Where does your faith come from?
I've seen "faith" used to explain a number of things, as reasons why people believe this or that. My question is: where does your faith come from? As far as I can tell, people only believe what they believe because at some point they are told it. A baby born on a deserted island (supposing he lives through adulthood) would have no concept of any established religion. He may invent a god or some higher power/being to explain weather and chance/luck and other things like that.
So, besides what people have told you and what you've heard, why do you believe what you believe? I know some people say they've had "exeriences" and that is how they know. Let's go back to the baby on the deserted island. Take any experience that isn't influence by what you know, and apply it to the baby on the island. If the baby had that experience would he be thinking I've experience Jesus Christ? Or would he take it for what it was, simply an experience about this or that. I guess what I'm asking is, are these religious "experiences" that people have influenced by what they already know about religion? I know the psychological explanation behind it, and assuming that you don't, what is your opinion on this?
If religion, assume we're still talking about Catholicism for the sake of simplicity, were wiped off the Earth, do you believe it would come back? If yes, why/how? If no, then what does that mean?
I've seen "faith" used to explain a number of things, as reasons why people believe this or that. My question is: where does your faith come from? As far as I can tell, people only believe what they believe because at some point they are told it. A baby born on a deserted island (supposing he lives through adulthood) would have no concept of any established religion. He may invent a god or some higher power/being to explain weather and chance/luck and other things like that.
So, besides what people have told you and what you've heard, why do you believe what you believe? I know some people say they've had "exeriences" and that is how they know. Let's go back to the baby on the deserted island. Take any experience that isn't influence by what you know, and apply it to the baby on the island. If the baby had that experience would he be thinking I've experience Jesus Christ? Or would he take it for what it was, simply an experience about this or that. I guess what I'm asking is, are these religious "experiences" that people have influenced by what they already know about religion? I know the psychological explanation behind it, and assuming that you don't, what is your opinion on this?
If religion, assume we're still talking about Catholicism for the sake of simplicity, were wiped off the Earth, do you believe it would come back? If yes, why/how? If no, then what does that mean?