Got Faith?

Not just walk, but Live by Faith, and not by sight.

            I don’t see it; therefore I do not believe. I don’t feel it, that’s why I don’t believe. Maybe, this rational individualism could be true. It is not impossible that the presence of evidence and testimony could be one’s basis of believing that something or maybe someone really exists.  On the same hand, it is also dependent in every ideas of philosophy that every man lets to conquer their intellect.

            However, there is the presence of existing idea that would make us to hold on with our beliefs. The unseen force that would make us believes even in the absence of testimonies and evidences. That the feeling will suddenly invade our sight and be blind for those tangible things that we are finding for, and let us be just contented with our philosophies, thus the ample sincerity of our dogmas, welcomes faith.

            We believe that there is air, even wind, though we don’t see it. We only feel it, and that’s it, all of us believe. However, if we stated that there is God, only the most believes, and still there are those some who whole fully doubts. Why? Because we don’t see him? Because we don’t feel him?

            Your faith extents your beliefs, but you defines your faith.

Faith in World Religions--Sikh

     Sikhism, the fifth-largest organized religion in the world, was founded in 15th-century Punjab on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and ten successive Sikh gurus, the last one being the sacred text Guru Granth Sahib.

      The core philosophy of the Sikh religion is described in the beginning hymn of the Guru Granth Sahib,
There is one supreme eternal reality; the truth; imminent in all things; creator of all things; immanent in creation. Without fear and without hatred; not subject to time; beyond birth and death; self-revealing. Known by the Guru's grace.

     Guru Nanak, the founder of the faith, summed up the basis of Sikh lifestyle in three requirements: Nām Japō (meditate on the holy name (Waheguru), Kirat karō (work diligently and honestly) and Vaṇḍ chakkō (share one's fruits).(Wikipedia.com)

Faith in World Religions--Judaism

      

     Faith itself is not a religious concept in Judaism. Although Judaism does recognize the positive value of Emunah (generally translated as faith, trust in God) and the negative status of the Apikorus (heretic), faith is not as stressed or as central as it is in other religions, especially as it is in the faith-possessed Christendom.

      It could be a necessary means for being a practicing religious Jew, but the emphasis is placed on practice rather than on faith itself. Very rarely does it relate to any teaching that must be believed. Classical Judaism does not require one to explicitly identify God (a key tenet of faith in Christianity), but rather to honour the idea of God.

     In the Jewish scriptures trust in God - Emunah - refers to how God acts toward his people and how they are to respond to him; it is rooted in the everlasting covenant established in the Torah, notably Deuteronomy 7:9 (The Torah - A Modern Commentary; Union of American Hebrew Congregations, NY 1981 by W. G. Plaut)

    "Know, therefore, that only the LORD your God is God, the steadfast God who keeps His gracious covenant to the thousandth generation of those who love Him and keep His commandments"

     A traditional example of Emunah as seen in the Jewish annals is found in the person of Abraham. On a number of occasions, Abraham both accepts statements from God that seem impossible and offers obedient actions in response to direction from God to do things that seem implausible (see Genesis 12-15).

     "The Talmud describes how a thief also believes in God: On the brink of his forced entry, as he is about to risk his life—and the life of his victim—he cries out with all sincerity, 'God help me!' The thief has faith that there is a God who hears his cries, yet it escapes him that this G‑d may be able to provide for him without requiring that he abrogate God’s will by stealing from others. For emunah to affect him in this way he needs study and contemplation."(Wikipedia.com)

Faith in World Religions-- Islam

 

  In Islam, faith (iman) is complete submission to the will of God, which includes belief, profession and the body's performance of deeds, consistent with the commission as vicegerent on Earth, all according to God's will.

    Iman has two aspects:

--Recognizing and affirming that there is one Creator of the universe and only to this Creator is worship due. According to Islamic thought, this comes naturally because faith is an instinct of the human soul. This instinct is then trained via parents or guardians into specific religious or spiritual paths. Likewise, the instinct may not be guided at all.

--Willingness and commitment to submitting that God exists, and to His prescriptions for living in accordance with vicegerency. The Qur'an is the dictation of God's prescriptions through Prophet Muhammad and is believed to have updated and completed the previous revelations that God sent through earlier prophets.

In the Qur'an, it is stated that (2:62):

 "Surely, those who believe, those who are Muslims, Jewish, the Christians, and the Sabians; anyone who;

 (1) believes in GOD, and

 (2) believes in the Last Day, and

(3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve."(Wikipedia.com)

Faith in World Religions-- Hinduism

   

     Sraddha is translated as faith in Sanskrit. All schools of Hindu philosophy posit that consciousness (atman) is distinct and independent from mind and matter (pakrti).

     Therefore, Hindu faith is based on the premise that logic and reason are not conclusive methods of epistemic knowing.

     Spiritual practice (sadhana) is performed with the faith that knowledge beyond the mind and sense perception will be revealed to the practitioner.

     The schools of Hindu philosophy differ in their recommended method to cultivate faith, including selfish action (karma-yoga), renunciation (jnana-yoga) and devotion (bhakti-yoga).

     "Faith for good reason arises out of the mystery that underlies the very structure and nature of reality, a mystery that in its entirety will never be entirely demystified despite what those who have placed reason on their altar might like us to believe. the mystery of life that gives rise to faith as a supra-rational means of unlocking life's mystery--one that reason does not hold the key to-- suggests that faith is fundamentally rational in that it is a logical response to the mysterious." Swami Tripurari

(Wikipedia.com)

Faith in World Religions-- Christianity

 

     Faith in Christianity is based in and on the work and teachings of Jesus Christ. In this way Christianity declares not to be distinguished by its faith, but by the object of its faith. Rather than being passive, faith leads to an active life aligned with the ideals and the example of the one being trusted. It sees the mystery of God and his grace and seeks to know and become obedient to God.

     To a Christian: Faith is not static but causes one to learn more of God and grow; and it has its origin in God.

     In Christianity faith causes change as it seeks a greater understanding of God. Faith is not fideism, or simple obedience to a set of rules or statements.

     Before the Christian has faith, they must understand in whom in whom and in what they have faith. Without understanding, there cannot be true to faith and that understanding is built on the foundation of the community of believers, the scriptures and traditions, and on the personal experience of the believer.

     In English Translation of the New Testament, the word faith generally corresponds to the Greek noun pistis or the Greek verb pisteuo, meaning to trust , to have confidence, faithfulness, to be reliable, to assure.

     The Bible says that faith is " the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Faith in World Religions-- Buddhism

    

 Faith is an important constituent element of the teachings of Gautama Buddha--in both the Theravada and the Mahayana traditions. The teachings of Buddha was originally recorded in the language Pali and the word saddha  is generally translated as "faith". 

     In the teaching saddha is often described as:

-- a conviction that something is

-- a determination to accomplish one's goals

-- a sense of joy deriving from the other two

    While Faith in Buddhism doesn't imply "blind faith", Buddhist faith nevertheless requires a degree of faith and belief, primarily in the spiritual attainment of Gautama Buddha.

    Faith in Buddhism centers on the understanding that the Buddha is an Awakened being, on his superior role as teacher, in the truth of his Dharma (spiritual teachings), and in his sangha (community of spiritually developed followers).

    Faith in Buddhism can be summarized into Three Jewels: The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

   It is intended to lead to the goal of enlightenment or bodhi, and Nirvana. Volitionally, faith implies a resolute and courageous act of will. It combines the steadfast resolution that one will do a thing with the self-confidence that one can do it. 

    As a counter of to any form of "blind faith", the Buddha's teachings those teachings included in the Kalama Sutra, exhorting his disciples to investigate any teaching and to live by what is learnt and accepted, rather than in believing in something simply because it is taught.(Wikipedia.com)