Depends on how you use the word belief, if for example you're using the word belief synonymous for faith then I would agree with you. However a belief can also be used as a 'justified position you hold because of the supporting evidence'.
Here's an example of the difference between what biblical belief is, and what the idea that most people think belief is.
You're a cop. You're handed a bullet proof vest on the first day of your job, and told that it's dept policy you have to wear it.
You're reticent, because it's heavy, bulky, awkward, will make you sweat profusely (it's a hot summer).......
You grudgingly wear it, but spend the entire day wearing it, resenting having to do so, and after one or two complaints to your partner, realize they have no pity for you....
the next day you consider not wearing it, but since it's policy, you grudgingly put it on. two hours into your shift, you get called to a robbery, and there are armed shooters who've taken hostages, with threats to shoot them. You attempt to talk them down, but they refuse, and start shooting at you.
You get hit square in the chest with a 45 hollow-point, and get laid out in your backside. After having the breath knocked out of you, and realizing you've been hit, you're freaking out, and your partner looks at you, and realizing you're ok, says in an almost sarcastic tone--- I'm guessing you're happy now that you have that vest on aren't you!
You immediately become a believer in the value of that vest to save your life in the right circumstances.
You may not wear it off duty, but you know darn good and well that from now on, you'll never again complain, or question the value, and purpose of that bullet-proof vest.
You were a skeptic before. but now that you've been shot, and hit by a bullet that would've killed you, and have survived, you are a dyed-in-the-wool believer. You now place your confidence in that vest's capabilities.
Before you simply acknowledged the company policy. I.e., you intellectually assented to an idea.
Afterwards, you knew, because of experience, that the bulletproof vest was a valid tool to save life. Namely your life. So, you believe in the vest's ability to save you. You made a choice, based on the demonstration presented you.
We who've met God took a chance. We didn't know. but we'd heard what the gospel of Jesus said, and took a chance because we actually wanted to know the truth.
So, we believed what the gospel says, and came to God, to verify his claim. Once he verified it for us, we chose to believe him.
Personally I find it a bit confusing if the latter definition is used, and much prefer, for example, "We trust the science over a belief in God". IMO its spitting hairs to make an argument reliant on a definition that can be used in more than one way, why not just ask the person you're debating what he actually means.
That's only because you don't grasp the nature of the idea.
I only believe God, because I've done the proverbial science.
science is not a religion. It's what the definition provided by the science council states----
Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.
Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge, so we can understand the natural and social world, following a systematic methodology based on the evidence.
Ironically--- until the people who worked through their particular fields of study did the work--- they had no systematic methodology. They simply worked through it, figuring it out as they went, documenting their processes. As time progressed, and more and more people tested their hypotheses, a systematic methodology was developed.
So, applying this to biblical belief.....
I heard an idea. At first I ignored the idea, but over the years, I had conversations with others who claimed to have their own ideas, so I began to be more curious. I eventually heard it put in a way that made it clear I needed to do something about it.
So..... I made direct inquiry.
I didn't ask Joe, because Joe would just tell me that Sam told him so, and I'd then have to go ask Sam, who'd say that Jack explained it to him, and I'd then have to go talk to Jack, who'd point to Jim, who'd in turn point to Jane, who'd then point to her brother Rob, who'd tell me about his dad's cousin, etc.... and this would simply go back through history. Which I do not have interest or motivation, nor the ability to pursue all the way back to the beginning.
So, since part of the claim is that God started this, I decided to go to God directly.
Once he responded, I began learning, through reading.
In my learning, I found that I had to apply what I read in order to get the results stated in the texts I was reading.
As I'd already had a pretty good idea of the natural and social world around me, I began noticing a difference in the way I was seeing it.
So, through the pursuit and application of the knowledge I was gaining, I gained a more accurate view of the natural and social world following a well-documented system which provided a methodology that I could use to obtain evidence.
Which is exactly what I've continued to do for the past 43 years, and 4 months of my life.
Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.
P.S. A Thuggee was an Indian band of thieves from the 1800's which is where the word Thug originated from. There's an old movie about it, (they used to infiltrate a caravan and strangle the people in their sleep if memory serves).
Thank you.
Once you stated this, I now vaguely recall hearing that a long, long time ago, so I did look it up.
sciencecouncil.org
