Is faith in fiction good faith? Miracles.

[Greatest I am]

Is faith in fiction good faith? Miracles.

Faith, as well intentioned as it may be, must be built on facts, not fiction--faith in fiction is a damnable false hope. Thomas A. Edison

The Abraham religions, Christianity, Islam etc., are based on revealed unproven so called truths, handed down through prophets and shaman. They are based on the literal belief of Hebrew and Jewish scriptures that the Jews and Hebrews never believed in in a literal way and were quite surprised when Christians and Muslims began to believe in these texts that were just a plagiarized version of even older beliefs from Egypt and Sumer.

I recognize the use of faith and hope, religion and church and promote it in my own way when not fighting literalists and fundamentals. I am after all a religionist.
I recognize the value of faith and hope, religion and church, in our societies. I have seen their good works. I do not like the way they teach of God though.
I do not like the churches or other venues that promote the belief in a God of fantasy and magic, retribution and hell.

We all seek to know God deeper and more fully. You cannot know him if you begin from a position in belief that all has been created with miracles. Miracles are by their nature unexplainable. You cannot build a philosophy or theology for good living from such a start. This is likely why the Vatican and other mainline religions now recognize the veracity of evolution. They accentuate that scriptures are not to be read literally and yet most have based their faith on literal reading of scripture.

Believers in fantasy and magic are not believing their leadership. They also will not believe science.
If literalists are not to have faith in the leadership of their own religions and are not to believe the scientific world, what, other than their own opinion, are they believing in?
Does this mean that they have all invented their own ideas of God and does this make them all idol worshipers? Or. Does it just make them Gnostics within their own religions?

I think it does.
Do you?

My basic question to believers then is, knowing that your beliefs and Word are fantasy, magic or miracle based, what belief exactly is it that keeps you in your religion?

Can your belief be maintained without your belief in miracles?

Regards
DL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wV_REEdvxo&feature=player_embedded

 

[BornReady]

It requires faith to believe anything that hasn't been proven. So if you want to believe in God at all then you need faith. I think the problem arises if someone relies on faith even when their belief is contrary to the evidence or logically impossible.

 

[Greatest I am]

It requires faith to believe anything that hasn't been proven. So if you want to believe in God at all then you need faith. I think the problem arises if someone relies on faith even when their belief is contrary to the evidence or logically impossible.

Sure but for the Abraham religions, logically impossible begins in Genesis with talking animals and ends in Revelation with a seven headed monster and has a water walking immortal god in the middle who can somehow die.

Regards
DL

 

[BornReady]

Only Christianity has Revelations. And yeah, that book is crazy. Put ten Christians in a room and you'll probably get eleven interpretations.

Genesis is pretty typical of creation myths. None of which should be taken literally.

 

[Greatest I am]

Only Christianity has Revelations. And yeah, that book is crazy. Put ten Christians in a room and you'll probably get eleven interpretations.

Genesis is pretty typical of creation myths. None of which should be taken literally.

I agree and would only point out that Christians are not the only religion that uses the Genesis account.

Regards
DL

 

[Minor Axis]

My basic question to believers then is, knowing that your beliefs and Word are fantasy, magic or miracle based, what belief exactly is it that keeps you in your religion?

Can your belief be maintained without your belief in miracles?

I don't know what the hell is going on or will go on after my passing so this keeps me squarely in the Agnostic corner. I acknowledge things/miracles happen, if those are simply good but unexplainable happenings. But I don't attribute them to anything in particular and categorize them as unknown. However, I am spiritual. This is based on nothing more than a feeling which could be accurate or could be simply wishful thinking. I also pray, but I don't pray to a God to do me a favor. I send out positive vibes to the person in need and I make no claim as to what good that does but it makes me feel good.

 

[Greatest I am]

I don't know what the hell is going on or will go on after my passing so this keeps me squarely in the Agnostic corner. I acknowledge things/miracles happen, if those are simply good but unexplainable happenings. But I don't attribute them to anything in particular and categorize them as unknown. However, I am spiritual. This is based on nothing more than a feeling which could be accurate or could be simply wishful thinking. I also pray, but I don't pray to a God to do me a favor. I send out positive vibes to the person in need and I make no claim as to what good that does but it makes me feel good.

I believe that man has two natures. A political one that speaks to the body or physicality of life and our other nature is spiritual and seeks after God and the non--physical.

Both natures, according to Gnostic Jesus, are found in our one mind.

Regards
DL

 

[BornReady]

I also pray, but I don't pray to a God to do me a favor. I send out positive vibes to the person in need and I make no claim as to what good that does but it makes me feel good.

That's reason enough to do it. One of the worst feelings is that of being helpless. Although if the person needs a ride then it's much more effective to tell him to hop in than pray for him.