All worldviews require faith, even atheism and empiricism, why?
830634
Faith is the process of building and Atheism is the process of destruction. Empiricism sorts through the mess.
2674
Why do you need proof to have faith? The definition of faith is believing without seeing.  Jesus makes reference to this many times in the Bible.  He didn't want to perform miracles because he didn't want to have to prove who he was.  He just wanted people to believe. I mean, isn't it kind of an insult to someone when you ask for proof?  It means you don't trust that person and you can't have a relationship without trust.  If you don't trust that he is the Messiah, you can't have a relationship with him.
173278
Wait a minute people! Let's be honest with Pastor. \n\nOf course evolution, and the rest of science, requires a kind of "faith." In fact it requires two inter-related "faiths," or constructs not subject to further analysis.\n\nThe most rudimentary one is rooted in the concepts of logic. Or, put another way, scientists "assume" certain elementary building blocks of logic, for example axioms. They also have a qualified "faith" in the scientific method.\n\nThere is a  difference between this "faith" and what the asker is referring to as "religion." Scientists require predictable, reproducible results from their theories. Luckily for religious & non-relgious folks alike, scientists are NOT faithful to the particulars of a theory. In fact, when empirics call for it, a whole theory can be discarded by the its very authors. It has a self-correcting dynamic - BECAUSE IT DAMN WELL HAS TO WORK IN THIS WORLD. \n\nThat last element is inimical to most religious dogma. That "faith" requires a vast array of perpetual and unchanging tenets. It even provides for the logically impossible by positing forces necessarily beyond the reach of reason. \n\nThis gives that "faith" a great advantage over science. It is impervious to any force that pretends to question it.
722668
It's not so much the religions as it is the politics of the religion. Having faith is just having a belief - it's the religious DOGMA (telling you how to live, etc.) thay causes the problems. Why everyone wants to think that everyone else should believe in their particular brand of faith is beyond me. Why can't we all just get along. Different strokes for different folks, is what I say.
900416
Having faith allows people to believe in something fantastic and beyond their reach. It gives them a feeling of power and belonging to something greater than themselves. Instead of wondering the what, when and how of our existence, faith gives people the opportunity to find the missing pieces of the puzzle. As for me I don't need to find out where I came from or where I'm going, whats important is the here and now.
314678
First of all: I consider it really important to base your faith upon something that is reasonable, because if you do not do so, when faith is replaced by doubt, it would be really difficult to sustain. according to this, I consider that God is evident because: if we, the world we live in, and the whole universe surrounding us exist, then we could say that "Emptiness" (understand this as the lack of everything  doesn't exist), therefore Everything (understand this as the total lack of Emptiness) exists, therefore God (or something that could be considered to be infinite and eternal exists.=)
101382
If you mean faith as in religion then I guess the negative answers so far are pretty much on target. But even in purely scientific endeavours we are forced to have a certain kind of "faith." Ultimately we assume axioms - we cannot prove them.\n\nThe edge science has is that it can predict results, and those results can be reproduced. Even then, many choose not to believe in science or its method.
586181
*blushes at Wrathpuppet's comment*  \n\nThanks! I made my grand entrance!\n\nI am a spiritual atheist.  Religion usually requires a "god" belief, or faith in "god".  Spirituality, otoh, does not require it. It can have it if the person wants a "god" belief, but it is not neccessary. Definitions: \n\nReligion    http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/religion\n\nSpirituality   http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/spirituality
806044
Well said, and thank you. You might have a point. I'd like to think that one doesn't have to have no faith, to have manners, intellect, and a sense of humor. But If you've ever noticed someone who is deeply religious, they are always trying to convert you, or convince you otherwise. Whereas I've never tried to push my belief on anyone. In fact, If it wasn't for people, mostly coworkers, trying to ask for donations, or just asking me questions about my faith, they would never know that I'm not a religious person. But based on that one principal, now they keep there distance...Goddamn hypocrites!!
105746
niether, Religion is useless without faith & belief, which cannot occur if you are forced to accept a belief.
521877
If you don't have faith and believe, nothing makes sense.
797136
I like the spirit of your philosophy, but as to the exact wording, it seems backwards to me. Try this: We don't know how, but faith allows us to know that everything is going to work out, somehow. Faith is a way of knowing, we can not know everything, but we can understand almost everything if we know the subject matter. More and more facts are coming to light for us everyday that we live if we live in faith, with one small exception. Death always catches us flatfooted. Unless, we are very old and or very wise and courious, and ready to find out.
94731
It takes more faith to believe that there is no GOD then it does to believe that there is a GOD... If someone is reasonable they must admit there are only two ways that the universe could have came into existance. Either it was all created by an all powerful, all knowing GOD, or it just created itself for nothing and by nothing... I'm no math wizard but I do know that nothing + nothing = nothing and GOD + nothing = everything...
534575
Back to the "leap of faith." \n\nPeople like you and I cannot accept that simply because the bible says something, that it must be true. However, there are billions of people who think otherwise.\n\nWe cannot accept this argument because it cannot be tested. They feel that they can accept it because reason has no place in matters of faith.\n\nThis is pretty much the whole issue in a nutshell.
1044555
I utterly agree with you. \nAny religion I know of has one (or more) creator/god which made the world and humans. This is not something that can be proven but a matter of faith. Faith as such means believing in the unprovable (this, by the way, would include atheists - if it is impossible to prove god's existence,  it is also impossible to prove the opposite). \nAs such anybody's faith is valid. \nHowever, many religions actually state that their God is not only the only one, but that all other faiths are false. And a fair amount of religions do require their believers to proselitize and show all others the errors of their ways. \nI believe that a lot of the disagreements between religions stems from that - I am right, you are wrong. Very often people of faith will feel they need to point out the errors of your way in order to save you, firmly believing that their faith is the only true one. \nBut I still think you are right - it seems to me that showing other people the "rightness" of your faith would be best done by showing them what an exemplary life you live and what a wonderful loving religion you follow. This is unfortunately not likely to happen anytime soon.
63503
People need religion because they are scared to face the truth.  Thinking that there is someone or something more intelligent and powerful than you who is looking out for you and loves you and has your best interests at heart is more comforting than accepting the truth.  If people accepted the truth, then they would realize how insignificant and powerless they are in proportion to the universe, and that would just be way too hard for most people to face.  Religion offers answers, and tells you that everything will be easy if you 'just believe in whatever'.  Religion tells people that they are the 'special ones' the 'chosen ones' that they are right in everything they do if they only believe.  Also religion symbolizes things that are actually taking place in people's lives.  Just about everyone can relate to the religious stories if they try.  I believe that things can be learned from religion, but only if it is taken purely as symbolisim.  like little kid's stories that teach lessons, only religious stories are meant to teach bigger lessons to everyone.  It's easy to see why so many people desperately need religion and take it as fact.
966663
This was a very illuminating question.  Answers included empty platitudes, insults, references to your supposed low IQ, suggestions that since the majority of people believe in god it must be true, and other intellectually underdeveloped answers.  It may seem like they didn't answer the question, but really they did.  The nature of their answer is in the phrase "intellectually underdeveloped."    The only thing I would add to these answers, since they mostly speak for themselves, is that no religious person will ever admit to any sort of mental weakness or error  because of the extreme cognitive dissonance created by tying your religious beliefs so closely to your definition of self.  The ego  couldn't take it.  Cognitive dissonance is a fascinating thing, isn't it?  This cognitive dissonance is the same reason they will not question their own beliefs and risk them being falsified.   This is what leads to the kind of faith we see in the religious - "I am, a priori correct, and no matter how much evidence to the contrary you produce, I have 'faith' and will not change my mind."