Faith

English: Jesus Christ - detail from Deesis mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I will set forth a new definition for the word faith. Most of the internet and dictionaries available define faith as a confidence and trust placed on a person or entity. Although I do not disagree with this definition I believe that it excludes the fact all people universally have a form of faith. Whether atheist or theist there is a faith involved in those cognitive processes that establishes a certainty principle within that person.

A person accepts as certainty, certain theories, based on the evidence and background information provided. This certainty then becomes faith or the product of that certainty is faith. There may be many contradictions of fact within a person’s faith; however this does not topple that person’s faith in their belief of certainty.

Faith is not blind. On the contrary but is a belief that is based on the examination of the evidence.

Therefore faith is defined here as the ability that humans have to use abstract thinking to apply certainty to principles that may or may not have been observed or measured.

I did not observe Christ rise from the dead but I certainly can verify the evidence in support of the event and therefore be certain of its reality.

Born Atheist?

Many atheists argue that man is born into a state of atheism or animism. Is this really the case? Would this not make atheism a lack of choice instead of a conscious decision? When examining this argument closely, does an atheist really want to compare his or her compilation of knowledge which dictates his or her atheistic stance with that of a new born child with no knowledge of the subject? Perhaps atheists do have more in common with a new born baby.

Animism is the attributing of human qualities to our environment and objects around us. Everyone is guilty of this when we act as though our computers are working against us or that we can somehow affect traffic lights. Animism is “the belief that all natural phenomena have souls independent of their physical being” (from Latin anima, soul), Webster’s New World DICTIONARY, Third College Edition)

Animism is considered one of the most ancient religions of the world though not everyone agrees that this common human trait is considered a religion. Basic animism that is found in all humans and more in small children; which is more a sign of confusion then organized thoughts devoted to a deity or deities. Therefore in that sense, animism can hardly be defined as a religion but perhaps as a superstition but certainly not grounds for validating Atheism.