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What Is Faith?

Posted by Phil Ferguson on August 11th, 2012 – 1 Comment – Posted in Uncategorized

I just had a fundie give me this as their definition of faith…..

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.”

Is this the most vapid thing you have ever heard?

How do you define faith?  Put your answers in the comments below just in case Google sends a hapless christian here.

I always liked: Faith is believing is something without evidence.

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  1. Darrel says:
    August 12, 2012 at 3:44 PM

    That’s simply Hebrew’s 11:1, their favorite go to verse for this. But the verse is self-refuting and is based upon a simple linguistic trick.

    “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,…”

    That’s nice. But adults know that hoping for things doesn’t make them true. That’s just wishful thinking. Try it and see.

    “…the evidence of things not seen.”

    But “not seeing” something is not in any way “evidence.” For centuries xtians have been reading this verse and thinking they are saying something substantive because it says “the evidence” in it and implies that hoping for something is “substance.” As if simply saying “not seeing” is to in someway be associated with “evidence.” It’s stupid beyond belief but many are fooled by it.

    Teaching Christians what the word “faith” means is an essential first step in getting them to think. Most of them can’t give a straight answer as to what the word faith means. Seriously. Especially if they are put on the spot. Or they regurgitate this Heb. 11:1. Then you simply need to unpack the verse for them and show how it accomplishes nothing.

    Try substituting “without evidence” for “not seen.”

    “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things without evidence.”

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