Testing faith.

[wildwood]

How does a religious person honestly feel when a personal tragedy happens; loved one dies/cancer/go blind etc.

Do they really regard this as god's will without question to test their faith?

[beso]

cupid04 ///You believe in the wind, but you cant see it, yet you know it's there. You feel it on your face, and blows your washing dry. You cant see electricity, yet
you know it's there because it powers all the gadgets in our homes. So why
do you have trouble believing in God just because you cant see him. ///

The wind and electricity are evidenced by their effects. There are more ways to be aware of something than visibility. Their existence is expected because that is consistent with the well understood processes that cause them. The behaviour of the things they affect is completely consistent with the laws of nature. If we never encountered wind we would heed to be able to explain why. If moving through a magnetic field did not produce a voltage the whole basis of the sciencif understanding would collapse.

However there is no evidence for God and His purported existence is purely a product of faith. The claims of God's existence and effects are totally inconsistent with the mechanisms that govern reality. No mechanism by with a god would control our experience has ever been postulated and we are expected to believe God simply "wills" his desires.

[beso]

cupid04 //We should all respect each others views //

Do you also respect fascists views? This is a serious question that I have repeatedly put to those who argue that we should respect everyone's views but not one has ever bothered to answer.

[beso]

Keyplus complains that we never accept the answers of the religious seriously. Little wonder with the gem about death proving his faith. If that is proof than you can see in proof in anything.

[keyplus90]

Ratter - This question is not about the proof if God exists or not.

Beso - Did I not say that whatever reason I may give would not be good for you as you only want to believe in what you have made up your mind about. No wonder there either.

[beso]

Keyplus. Yes you did say that whatever reason you give would not be good enough. What else would you expect when you reasons are as daft as "death proving your faith"?

I believe in what there is evidence to support. Far from having "made up my mind", if new evidence comes to light I can change what I accept.

You and your fellow believers accept without question what you have made up you mind about and are not interested in looking at any evidence or considering alternative views.

[samak]

Religious people have to have faith because none of it makes any sense.
If it made any sense they wouldn't need faith, would they ?

[RATTER15]

Very true Samak.

[keyplus90]

Beso - Yes you are right. I have made up my mind and thats it. But I know few people who change their mind when new evidence comes. Very recently few people changed their minds about consumption of salt. Apparently after all salt is not as bad as it was believed to be. Scientists make so many U turns that few people are always changing their minds. And sometime by the time they change their mind, damage is already done. When scientists would have made last U turn then they would be saying what few old books have said long time ago.