FAITH & BELIEF

Over and over, more and more, it seems like the word faith is abused to mean just up and believing, leap in the dark, credulity, gullibility. Some persons may even speak proudly and positively of such faith: "Well, my beliefs are based on faith." Also, "believe," is often used to mean "think so," while uncertain.

Actually faith (like pistis & pisteuo in Greek) refers to a conviction that something is so, dependence upon, trust in. Persons may be convinced that something is so, for no reason, slight reason, sufficient reason, or obviousness. Some people are gullible and credulous, who would buy the Brooklyn Bridge. Others are paranoid and don't trust what they should trust. All of this is faith. (To say you believe because of faith is really a tautology).

But I put it to you that proper faith is the resting of the soul in the sufficiency of the evidence and in the obviousness of the self-evident. I believe that the sky is blue; that is obvious. I do not need to stand a long time under the hot sun and argue with a fool that the sky is blue. I have faith that the govenment will tax me (based on sufficient evidence).