What does the one word - faith - mean to you?

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What does the one word - faith - mean to you?

Some persons have defined faith as:

We truly believe we will improve / Positive Attitude.

Experiences? Insights?

Belief, withstanding an absence of evidence

One thing I have faith in is that people will do their best to make me feel bad for no other reason just because they can.

Stupidity.

Faith in the Lord.

Which Lord?

Also, what matt said.

Definition found in Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I am an agnostic, interested in many religions/belief systems. I am able to understand or accept the first part of this definition, but I am unable to make "the leap" required for the second part.

It's not quite the same thing as belief, despite the fact that almost everybody can, and in fact does, believe a great many things in the absence of evidence/proof, because they have been told that something is so, etc.

The term "belief" does not distinguish between belief in something because have evidence, believing in something because think have evidence but in fact don't, and believing in something despite knowing/realising that have no evidence.

Faith specifically involves knowing and accepting that do not have any evidence, ie. acting "as if" something were true while knowing and acknowledging that there is no proof; "simply believing" as they say, ... ie. not quoting passages of scripture "as proof", not referring to this or that "authority" to back one up ... but "simply believing", ( because the "fruit" of the belief are "proof" enough, for instance ).
.

That one scene in Indiana Jone's Last Crusade where he has to cross the ravine and literally take a "leap of faith" pretty much sums it up.

This too. Modifying it to say when there is nothing else left to really go on.
Sometimes life surprises you.

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Perhaps one way of looking at the above is seeing faith as a symbol for the word imagination.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for (a mental image or an image on paper like a blueprint of a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house), the evidence (blueprint for a house plus the $250,000/whatever needed to build the house on a vacant piece of real estate ground) of things not seen.

Sequence:

Blueprint of a house vs Actual house built out which one can walk inside and use as a home.

Faith = imagination = vivid imagination = mental image in the head/brain/mind.

Faith = Faithful visualization of the desired end result.

Faith = substance - like a single seed of corn when planted in fertile ground and is watered can produce corn cobs with many, many seeds.

Words

Visualize
Creative visualization
Imagination
Applied imagination
Creative imagination
Storyboarding
The right hemisphere of the brain

Can pictures flow out of the tip of a pen?

http://www.imaginationcubed.com/

Some persons' ability to imagine things clearly in their heads/brains/minds can be imperfect.

Constructional apraxia

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard

http://www.grove.com/

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Success = progressive realization of worthwhile goals.

(Source: M)

To believe in something or hope for something I guess. Also what matt said if the word faith is used in religious terms.

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Last edited by Willard on 01 Sep 2010, 11:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

A trust in something

^pretty much that.

A trust or belief that someone or something will succeed.

It's too bad that so many people immediately think of it as a religious word for blind following. Faith doesn't have to be religious at all.

its something I wish I had more of, but sometimes someone who you thought was your enemy makes you have more faith in people

A strong belief in something even when there is no evidence/proof of it to be found. Usually refers to believing in a religion, though I have heard people say things such as "have faith in yourself" etc.