03.18.08

“Faith” and “Reason”: a short review of language

Posted in Uncategorized at 10:22 am by Administrator

It’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog here. To start things up again, I would like to discuss the meaning of several words that are woefully misused in today’s society. I have recently come across someone (who I will not name) who has shown an incredible lack of understanding and critical thinking, despite her counter claims and position as an instructor at a higher learning institution. Namely, she claims that in her class, students are required to separate faith and reason. Reason is to be used in the classroom and faith is to be kept in church. How does she apply this? It seems that anyone who brings up any argument in favor of Genesis and Exodus being accurate, original history is using faith, while any “investigation” into how the Bible was “really” fabricated is touted as reason. This is an ancient history class, where she likes to claim that Genesis was “borrowed” from the Babylonian Enuma Elish and Hebrew law was “borrowed” from King Hammurabi’s Code.

So, let’s get down to an analysis. The following two definitions are from The Merriam Webster Dictionary. First, I’ll define reason.

reason: 1) a statement offered in explanation or justification 2) GROUND, CAUSE 3) the power to think : INTELLECT 4) a sane or sound mind 5) due exercise of the faculty of logical thought

Now faith.

faith: 1) allegiance to a duty or a person: LOYALTY 2) belief and trust in God 3) complete trust 4) a system of religious beliefs

The meaning of faith in the original New Testament Greek (presumably the type that the instructor thinks she’s talking about) is up next. These are all from Strong’s Concordance.

pistis, from [peitho]; persuasion, i.e. credence; mor. conviction (of relig. truth, or the truthfulness of God or a relig. teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstr. constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself–assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

peitho; a primary verb; to convince (by argument; true or false); by anal. to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); refl. or pass. to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty):–agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) confident, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.

Used five times in the New Testament is the word oligopistos, which is found only when Jesus is rebuking someone for having little faith.

oligopistos; from [oligos] and [pistis]; incredulous, i.e. lacking confidence (in Christ):–of little faith.

Used once in the New Testament is elpis.

elpis; from a primary elpo (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstr. or concr.) or confidence:–faith, hope.

So far, I think it’s rather self evident that faith and reason are being misused by a number of people today. Yes, it is because of faith that I disagree with this professor’s [read: Sadducee’s] claims. It is not, however, “blind faith.” It is faith grounded upon evidence and reason. Evidences internal and external to the Bible indicate that the accounts in it are true history and not fabrications taken from pagan Mesopotamian myths and laws. My faith is supported by reason. On the other hand, the instructor’s “reason” is actually based upon faith. She has faith in the claims of secular humanists. She has faith in human reasoning and its ability to accurately describe the world. She has faith that the God is not a real and ever present entity in this universe, and by extension, she has faith that the world can be accurately described without mention of a true God.

Some readers may ask what my “reason” is based upon, and this is actually a very good question. It is based upon the axiom (assumption) that humans are capable of thinking logically in order to describe the world. The reason for this is that God created humans with this ability. Does this sound like circular reasoning? It probably would be, but let me phrase it this way: I have faith (trust) that the Bible is true. This is a starting point; it is assumed. However, this faith is validated through reason. This reason includes such evidences as apparent design in nature and the accuracy of the Bible’s description of human nature and of historical events. In biblical times, faith in God was validated by the miracles carried out by God in full view of the people. The core faith of Christianity is grounded upon an incredible evidence: the resurrection of Christ.

12But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. I Corinthians 15:12-20

If this does not seem like reason, you’re being unreasonable. Paul wasn’t basing his affirmation of Christ’s resurrection on “well, that’s what my heart says.” He had actually met the Lord Christ, as had the disciples! Now, if you believe they were lying, then that’s a matter of the validity of the evidence, but it is not an argument against their reason.
I don’t think I’ve done an analysis of the word religion here yet. Perhaps some time I’ll get around to that (how many times have I been saying that sort of thing?). In any case, for further reading on the issue of faith, take a look at the following link:

http://www.tektonics.org/whatis/whatfaith.html

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