Why Is Keeping Your Faith Considered A Virtue?

[mcdaddy]

So this morning my wife is listening to some gospel song where the chorus keeps saying over and over something about "I kept my faith" or " and I didnt lose my faith" or something like that. Pretty song, but it made me think 2 things:

 

1). I wanted to say to the singer, " sure you kept your faith but I bet you didn't study the shit out of Hebrew origins, the early church, comparative religion, philosophy and logical fallacies did you?I guess it's easy to if you're uneducated in those things. Good for you.".

 

2). Why do xians think holding onto illogical unprovable beliefs in the face of circumstances that suggest otherwise is a GOOD thing?? What one other area of their life would they treat in this manner? Just can't figure out why doing so would be raised up to some high ethical or religious value. Like sticking your head in the sand is the brave thing to do.

 

 

[mymistake]

Okay you give me ten percent of your income for life and I will tell you that doing so is a wonderful, wonderful virtue.

[freeasabird]

Faith as a virtue also contributed to my deconversion. As I've said many times, it is impossible for there to be a god who values faith. For if one religion actually is correct, those in the other religions must actually use REASON and LOGIC to determine they are in the wrong religion. Since no religions have facts on their side, they are all equally false.

[florduh]

The herd determines (correctly) that herd mentality is good for the herd.

[Chikirin]

 

 

1). I wanted to say to the singer, " sure you kept your faith but I bet you didn't study the shit out of Hebrew origins, the early church, comparative religion, philosophy and logical fallacies did you?I guess it's easy to if you're uneducated in those things. Good for you.".

 

 

 

 

Guilty!

 

That sums up why I kept my faith, such as it was, for so long.

[skepticalme]

 

2). Why do xians think holding onto illogical unprovable beliefs in the face of circumstances that suggest otherwise is a GOOD thing??

 

Well, for starters, it is easy. There is a promise of infinite reward if only that person closes there eyes, sticks their fingers in their ears and doesn't think. Just blindly believe and you will be richly rewarded. This is reinforced by cultural memes that always portray the faithful as protagonist. Luke Skywalker blows up the death star by having faith in the force, Indiana Jones takes a leap of faith in the third movie. You can go on and on naming examples that reinforce the idea that faith is a virtue. There are relatively few examples of a protagonist saving the day with logic and reason. In fact, most people who think like that in media are the antagonist.

[freeasabird]

 

2). Why do xians think holding onto illogical unprovable beliefs in the face of circumstances that suggest otherwise is a GOOD thing??

 

Well, for starters, it is easy. There is a promise of infinite reward if only that person closes there eyes, sticks their fingers in their ears and doesn't think. Just blindly believe and you will be richly rewarded. This is reinforced by cultural memes that always portray the faithful as protagonist. Luke Skywalker blows up the death star by having faith in the force, Indiana Jones takes a leap of faith in the third movie. You can go on and on naming examples that reinforce the idea that faith is a virtue. There are relatively few examples of a protagonist saving the day with logic and reason. In fact, most people who think like that in media are the antagonist.

 

Wow, interesting point. Well worth further reflection.

[mymistake]

In fact, most people who think like that in media are the antagonist.

 

And the few occasions where the protagonist uses logic the critics rip it to shreds as "wooden" and "empty".

[scriptor]

2). Why do xians think holding onto illogical unprovable beliefs in the face of circumstances that suggest otherwise is a GOOD thing?? What one other area of their life would they treat in this manner? Just can't figure out why doing so would be raised up to some high ethical or religious value. Like sticking your head in the sand is the brave thing to do.

 

It's quite simple. Faith is a virtue because God says it is a virtue. Of course, you need to have faith that God exists in order for that to matter, but that isn't a problem for Christians: they're only Christians because they have faith. And because they have faith, they believe that faith is a virtue, because God says it is a virtue, and 'round and 'round we go.

[midniterider]

So this morning my wife is listening to some gospel song where the chorus keeps saying over and over something about "I kept my faith" or " and I didnt lose my faith" or something like that. Pretty song, but it made me think 2 things:

 

1). I wanted to say to the singer, " sure you kept your faith but I bet you didn't study the shit out of Hebrew origins, the early church, comparative religion, philosophy and logical fallacies did you?I guess it's easy to if you're uneducated in those things. Good for you.".

 

2). Why do xians think holding onto illogical unprovable beliefs in the face of circumstances that suggest otherwise is a GOOD thing?? What one other area of their life would they treat in this manner? Just can't figure out why doing so would be raised up to some high ethical or religious value. Like sticking your head in the sand is the brave thing to do.

 

#1 LoLs. "I kept my faith...nothing happened....then I died..." haha

#2 might have to do with tradition. Following some ignorant tradition is virtuous somehow because millions of other ignorant people did the same ignorant thing. :-) I can think of people in my prior job that continued doing ignorant things because of tradition...not that it was faith based tho...just cuz that's the 'way it has always been done.'