The Value of Faith

Why is it that when there is a piece of knowledge that we have plenty of evidence for, we never talk about having faith in it?

Well, that's because the definition of faith is belief in something without evidence. It's self-contained in the definition of the word, that if you have the evidence then you don't need faith. Fair enough.

So when we talk about having faith in something, then by definition we are talking about something that there is no evidence for. It's like we're creating this third class of existence. There are things we agree exist because we have evidence, there are things we agree probably don't exist because we don't have any evidence, and then there is this mystical third class of things that we have "faith" exist, even though there is no evidence.

Isn't that kind of just a word game, though? Could it be that we are playing with the spaces in between real and imaginary? By claiming to have "faith" in things that we have no evidence for, could it be that we are trying to create pseudo-credibility in an area that we claim is real despite a lack of evidence? Is this intellectually honest? What would prevent every creature from the imaginations of science fiction writers from membership in this special class of existence, this list of things we have no evidence for but accept on faith? (Here I'm thinking of unicorns and green Martians and leprechauns and things like that.)

Whenever we have knowledge with good evidence, you won't hear the word 'faith'. It's simply not necessary, and it's not helpful. It would only muddy the waters of knowledge. In some ways, faith is the very opposite of knowledge.

Maybe instead of praising ourselves for faith, we should put our energies toward knowledge, and being open to accept new knowledge as it becomes available. Maybe the word 'faith' should serve as a red flag that whatever someone is proposing you believe in doesn't have evidence to back it up, otherwise we would just call it knowledge.

Overcoming a lifetime of indoctrination is uncomfortable. If you reject the things you were taught to believe it has an alarming effect on others who still believe. I suppose the very act of rejection sends the message that you think they are wrong, even if you never say anything to that effect. Intertwined with what most of us have been taught to believe about God is the idea that doubt itself is dangerous, so that even the bravest among us might experience a slight physiological discomfort when we begin to contemplate that there might not be a God at all.

The next time someone tells you that you've got to have faith, understand that faith is only needed when evidence is lacking. Be responsible for making your own decisions about what you believe. Recognize that there will be others who will stand to gain, whether financially or otherwise, if you accept what they tell you without question. Realize that intellectual honesty can be uncomfortable at times, and lonely, but know that there is reward in the simple act of searching for truth, and accepting the world as it really is.