SteveB
Well-known member
Numerous people on this forum have been describing their ideas of faith in terms of what they will not believe.
Some have even been among those who once believed but left, for some undefined reasons.
As part of my own experience over the past 45 years, I've found myself struggling with the nature of faith having a primarily emotional element to it.
Over the years, numerous teachers and pastors have states-- don't trust your emotions. Emotions are like the tide, or the winds. They come and go, rise and fall. They're not something that is dependable for determining your state before God.
In the bible, we read numerous times about being afraid, fearful, feeling like God is angry with us, not being under condemnation, etc....
This question has arisen in my mind because of the numerous people who have described faith in a derogatory manner. Yet in reading their comments, it's pretty clear that they have faith, and believe they're justified in their "unbelief" in God.
E.g., they'll say things like, I used to believe, but something just changed over time and I realized that I no longer believed it, or I could not have faith that it's true, real, etc....
So.... how do you perceive faith?
Does it seem like it's an emotional thing?
E.g., if you have faith, should there be an emotion associated with it?
Whether the emotion is happiness, a genuine excitement, or a sense of calm, etc.....
What is your view of the nature of faith?
Some have even been among those who once believed but left, for some undefined reasons.
As part of my own experience over the past 45 years, I've found myself struggling with the nature of faith having a primarily emotional element to it.
Over the years, numerous teachers and pastors have states-- don't trust your emotions. Emotions are like the tide, or the winds. They come and go, rise and fall. They're not something that is dependable for determining your state before God.
In the bible, we read numerous times about being afraid, fearful, feeling like God is angry with us, not being under condemnation, etc....
This question has arisen in my mind because of the numerous people who have described faith in a derogatory manner. Yet in reading their comments, it's pretty clear that they have faith, and believe they're justified in their "unbelief" in God.
E.g., they'll say things like, I used to believe, but something just changed over time and I realized that I no longer believed it, or I could not have faith that it's true, real, etc....
So.... how do you perceive faith?
Does it seem like it's an emotional thing?
E.g., if you have faith, should there be an emotion associated with it?
Whether the emotion is happiness, a genuine excitement, or a sense of calm, etc.....
What is your view of the nature of faith?