Where does your faith come from?

[psychedelicious]

If a person was raised in a lab or something and not told anything about the outside world, he or she wouldn't just magically believe in a certain religion and have faith in it. So why do people believe in these religions. Is it just because some preacher told them about it? What proof did he offer?

If you're thinking, "well someone had to show them about it." Think about Plato's Allegory of the Cave. The people inside the cave had no idea about anything besides what they saw on the wall. Just like a person would have no understanding of a higher being. In the Allegory of the Cave, someone shows them the outside of the cave. He doesn't just tell them of the outside like a preacher, parent, or teacher does with religion.

So why do people have faith in religion? If the person just told the others inside the cave that there was more, do you think they would believe him? and possibly enough to go and tell others about an outside world that they have never seen?

Basically, what I'm trying to say is why do people still have faith in their religions once they reach the high school level. You'd think that educated people wouldn't believe any of it. And why is it that people can believe in a god but completely refuse to accept the possibility of aliens and whatnot. It seems that people only believe the stuff because their parents do.



[This message has been edited by psychedelicious (edited 08-21-2006).]

[Raw_Power]

It's banged into people from a very young age, whether directly by parents or non-directly, it doesn't matter, the seed is sown. How many people can you think of that weren't told about god as though he was real at an impressionable age?

[Jackketchs Muse]

Have you ever read the book "My Religion" by Helen Keller? It's an interesting read.

[Abrahim]

quote:Originally posted by psychedelicious:

If a person was raised in a lab or something and not told anything about the outside world, he or she wouldn't just magically believe in a certain religion and have faith in it. So why do people believe in these religions. Is it just because some preacher told them about it? What proof did he offer?

If you're thinking, "well someone had to show them about it." Think about Plato's Allegory of the Cave. The people inside the cave had no idea about anything besides what they saw on the wall. Just like a person would have no understanding of a higher being. In the Allegory of the Cave, someone shows them the outside of the cave. He doesn't just tell them of the outside like a preacher, parent, or teacher does with religion.

So why do people have faith in religion? If the person just told the others inside the cave that there was more, do you think they would believe him? and possibly enough to go and tell others about an outside world that they have never seen?

Basically, what I'm trying to say is why do people still have faith in their religions once they reach the high school level. You'd think that educated people wouldn't believe any of it. And why is it that people can believe in a god but completely refuse to accept the possibility of aliens and whatnot. It seems that people only believe the stuff because their parents do.

It might be easier to convince a lab raised person of something in comparison to those who are culturually imbedded since youth.

[Interest]

quote:Originally posted by Raw_Power:

It's banged into people from a very young age, whether directly by parents or non-directly, it doesn't matter, the seed is sown. How many people can you think of that weren't told about god as though he was real at an impressionable age?

This is obviously not completly true. I've read countless testimonies of many people here on Totse that say they were raised in Christian homes only to reject the notion of God all together later in life.

The logic is flawed...evironment does not lead to faith - faith is found through revelation.

I can tell you about my experience all day long but until God brings you to life spiritually you will not believe a word I say. It is proven time and time again. Your mommy, your daddy or even your bull legged granny can't open your eyes towards God.

[Merlinman2005]

The same reason (SOME) people adopt the racist or homophobic notions of their parents.. they've been exposed to it for so long and programmed to believe it, without having any opposite/oppposing belief present itself in the stages of development that would have prevented or hindered the parental's belief systems that had been pounded into them.

[Interest]

quote:Originally posted by Merlinman2005:

The same reason (SOME) people adopt the racist or homophobic notions of their parents.. they've been exposed to it for so long and programmed to believe it, without having any opposite/oppposing belief present itself in the stages of development that would have prevented or hindered the parental's belief systems that had been pounded into them.

Are we talking about faith or dogmatism?

I see a great difference.

If you are talking about dogmatism then I agree 100% - That is why Islamic militiants think it's ok to blow themselves up in a crowded market. Dogmatism and religion is dangerous to the body and mind.

[ArgonPlasma2000]

quote:Originally posted by psychedelicious:

You'd think that educated people wouldn't believe any of it. And why is it that people can believe in a god but completely refuse to accept the possibility of aliens and whatnot. It seems that people only believe the stuff because their parents do.

A learned individual would know better than to believe everything that is taught in science class. For example, Newtonian gravity is about to be replaced.

[ArmsMerchant]

It is true that what is in our minds was placed there by others--parents, teachers, whatever. What is in our hearts, however, was placed there by god at the time or our creation.

What I know of god, I accept because it resonates with what has always been in my heart.

[Raw_Power]

quote:Originally posted by Interest:

This is obviously not completly true. I've read countless testimonies of many people here on Totse that say they were raised in Christian homes only to reject the notion of God all together later in life.

The logic is flawed...evironment does not lead to faith - faith is found through revelation.

I can tell you about my experience all day long but until God brings you to life spiritually you will not believe a word I say. It is proven time and time again. Your mommy, your daddy or even your bull legged granny can't open your eyes towards God.

I’m not saying that everyone who has it pounded into them believes, what I’m saying is the seed is planted and it is always there, because your brain gets rid of no information, you just cannot access all of it. And some people, when in a time of crisis or when they experience something they cannot comprehend, they run to or attribute that to the god they were taught of at a young age and have a ‘revelation’, then become ‘Christian’, occasionally, however, they will go to some other religion that’s also been taught to them.



[This message has been edited by Raw_Power (edited 08-22-2006).]