by Jesus in the 1st century and was fulfilled in 1914 when the First World War occurred.

I don't think I believe you. If you did not know about Matthew 24:7 and its apparent connection to the First World War, would you have less faith?
Would you even see the connection if you lacked faith?
Would you have faith in another religion if I showed you similar prophesy in another religious book?

Originally posted by divegeester
I've been giving this excellent question some thought since I saw your OP Wolfie, and as you are asking in "good faith" (despite your immediate attack on Grampy Bobby's response on page 1) I shall attempt to engage you.

Firstly let me say what I think my faith is NOT based on:

It is not based on denominational tradition, artefacts or ancestor worsh ...[text shortened]...
2 Timothy 2:13

"...if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

Thanks for the honest and thoughtful reply.
I hate pigeon-holing (but will do so anyway!) - could I put you in
the "gut-feeling" camp?

Originally posted by RJHinds
My existence. I am not an illusion.

So ultimately your faith is based upon your own existence.

Cogito ergo deus est.

Amazing!

Originally posted by wolfgang59
Thanks for the honest and thoughtful reply.
I hate pigeon-holing (but will do so anyway!) - could I put you in
the "gut-feeling" camp?

Yes I think so*.

I've had some "experiences" and/or "events" which if I described them to you would mean little, but to me are strong indicators of something/someone intervening in my life. However I've never had a "road to Damascus" experience.

*assuming the meaning of "gut feeling" to be the broadest possible.

Edit: some of the Christians here may snark at my not calling out that I absolutely know god exists, but unfortunately I don't and I'm not going to make it up.

Originally posted by menace71
And as I said others will see it different no argument there


Manny

Hi Manny,

What I notice is that some people seem desperately to need an explanation for mysteries (such as why the universe exists), whereas other people are content to leave mysteries mysterious. In Buddhism, for example, whether the universe had a beginning is undefined. It does not matter to Buddhists whether there was a beginning, and if there was whether it was due to divine creation or blind natural process. This approach appeals to me, because it allows the mind to focus on issues which are potentially solvable instead of getting mired in ontological wonder sickness. Obviously, this approach does not appeal to the sort of person for whom mysteries must be explained (if only by a Yet Bigger Mystery).

Originally posted by wolfgang59
So ultimately your faith is based upon your own existence.

Cogito ergo deus est.

Amazing!

Not really. That is only part of it. But if I did not exist, I could not have faith in anything. I don't have faith in the magic of evolution as the source and cause of my existence. Even evolutionists refuse to include any source for life in a discussion of evolution. That remains a mystery to them.