The heated discussion on evolution and religion have spawned quite a few qeustions on where to draw the faith line. While the agnostics and athiests (quite a few Christians as well) often consider certain things to be able to validate itself without the help of faith, some Christians maintain that everything requires faith somehow.

Obviously this is not just claims of principles but also acts to put oneself in a good position during debate, wherever that might be.

I think it will be extremely helpful to see where everyone's draw the line. Also if you go by degree of dependancy, it would be interesting to see how you classify them.

I'm not sure what you question is asking. I dont know of a concept of drawing a faith line. There is no grey area in Faith.

Let me give you an example.
To me, to believe in such statements:

Scissors are sharp
Lagrange's Formula is a proven theorem
Tomorrow comes after today
I will receive my degree if I graduate
I can't survive without oxygen

Definitely requires no faith or faith so insignificant as to be treated as largely linguistic formalism and disregarded.

And to believe in the following statements requires an amount of faith significant enough to fit common definition:

My girlfriend will never cheat on me
There is reincarnation
Either the devil or god made that cross fall and kill the old lady
The stock market is predictable by complex mathematical models
There can never be a god

And there are the not so clear statements. Such that degree of dependancy on faith can be discussed. I can put up more examples. But the point is I think people have different ideas about where to draw the line beyond which you believe but can't prove or be sure about a statement. So I encourage everyone to post theirs.

Obviously I only posted examples. If more people responded I will post my mechanism of how I classify as well.

If I understand the question dio, you are speaking of faith in religious matters.
Since I do not look at the Creator as a God, but rather as a brother I do not have to rely on faith in my day to day affairs.
I have no man made religion to have to accept so faith in the authenticity of such does not come into play. When I leave this life I will rejoin all that is in existance. No faith of judgement or punishment is needed.
So I suppose my faith line is short.

No Dan I am not speaking of religion faith exclusively. I am asking about decomposing your world. You can describe everything in the world you see with a statement. Certain statements depend on faith and certain statements do not. Where a statement crosses the line from not dependant to dependant, I think is highly individualistic. So I ask to see. I gave some examples of how I glassify my thoughts, I have not yet provided a mechanism.

Great question, Dio. I think everything requires a certain amount of faith, however small.

Let's look at one of your statements, which at first, seems absolute: I can't survive without oxygen.
You still need faith to believe in this statement. Of course, there has never been documented to my knowledge, a human who was able to survive without oxygen. You may well be, the only person who can. Sounds absurd, but since you've never tried it, you cannot know for absolutely sure, so you do exercise a bit of faith when you make that statement.

So, one could conceivably draw the line at the point where everything requires faith. Impractical, but possible.

Now, in the everyday world, people draw the line based on their experience. Look at your statement: "My girlfriend will never cheat on me."

A person who has had 10 girlfriends who never cheated on him will have much more faith in this statement than a person who has had 10 girlfriends who did cheat. Also, if a person has a girlfriend who acts suspiciously, or who has had a history of cheating, he will have less faith in the statement.

This can be applied similarly to our outlook on the world. We will tend to have a large amount of faith in whatever worldview we have seen that has worked for us.

I absolutely agree with you. It largely depends on personal experience. If you have seen something working or experienced something personally, less and less faith is required to make a statement.

Seems to me that you are mixing faith with what we call common sense (that which a prudent person would think or do in a given situation). With this in mind I would have to agree it is based upon ones personal experiences.

To me faith is dealing in the relm of that which has not been personally experienced or proven. Based upon a concept of idea or ideas. Similar to a wish or hope.

Originally posted by Dan Fussell
I do not look at the Creator as a God, but rather as a brother I do not have to rely on faith in my day to day affairs.
I have no man made religion to have to accept so faith in the authenticity of such does not come into play. When I leave this life I will rejoin all that is in existance. No faith of judgement or punishment is needed.


So you have led yourself to believe that God is only a brother to you, and that you do not have to faith....but yet you do not serve a man made religion? Ha Ha thats kind of funny.

Originally posted by jerejerebinks
So you have led yourself to believe that God is only a brother to you, and that you do not have to faith....but yet you do not serve a man made religion? Ha Ha thats kind of funny.


Jere, I speak from personal experiences that have led me to my beliefs. I do not have to rely upon anothers written words of their experiences in a book for faith. My first hand experiences in this life have shown me that man has just begun to tap into his abilities. Religion requires worship. Why would I worship that which is already in all of us? What mans-religion calls God is as natural as the air you breath or the breeze upon your face.

I have personally witnessed what would be termed miracles, yet no Biblical character nor faith was necessary only knowledge. Knowledge even Jesus spoke of if you can pick it out.

Most man-made religions cloud the truth and stem the search for it. The truth is so simple, yet evasive.

The truth is not man made.

Originally posted by Dan Fussell
Jere, I speak from personal experiences that have led me to my beliefs. I do not have to rely upon anothers written words of their experiences in a book for faith. My first hand experiences in this life have shown me that man has just begun to tap into his abilities. Religion requires worship. Why would I worship that which is already in all of us? What mans-religion calls God is as natural as the air you breath or the breeze upon your face.

I have personally witnessed what would be termed miracles, yet no Biblical character nor faith was necessary only knowledge. Knowledge even Jesus spoke of if you can pick it out.

Most man-made religions cloud the truth and stem the search for it. The truth is so simple, yet evasive.

The truth is not man made.

Throughout the entire body of your reply, you made one correct point. And that was your last.

The Truth is not man made.

You couldnt be more right. The truth was made by God through Christ. Christ is the truth, the way, and the light.

God is our father, our creator, our savior, and a lot more than just a breeze on your face. The only thing that clouds your truth and stems your searches, is the Devil.

Originally posted by jerejerebinks
Throughout the entire body of your reply, you made one correct point. And that was your last.

The Truth is not man made.

You couldnt be more right. The truth was made by God through Christ. Christ is the truth, the way, and the light.

God is our father, our creator, our savior, and a lot more than just a breeze on your face. The only thing that clouds your truth and stems your searches, is the Devil.

You call my statements of personal experience untruths. I would not willingly lie to you or anyone else. Your short life experiences know nothing of the truths of life. You only know what you have read.

I see now that I must end my conversations with you.

Originally posted by Dan Fussell
You call my statements of personal experience untruths. I would not willingly lie to you or anyone else. Your short life experiences know nothing of the truths of life. You only know what you have read.

I see now that I must end my conversations with you.

No, you dont have to be like that.

I am not trying to purposely offend you by no means. I am interested though, how do you explain your life expierences leading yuo to believe that God is just another one of the guys. What profound life changer did you expierence that made you wake up and say, God is just like a brother to me?

Show me, because as you say, I am not old enough to have experienced such things.