I think that it is safe to say that many people have accepted the idea that faith and reason are these separate things that are in conflict with one another. The debate between scientific naturalists and some, not all, christians is evidence of this. However, I believe that this is a very mistaken position to take on. For in reality, faith is actually an act of reason.
Faith as an Act of Reason
What exactly happens when you believe something? Well, assuming your faith is intellectually honest, and therefore genuine, you at one point or another encountered evidence (such as a proof or an experience) that convinced you that something was true, or that it was likely to be possible. I do not believe that any human being can objectively prove God's existence, for this would, as C.S. Lewis points out, go against our free will. How can I freely choose to reject God if I am faced with the undeniable reality of His presence? For those of you who would disagree with me here, I simply ask you to consider why God requires faith. He could, theoretically, come down and prove Himself once and for all. Yet, He doesn't. Instead, He requires faith. Therefore, I do not believe God wants us to be able to say objectively that He is real or not. However, regardless of the lack of full proof demonstrative proofs for the existence of God, there are many arguments that together form a strong case for Christianity. I like to think of it as a trial. The only people who fully know the truth of what happened are the people who were there, yet they cannot just say, "I was there, this is how it happened." No, they must prove their case with evidence. From there the jury must look at the case presented by both sides and decide beyond a reasonable doubt which side seems more likely to be true. So they have faith based on the evidence presented. In other words, they use their reason to arrive at faith. It is the same way with Christianity. Faith is simply accepting with your reason something that you cannot fully prove, but that you can believe beyond a reasonable doubt. As humans we are naturally equipped for examining the world around us. We have our reason, our senses, and our experience. It is time we got to using them.
Hopefully this has been of some help to you.
God bless and Jesus loves you!!
-Jon
There is a verse in the Bible that says that Faith works by love. I believe that faith is as much a moral act as much as it is an act based on reason. It has been said that the mind justifies what the heart is set upon. People may very well see the evidence, the weight of which lies within the Christian Faith, but may still be blind to "seeing" it. I believe this is why Jesus said in His sermon on the Mount, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
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