What is the point of faith?

[_Mad Viking]

It is possible that I have forgotten what I may have once known. I have been tapping into my memory in an effort to possibly recover something lost. It is also possible that in the past I have accepted patented answers that upon examination may have not made sense. At the heart of my confusion is the concept of faith and the purpose that it serves.

We were/are directed to remain faithful at all costs. I was given the impression through many Sunday school lessons that I would be better of dead than to ever lose or deny my faith. But, what purpose does faith serve? I am not talking about the notion that maintaining faith garners favor with God. I suppose I am more concerned with the question of why god likes faith so much. Why doesn’t god favor logic and reason? Supposedly this life is the time to prepare for the next. What purpose will our faith in this life prepare us for in the next if everything will "be explained in the next life? That appears to be a state of logic and reason where everything makes sense to our intellect. At that point, what point will our faith have served other than to garner favor with god. And if so, doesn't that make the requirement of faith arbitrary?

[_Scottie]

One apologetic answer that I heard regarding this is that faith is required for building worlds. That, on a subatomic level, the universe is actually held together by faith.

This is why we needed to come here. To increase our faith so that we could build these worlds.

Sounds like a load of horse s*** to me, but then again, most apologetic arguments do.

[_Mad Viking]

One apologetic answer that I heard regarding this is that faith is required for building worlds. That, on a subatomic level, the universe is actually held together by faith.

This is why we needed to come here. To increase our faith so that we could build these worlds.

Sounds like a load of horse sh** to me, but then again, most apologetic arguments do.

It sounds like horse sh** to me too. Why would an all knowing god need faith for anything? Such and answer would suggest that when one is building worlds there are still things that they don't know and must accept on faith.

[_Scottie]

One apologetic answer that I heard regarding this is that faith is required for building worlds. That, on a subatomic level, the universe is actually held together by faith.

This is why we needed to come here. To increase our faith so that we could build these worlds.

Sounds like a load of horse sh** to me, but then again, most apologetic arguments do.

It sounds like horse sh** to me too. Why would an all knowing god need faith for anything? Such and answer would suggest that when one is building worlds there are still things that they don't know and must accept on faith.

LDS theology maintains that God is still bound by the laws of the universe. God cannot do anything about gravity, for instance.

Perhaps Tarski (or someone more knowledgeable in physics) could help me here, but I seem to remember in my college physics class that they didn't know what held protons and neutrons together. They called it the strong and weak force. The theory is that faith is the strong and weak force that holds these atoms together. We must come to Earth to master this faith. Only by mastering faith can we command the atoms to form so that we can build universes.

[_beastie]

That's the only explanation I ever heard, either. And I agree it doesn't make a lick of sense.

[_Mercury]

The point of faith is to get individuals to do something you want them to do without any evidence. For instance, if you wanted to establish yourself as an authority without the standard methods of trust such as land ownership, etc. Religion runs on faith.

Faith gives those in religious authority power to control others. Its simple as that, another form of slavery.

[_cinepro]

Faith means you'll never lose an argument. It's like playing a poker game with the ultimate Trump card tucked up your sleeve.

[_The Dude]

I seem to remember in my college physics class that they didn't know what held protons and neutrons together. They called it the strong and weak force. The theory is that faith is the strong and weak force that holds these atoms together. We must come to Earth to master this faith. Only by mastering faith can we command the atoms to form so that we can build universes.

The truth of this theory is also something you must take on faith.

I propose an alternative. There is no god and no afterlife, but there is love, and love is the thing that holds the atoms together. If you have love in your heart, and you love things: people, children, pets, fast cars... you are helping to hold the universe together. The universe is still here today, so there exists, on the whole, more love than hate in the universe. Keep up the good work everybody!

Now, if you choose the LDS theory instead of mine, you are just expressing your personal preference for faith instead of love. I think that's a poor choice, and it reflects poorly on you.

[_Mad Viking]

I seem to remember in my college physics class that they didn't know what held protons and neutrons together. They called it the strong and weak force. The theory is that faith is the strong and weak force that holds these atoms together. We must come to Earth to master this faith. Only by mastering faith can we command the atoms to form so that we can build universes.

The truth of this theory is also something you must take on faith.

I propose an alternative. There is no god and no afterlife, but there is love, and love is the thing that holds the atoms together. If you have love in your heart, and you love things: people, children, pets, fast cars... you are helping to hold the universe together. The universe is still here today, so there exists, on the whole, more love than hate in the universe. Keep up the good work everybody!

Now, if you choose the LDS theory instead of mine, you are just expressing your personal preference for faith instead of love. I think that's a poor choice, and it reflects poorly on you.

Agreed. The context of my question (although not clearly stated) was one of the LDS point of view.

[_The Dude]

Mad Viking: I'm not sure you took my theory with the sarcasm I meant. I don't believe Love holds the atoms together any more than Faith does; they are equally goofy, wishful-thinking, unscientific theories that aren't worth believing.

The practical purpose of faith in Mormonism is to keep you from following through on your questions. Religions that utilize faith in the manner Mormonism does are well-positioned to retain followers in an age of free ideas and skepticism. Religions that don't, well, they're going to shed membership, like mainstream protestant churches are doing as we speak. The fact that you are asking for what salvational purpose is served by faith (as opposed to logic and reason) is a good indicator that you don't belong in a religion like Mormonism. What's your current standing, BWT?