Why should I have faith?
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- Published on Monday, 11 January 2010 03:00
- Written by John Draper
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In a discussion with a theist about the existence of a god or about the creation of the world, one can use reason, logic and evidence to show that there is no god and that the religious belief is wrong – or at least contrary to reason and logic. If the theist is both honest and logical, he/she will eventually accept the argument but then will generally say, “but I have Faith, there is a god – I feel God, I believe, I know there is a god.”
Well I’m happy for him/her. They have a nice crutch to lean on – a safety cocoon. It so happens that I don’t need that; I am happier to accept logical conclusions and I do not believe in things unless they fit the evidence. So why should I have faith and convert or even be “saved”?
Even if I did have faith, which version of god should I have faith in? And where does this faith come from? For most people with Faith, I suspect it comes from their parents. Certainly it’s not logical or rational – no-one even claims that it is! They started with faith that what their parents told them was always true. They uncover the Santa Claus fib, but take much longer to uncover the god lie. Probably because the parents still believe it.
So why should I be illogical and irrational? And for that matter, what exactly is Faith? The only explanation I’ve heard is that Faith is somehow beyond reason; it’s another dimension. Perhaps it’s tied somehow to emotions which are an irrational phenomenon of the human brain? I like emotions – I like to be happy, even to be sad sometimes. I like to be passionate; I like to love. Emotions are good but I fail to see enough connection to emotion for me to want to have Faith. But do I have faith in people? Do I have faith in my wife? Yes but that’s a different faith – that’s a belief that the person will do what’s expected – not a belief in an illogical being or explanation.
So when it comes to faith in Religious teachings or faith in the existence of God – there is no need. If asked the question “Why should I have Faith? The answer is: “There is no reason to have Faith."