Faith Essays (Examples)

Faith vs. Tradition

This paper addresses the lecture on faith Vs tradition. It shows how many traditions are mistaken for faith and thus followed. It also sheds light on how these ideas have gone to twist the Muslim faith and look at Islam as an oppressor religion. The paper discuses the lecture and several other resources regarding the same topic.

The confusion between faith and tradition is common in many religions. Islam however is the one that has been recently targeted and discussed. This lecture brings out the distinctions and the discussion between what the holy Quran says and how Islam as a religion has come to be over the years. The lecturer who gave this lecture was Mustafa Akyol. He is Turkish political commentator and also an author belonging to Istanbul, Turkey. Akyol being a resident of Turkey gives credible comparisons and contrasts between the Islamic culture in Turkey…

Faith Baptist Church in Manchester, NH

The Baptist Church I visited is called Faith Baptist Church and it is located at 52 Lake Street in Manchester. This is quite an attractive church from the exterior to interior. On entry to the church compound, there are beautiful, and attractive flowers planted along the roundabout. Then there are the green ones that are planted along the church building itself. The church has been simply build without the normal Gothic architecture found in other churches. This shows modernization that has seen many changes in church.

There are no sculptures outside the church like those found in the Catholic Church. Baptist church has known to have branched itself from the first protestants of the Catholic faith. Like the Anglican Church. There is no clerestory too which is common in other churches with an aim of bringing in light through its windows. The interior is…

Faith Integration

Preventing Research Misconduct through Faith Integration

The process of conducting research is typically aimed at exploring a scientific postulate, confirming an emergent theory or disproving a faulty hypothesis. By and large, the purpose of research is to further human understanding and improve our abilities in areas such as the sciences, sociology and medicine. Yet, there are distinct challenges to ensuring that this research is conducted with a clear code of ethics in mind. This is especially true when working with human participants, who place themselves at the mercy and honesty of researchers. As this discussion will show, however, research misconduct is a genuine concern and can have a direct and negative impact on research participants. This is why faith integration has the potential to be such a valuable strategy in countering the possibility of research misconduct. As the discussion here will show, certain dimensions of the Scriptures align…

Faith Integration in Nursing Leadership

For the faith-based nurse, the spiritual dimension is central to nursing practice, just as clinical knowledge and technique are at the heart of the biomedical model. For the nurse leader, being active, caring and a being a supportive listener will go a long way to provide assistance in helping patient's cope with fears, anxieties, and medical history. Despite the models of patient-centered care, it is easy to lose sight of the spiritual side of an individual patient's being. Often, medical professionals focus only on the urgency of providing urgent care, tangible practices that focus less on the emotional side and more on the tactical. At times, this may cause the patient to feel less "whole," and depending on their own spiritual views, may actually be detrimental to some aspects of healing. Physical assessment and attention to needs can often be a quicker and more tangible…

Faith Integration With esearch

In Christianity, Bible is the key fundamental book and its teaching provides the principles and blueprint beliefs of ways to live as a Christian. The Ten Commandments on the Old Testament given to the Israelites to keep, gave them the pathway on how to live moral upright with God and fellow man. In the New Testament, Jesus summarized the commandments in two in Matthew 22:37-38, where he commanded us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind; as well as love our neighbor as we love ourselves. As Christians, love, honesty and integrity forms an integral part of our daily interaction with others, both in our work and living places. This is where our Christianity becomes questionable, if one lacks to practice these virtues with the others.

Carrying each other's burden as indicated in (Galatians 6:2) everyone faces some distresses and…

"Faith is a commitment, a pledge or promise to carry out certain responsibilities," (Hill et al., 1997, p.18). The will is the way a person translates faith into action.

Action plays a critical role in faith. It is very easy to say that one is faithful, but the proof of that faith comes from one's actions. The authors contrast full faith and empty faith, suggesting that those who have beliefs without faith cut themselves off from the fullness of human experience (Hill et al., 1997, p.29). "Full faith requires openness to learning and life, a willingness to search and explore, an eagerness to make firm decisions, a dynamic energy to reach for goals;" not surprisingly, those are the components of active faith (Hill et al., 1997, p.29). Nurturing human commitments is one way to have active faith. Though the authors mention this example before discussing active faith, they give an…

As mentioned in the introduction to this study, Hans-Georg Godamer is making both an epistemological claim and an ideological claim in his formulation of faith. Epistemological, because is discussing the extent and ways of knowing, but also ideological, because faith holds a privileged place in society, and based on the above discussion, one might go so far as to say that faith's privileged place in society is due precisely to its epistemological function. As a means of expressing a certainty independent of evidence while simultaneously claiming to be free from the requirement of presenting evidence, faith is an ideal concept for use by the powerful to oppress and control others, because it allows one to commit actions in the name of faith that could not be justified by any other means. This is because even though faith itself is unjustified belief, within practically all human societies it can itself serve…

Faith and Reason Irreconcilable

Irreconcilable Faith and Reason

The challenge of reconciling reason to faith has been one that has dominated philosophy since thinking and oration became known as philosophy. The challenge is to address the idea that the thinking person can fundamentally believe that reason rules all production of truth and fact in combination with the fact that faith is not a sentiment of reason, i.e. one must simply believe that something (in the case of philosophy usually God) exists to define and defend faith. The challenge has been met by everyone from Augustine of Hippo during the medieval period of Western Philosophy to Friedrich Nietzsche, in modern times.[footnoteRef:1] This work will look at the varied arguments of the medieval philosophers in their attempt to reconcile faith with reason in an attempt to persuade the reader that no such reconciliation can be made, the concluding thesis being that regardless…

Faith/Religion

As most religious philosophers would agree, "there can be no conclusive evidence either way" regarding the existence of God (63). Faith is thus an essential compensation for the lack of any conclusive evidence that God exists. For the Catholic, faith is construed as a virtue; for others like Blaise Pascal, faith is simply a good bet. Philosophers like Paul Tillich phrase faith more gracefully, noting that faith is "the state of being ultimately concerned," (66). Like some Protestant theories of faith, Tillich suggests that faith involves an intimate relationship between human beings and the divine. Therefore, faith can generally be conceived of as a state of being (prepositional faith), an act of will (volitional faith), or a sacred relationship (ultimate concern and non-propositional faith). My own personal idea of faith fluctuates. However, because I feel closest to understanding and believing in God when I realize the miracle of motherhood,…

Faith as a Basis of Knowledge in Religion and Natural Science

The relationship between faith / religion and science has through history stirred a debate that has taken on philosophical, scientific and theological aspects. Are the two compatible? Are they at totally opposite ends of the spectrum of life and the universe? This paper analyses the strengths and weaknesses of faith as a basis of knowledge in religion and natural science.

The Literature on Faith as a Basis of Knowledge in Religion and Science

The Harvard University publication The Friend (circa, 1871) posed some pertinent issues for readers regarding faith and science, issues that are just as relevant today as they were 141 years ago. For example, author illiam Evans, a minister with the Society of Friends (Quakers), explains that in the 1870s scientists were questioning the value of religious belief, and "…aiming to modify the theology and character" of…

Of course, not everyone will agree with this and some people will deny the existence of anything or anyone in which faith could be placed. Overall, though, people do have faith - and the majority of them have faith in something outside of themselves that is unseen. What passes for proof in this world is not needed by the next world, and is not needed by the heart, mind, or soul (spirit) of the person. People who have a deep faith are often quiet and reserved, although some of them can be very outspoken about what they believe and how much they want to share it with others. For many, faith is a very personal issue that they do not discuss with just everyone. It is different from religion in that it is not necessary to "belong" to any particular religion or subscribe to a particular doctrine in order to…

If there is evolution, then God does not exist. If God exists, then scientific theories such as evolution are immaterial or even nonexistent. However, there is a way to understand God even in a world where Darwin's theory of evolution is correct. In his book, Miller quotes the National Academy of Sciences. They stated:

At the root of the apparent conflict between some religious and evolution is a misunderstanding of the critical difference between religious and scientific ways of knowing. Religions and science answer different questions about the world. hether there is a purpose to the universe or a purpose for human existence are not questions for science. Religious and scientific ways of knowing have played, and will continue to play, significant roles in human history (Miller 2007,-page 169).

This statement is essentially correct. For most of the questions that people have to ask, the answers can be found in…

Tillich’s thesis in Dynamics of Faith is that faith is the act of giving oneself to something larger than oneself—something external to oneself and greater than oneself—and in doing so, one discovers one’s true self. It is rooted in the concept of becoming, the idea that one is always in a state of becoming; faith is the expression or medium by which this act of becoming is generated. It is also linked to the idea expressed by St. Paul that in placing one’s faith in Christ, one is able to put on the new man. The point of faith is to be connected to the ultimate concern, which for the Jews of the Old Testament was God: God was the end point—the end all be all. Tillich makes this apparent early on in the book, and the concept that is being expressed is certainly valid. The trouble that Tillich aims…

Religion has been a potent force in my life, shaping my identity, values, self-concept, and worldview. Beyond the psychological power of faith, religion has primarily served as a social mechanism in my life. I have always struggled with the more esoteric elements of faith and religion including the efficacy of theological concepts. Especially because I have been exposed now to many alternating views of what God is, how the cosmos functions and how it was formed, and the meaning of human existence, I am less sure now that any one faith, religion, or belief system holds all the answers. This course has further expanded my mind and outlook, exposing me to attitudes and approaches to worship that are totally different from any others I have experienced. Rather than muddle my mind, this course has engendered in me an appreciation for pluralism. Yet ironically, my growing interest in world religions and…

2. How does the theory of transubstantiation help in understanding the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist?The theory of transubstantiation helps in understanding the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist by explaining the words of the Last Supper at which Christ declared the bread and wine to be His body and blood. This great mystery was no less incomprehensible to the disciples than it has been to the doctors of the Church. Nonetheless, Aquinas states that transubstantiation is a mystery, one that defies imagination, one inconceivable to reason alone, one not to be found at all in the order of nature Yet, it is the true presence of Christ, not just a communion in mind or spirit, for it is the person of the Word Incarnate, the whole Christ, who is present and gives himself in communion.[footnoteRef:2] This presence, in other words, cannot be understand by reason alone:…

The positions of Hartin and Zetterholm regarding the notion of Paul and his relationship to precepts of faith and works are not one in the same. Each author is discussing respective facets of Paul's theology. The former is comparing Paul's conception of the value of works and faith with that of James. The latter is simply recounting Paul's purported opposition to the Torah, which is partly based on his esteem for faith. Thus, the positions of the authors are not synonymous because they are elucidating different facets of Paul's theology.
Nonetheless, there are poignant similarities found within their arguments (and within their conclusions in particular) that are impossible for the diligent erudite to eschew. Zetterholm ends his piece by stating that there are new interpretations of the very period during which Paul was writing, spanning from approximately "200 BCE to 200 CE" (Zetterholm, 2009) which evince the fact that there…

Sociology of Religion
1) Why are some people resistant to scientific approaches to studying religion?
Some people may be resistant to scientific approaches to studying religion because of their mistrust of the scientific process. It should be remembered that the scientific process really rose to prominence in opposition to the Church during the High Renaissance and after, eventually giving way to the Enlightenment Age, in which faith was marginalized and emphasis on naturalism given prominence in society. Therefore, religious people may view scientific approaches with some suspicion because they feel that religion is a matter of faith and not something that should be undermined by scientific inquiry.
However, faith rests upon reason and reason can be moved by scientific inquiry. Science is there to support the truth. Science can be used to show that something miraculous has occurred (as there will be no scientific explanation of the miracle, thus pointing…

Finding Faith in Salvation on Sand Mountain
The Big Issue
Salvation on Sand Mountain by Dennis Covington is a work of non-fiction that sets out initially to objectively describe a time and place—the rural South in the early 1990s, specifically the part of the rural South in which snake-handling is practiced by Christian sects. What begins as an objective exercise in describing this peculiar region and its religions practices quickly becomes a personal exercise in reflection and faith. The author becomes so immersed in the world of snake-handling that he himself becomes one. The book thus follows in the genre of the documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee, who pioneered the aesthetic/experiential form of non-fiction filmmaking by setting out to document a time and place but ultimately turning the camera on himself and his own experience of it. Covington does the same in his book, and the end result is that the…

Purpose of Text and Intended Audience
Written for a Christian audience ill at ease in the dominant culture, Francis Schaeffer traces European or “Western” civilization through a Biblical lens. The purpose of the text is twofold. One of the main functions of the text is to provide an alternative view of history and of Western civilization. While European history can never avoid direct discussions of the role religion has played in matters of identity construction and state-building enterprises, Schaeffer takes the discussion to a whole new level. For Schaeffer, Western history and culture has evolved either towards a Biblical worldview or antithetical to that worldview. A second major purpose of Schaeffer’s text is to offer readers solace, encouraging them to deepen their faith and forge ties with the Christian community that is likewise at odds with the modern world. Intended audiences are squarely Christian, specifically leaning evangelical, and socially conservative.…

Faith-Based eentry Programs

Corrections

Faith-based initiatives:

Legal and logistical challenges in corrections

The separation of church and state is codified in the First Amendment. State support of faith-based organizations designed to reduce recidivism rates was permitted when President George W. Bush signed the Second Chance Act in 2007. The Second Change Act allowed federal funds to be used for reentry programs, including faith-based reentry programs. As expected, the legislation could theoretically pose some First Amendment issues given that it involves federal support for programs run by religious institutions, but given that members of the clergy are already a presence in most prisons, there has been muted debate on the topic. When evaluating the utility of such programs two central questions may be asked: do such reentry programs 'work' and if so, is the faith-based component sufficiently necessary to justify the potential blurring of the line between church and state, as…

If he had love, he had no pot in which to plant it. And so it stayed trapped in his mind, separate from any object -- for Kant insisted on the gulf between faith and reason. If one had to accept certain truths on the authority of the one revealing them -- Kant wanted no part in it. According to Kant, one should accept only that which can be reasoned. According to Aquinas, it is not unreasonable to accept that which is revealed.

In a sense, many of us today are Kantian rather than Thomistic. We are Hamlet figures, forever trapped in doubt. What Aquinas allows us to do is put away doubt. He allows us -- in fact, implores us, to act. He is now to us like the ghost of Hamlet's father -- reappearing to urge his son to action. Still, Hamlet delays. What happens to Hamlet --…

In society today, we are bombarded with messages that suggest that our morality is driven by anything but the Bible. Indeed, turn on the television and images which are antithetical to Christ's word are everywhere, open the pages of a textbook and you will see pages upon pages of secular explanations of the existence of mankind; however, Matt Slick author of "What is a Christian Worldview? And Why Do We Need One?" warns us not to despair and that things are actually looking up for Christians. In fact, more people today derive his/her morals from God than did three hundred years ago. For example, in the 1700's, less than 20% of the American population went to church where now it is above 50% of the population (Slick). At this rate, in another 500 years, we will have attained a 100% participation rate!

The Christian conception of life and death and…

This extends to environmental concerns as well, because scientific research has demonstrated that the diversity of an ecosystem is what allows the constituent parts of that ecosystem to thrive, with the diversity of genetics, organisms, and personalities giving any given ecosystem a robustness such that it is not as susceptible to destruction or eradication at the hands of a single negative element. Adherents of the Faith seek harmony with all things, such that one goal is the advancement of technology to the point that humans might be able to genetically and technologically alter themselves such that they may sustain their own lives without causing undue harm to other lives, whether those be the lives of animals or plants. Thus, adherents of the Faith look towards the day when humanity has used the ample intellectual and scientific skill amassed over the years to overcome the current limitations of biology so that…

Faith in a Prayer for the Dying

Stewart O'Nan's, A Prayer for the Dying, is an in depth portrayal of one man's experiences of loss. The main character, Jacob, seems to experience great human tragedy throughout his life. The unique thing about Jacob, however, is that he always seems to preserver in spite of the tragedies occurring around him, while those he is with perish. This gives Jacob insight and experience with tragedy, and we are able to observe O'Nan's exploration of how much grief the human condition can endure. His portrayal of Jacob in the story would lead us to believe that O'Nan is of the opinion that we are resilient creatures in the face of great dilemma -- that we are hopeful when hope consistently pervades us. Jacob proves that, while not immune to the devastating mental affects of tragedy, human beings still can have hope. Human beings…

Faith: Philosophy

Paul Tillich

Paul Tillich was one of the most famous theologians of the 20th century. He represented the 20th century movement called neo-orthodoxy. Most of Tillich's work is represented in a series of transcribed lectures. Tillich's work contains volumes of historical details and theological connections. One of his most important works is the three volume systematic theology, which details theology from 1951 to 1963.

Tillich's Theory

Tillich's theology was that God exists or that God is a being. He identifies God as being itself. He quotes "God is being-itself, not a being." Tillich's theory is different from the other theologians. He does not believe in the existence of God. Theologians believed that there is no external factor in the existence of God. The general feeling is that God has not been derived from any source nor is He dependent on anything.

Argument and Example

According to Tillich, it…

Faith Baptist Church in Manchester, NH

Melody Jennings

The Evaluation of the Impact of Organizational Justice and Group Dynamics on Employee Motivation, Performance and Service Delivery in Public Management

Organizational justice, which results from certain policies and systems in treatment and administration of employees, is considered an important tool for creation of motivation among employees. Similarly, Group dynamics which enhances performance of individual when they work as in groups is considered another important tool in motivating employees for better work performance and service delivery. I would like to analyze through this paper the various ways in and the extent to which organizational justice and group dynamics are instrumental in impacting motivation, performance and service delivery of public management organizations.

Even though both organizational justice and group dynamics are important tools in effecting motivation performance and service delivery, they are different in the way; they impart motivation, performance and service delivery.…

At the same time, I think that this belief in a higher power which is not directly related to the text of the Bible is essential because it gives us the sense of not being alone. From various experiences I learned that the toughest sentiment of the human soul is, in my opinion, the feeling of being alone. However, no human being or material possession can feel that void. It is only the conviction that there is something that protects, guides, and represents a constant presence for your soul that can actually give me the sense of relief and determination to move on. However, the Bible cannot offer this insurance because there are too many interpretable aspects from the Creation to the acts of Jesus. This undefined position can become a point of disequilibrium which in the end can even affect the actual aim of the belief.

There is no…

Those who spread that message are touched by it, as well, and their faith is increased because they chose to speak it out over those who were in the greatest need. This often happens after a tragedy, but people of faith shouldn't wait until something terrible has happened in order to start proclaiming the value in praise and belief.

The work that is done by people who are involved with service-learning also teaches by example, and that can help to strengthen the mind and the spirit. Doing good works and learning from them increases faith in the doer and the people for which the work is done. That also helps to foster a stronger sense of community than would otherwise be seen. Learning in a sterile environment has value, but not as much as being out in the world they'll be serving when the book-learning is done. When someone moves…

d.).

The doctrine of good faith and fair dealing is like the idea of fairness, is simple to expressive but hard to relate with accuracy. Most lawyers know the policy in the circumstance of personal property sales for the reason that the Uniform Commercial Code is clear on that issue. The principle is frequently murky though in regards to other matters. The principle is additionally clouded when courts and critics merge it with ideas such as disclosure, misrepresentation and fraud. Causes of action based on contract law join with those founded in tort. With the ensuing mess of conflicting legal principles, it is not unexpected that courts take a fact exact move toward deciding cases and, in doing so, often reach conflicting conclusions (Walsh, n.d.).

There have been two significant efforts to establish the connotation of good faith and to figure out what kind of conduct the duty commands. Most…

faith is an eternal human quest. Through all recorded history the determination of morals through a higher value has been sought. Through the analysis of the philosophy of the ancients a modern reader can glean at least a marginal understanding of the higher value of the question of faith. In the fragments of evidence left to the moderns through philosophers such as St. Anselm and St. Aquinas there can be found the foundation of ethical philosophy.

These two proofs or set so f proofs for the existence of God are ones that have been studied for centuries and will continue to be studied eternally. The system of ethics is realistically something that has been used to reflect back on a time when the establishment of that system was still emerging even as it is today. Though the system is fluctuating it is also not all-together fluid and is always ultimately…

faith, we can have faith in the sources that convey information to us for a number of reasons including past experience, the information comes from trusted source or an expert, etc. Another method of acceptance is based on a person's feelings such as intuition or one's emotional reaction to something. Methods of determining the validity of information such as these are passive methods of learning such that the person really does not address the content of the information/message itself, but simply decides its validity based on the source or on their own internal reaction to it. People can learn using such passive methods, such as if a particular source consistently provides valid information, if a person's feelings are accurate about information, etc. However, since there is no active attempt by the person to act upon the information itself, passive learning methods are open to a number of pitfalls in learning…

One of the arguments made by atheists against the existence of God is that there is just no hard, empirical evidence for His existence. Everything ultimately comes down to faith. One believes because one wants to believe—one has faith in God. While it is true that faith is necessary to believe in God, it is false and foolish to say that there is no evidence for God’s existence (Psalm 14:1). Why is it foolish? The reason is simple: the evidence is all around us and all we have to do is admit our own smallness in order to better see the evidence. This is the point that Fulton Sheen makes in his commentaries: whenever we are full of ourselves, of pride, of our own sense of our greatness, we miss the evidence of God’s greatness.[footnoteRef:2] We diminish Him in order to build ourselves up. By seeing the true proportion of…

Spirituality Children's Temperment

Research Synthesis

A Synthesis of the Research on Spirituality in Young Children's Temperament and Self-Control

Years ago, when school systems actually permitted religious instruction, children were able to tap into their own spiritual sides, and were able to process their feelings about their emotions and their concerns about the world against a more nuanced and detailed spiritual backdrop. This allowed them to have a clearer sense about moral values, feeling obedient vs. disobedient, engaging in respect, honesty, truth and communicating their feelings with compassion. By allowing students to have some sort of spiritual education, educators were ensuring that they would be able to more confidently shape these children into good people who were well-rounded and who had a clearer understanding of how to behave in the world, along with stronger values of what matters most to them. However, in a secular education system, much of this potential…

interview was conducted with 30-year-old Sandra. This essay examines her answers within the context of her identity as it pertains to religion and religious belief. The first question asked what she identified as. Her answer was non-denominational Christian. hat is it to be a nondenominational Christian? It means these Christians choose not to formally align with an established and Christian religious denomination. (Lantzer) In essence, they hold on to the framework of the basic Protestant tenets, electing to identify themselves as "born-again Christians" or just "Christians." hen someone chooses this kind of Christianity, they desire to believe and follow the word of Jesus Christ, but not through a specific tradition or group.

This could be because of her origins with Christianity. Her family is Baptist and while she attended church service when she was around 6 or 7, she did not go to church in her teens. hile her parents…

Healthcare & Faith

The author of this report has been asked to answer a few questions pertaining to faith and healthcare. The first question will be a compare and contrast of Christianity and Buddhism using the seven worldview questions as a prism. The second question asks the author to do a comparative analysis of the two faith systems and religions. Next, the author will explain the author's personal spiritual perspective on healing. The author will then explain the critically common religions/beliefs when it comes to healing, prayer, meditation and so forth. Next, there will be a description of what would be important to patients of a faith that is delivered by healthcare providers that are of a different religious persuasion. Lastly, the author of this report will explain what was learn as part of this project. While the religions of the world are quite similar in many respects when it…

Suffering

Tim Murphy

Theology

MA2000D

The existence of human suffering poses a unique theological problem. If God is omniscient, omnipotent, and all-loving, then why does suffering exist? Indeed, this difficulty is confronted in scripture itself: perhaps the most important look into the problem of suffering comes in the Old Testament story of Job. Mainstream Christianity continues to have a variety of ways of approaching this theological question, although historically Christians had a much broader spectrum of responses. For example, today's mainstream Christianity is a result of the establishment of orthodoxy in the face of Gnostic Christians, who used the existence of suffering as a way of questioning whether God was indeed omnipotent or all-loving. Gnosticism instead posits a "demiurge" or "alien god" that created this world and its suffering without being omnipotent or good. ut the oldest mainstream form of Christian orthodoxy today -- represented by the Roman Catholic faith…

Faith and reason: Can one Live without the other?

Theology

Habitually, faith and reason have respectively been looked at as being the sources of justification for religious faith. For the reason that both can supposedly serve this same epistemic purpose, it has been a question of much interest to theorists and theologians how the two are linked and as a result how the rational agent should treat claims resulting from either basis. Some theologians have held that there can be no struggle between faith and reason -- that reason correctly employed and faith correctly assumed will never create opposing or opposing claims -- whereas others have supported that faith and reason can be in honest disagreement over certain propositions or events (O'Collins, 2003). The Instruction on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian explains, "y its nature, faith appeals to reason because it reveals to man the truth of his destiny…

Faith and Reason Paper
Introduction
Faith starts in the mind and moves to the will. Aquinas is one of the most well-known scholastics to make that argument.[footnoteRef:2] The mind must consent to the truths of the faith and the heart and mind must then act in unison to bear that faith out in one’s life. This is why the scholastics argued that faith rested on reason—for people are rational beings and need reasons to “buy into” an idea.[footnoteRef:3] Anselm’s ontological argument, for example, used reason to prove God’s existence.[footnoteRef:4] However, as others and Scripture show, faith can be obtained through deep intuition and feeling as well.[footnoteRef:5] This paper will explain how although faith typically depends on the use of reason, faith can be reached in a variety of ways; and in some cases, false reasoning can even be used to destroy faith. [2: Ralph McInerny, ed. Thomas Aquinas: Selected Writings…

Faith influences attitudes toward health, healing, and the role of healing practitioners in the lives of individuals and their communities. Because of this intersection between faith and wellness, it is critical for nurses to be sensitive to diverse patient backgrounds and belief systems. By understanding multiple faith systems and how those systems' worldviews impact patient attitudes, behaviors, and communication styles, nurses can provide more appropriate and effective interventions. Even if the majority of patients are of the same background as the nurse, it is necessary to remain open to alternative worldviews. Moreover, even within one faith category individual differences will warrant scrutiny towards the patient's attitudes toward existential questions.

Christianity is itself a highly diverse faith. Different denominations espouse various attitudes toward illness and health, healing and wellness. Therefore, the nurse should never assume that all Christian patients have the same values. When it comes to working with patients from…

Abrahamic Faith

True Power: An Examination of Abrahamic Faith

There are several aspects of Abrahamic faith that are admirable and are worthy of commendation. Author Soren Kierkegaard details many of these notions in his manuscript Fear and Trembling, which is a fairly exhaustive analysis of Abraham's actions, hypothetical possibilities of courses of actions he could have taken, and interpretations of both. In fact, one of the principle characteristics of Abrahamic faith that render it so virtuous to the point of almost being ineffable is the incomprehensible nature of it -- particularly when compared to the zeitgeist in which Kierkegaard originally composed this text, as well as when it is compared to the thoughts and sentiments of the contemporary age we currently exist in now. However, when one considers that one of the defining traits of faith is the fact that it primarily is illogical, unreasonable, and in many cases inexplicable,…

Cottingham and Adams on Faith as a Virtue

Faith as a Virtue

There is presently much controversy regarding the difference between theists and atheists, as the masses have a limited understanding of each of these groups. Naturalists are particularly important in this situation, as they concentrate on performing an in-depth analysis of things before being able to express an opinion regarding these respective things. The scientific community is generally inclined to refute concepts related to a supernatural force controlling the universe and it emphasizing the importance of evidence when considering things that ideas should accept as being valid. In contrast, religious people believe that faith is actually the result of sufficient evidence that has been gathered through the years and that materialized in emotions felt by believers and in traditions that they uphold.

Theists are typically inclined to believe that atheists are unable to appreciate life to its full potential…

Keeping the Faith: Presentation Outline

"Keeping the Faith" is a comedy movie that shows relationship between love, friendship and faith. The writer Stuart Blumberg and director Edward Norton have presented a story of three friends who belong to different faiths but fall in love due to close friendship. Overall it is a thought provoking and a romantic comedy drama movie which shows the complexities of relations between the faiths/religions of different people.

The two central characters of this comedy drama are the rabbi and priest (Frederic and Brussat, 2012) namely Jake and Brian. Jake is a "Jew" and Brian is a "oman Catholic." These two young adults, who grew up together in the New York City, take very much interest in each other's religion and have committed their lives to their faiths. Anna is their childhood neighbor and junior school friend who meets them after several years.

In these two…

Health Care & Faith Diversity

It is quite obvious how different religions hold different philosophical views on various aspects and even when it comes to healing. Each religion highly upholds their spiritual values hence the need for health practitioners to be cautious while handling varied clientele whether they hold the same religious sentiments or not. In this research we will major on the views held by the Sikh, Buddhist and Judaist religions in comparison to the Christian belief on healing.

Sikh religion

The Sikh hold the belief that when one is sick it is the will of God and that He is merciful to heal; however one has to consider medical treatment in order to get well. During illness: Sikh patients engage in prayers to seek God for help, seek to obtain peace by remembering Gods name, recite sacred hymns (Gurbani) which are words from the holy scriptures (Guru Granth…

There are many examples of God's love, but much violence as well. The Bible is full of stories of warring peoples, fighting to the death for their beliefs. Persecution of the Jews, seen on a massive scale as late as the 20th century's Holocaust, was fueled by the New Testament, as Jews were blamed for the crucifixion death of Jesus Christ. Even after World War II, Jews in the U.S. faced persecution through restricted access to certain colleges, clubs and organizations. The Ku Klux Klan, known for targeting African-Americans, has also targeted Jews.

The 20th century saw considerable violence in Northern Ireland, as Protestants and Catholics murdered each other in the name of their respective branches of Christianity. Like radical Muslims, a relatively small number of people believed that violence was the answer, and the only way to demonstrate their commitment to their God.

The Westboro Baptist Church has garnered…

Integrating Faith in usiness

The objective of this work is to describe how it is to work with difficult bosses and to discuss the discoveries made in this present course relating to this specific issue specifically emphasizing iblical principles. This work in writing will deliberate through research and reflection about how the Christian Scriptures and faith relate to the issue of a difficult boss and ways that one can live out the choices and changes in order to work with the difficult boss.

The work of Cohen (2012) addresses what it is like to work with a difficult boss and examines the various types of difficult bosses that exist. Included in these are the following types of difficult bosses: (1) the micromanager; (2) the incompetent; (3) the sabotage; and (4) others. (Cohen, 2012) The micromanager type boss is described as the type of boss that "often believes he's doing the…

faith, theology, belief, and spirituality?

hen considering the difference between belief, faith, theology, and spirituality, it is helpful to consider these terms in their commonly expressed linguistic forms, as they occur in our daily lives. In other words, in ordinary parlance, how does one usually use the words of belief, faith, theology, and spirituality? By examining such common usage, often one may find clues as to the subtle or not so subtle differences between the terms.

Take, for example, the notion of belief. I might say that I believe in evolution, that I believe that human beings evolved from primates. In other words, one can believe in a supposition that may or may not be correct that has nothing to do with conventional religious structures and institutions, or even, if one accepts fundamentalist interpretations of Genesis, goes against such religious suppositions. I might also say that I believe that my…

Miracles: When Faith Contradicts Reason

Theologians, and philosophers alike, have traditionally sought to bring out the relationship between reason and faith. This they have done in an attempt to clarify the link between the two terms or points-of-view -- an undertaking that involves the determination of how agents are supposed to respond to assertions drawn from either perspective, within the context of rationality. A number of scholars are of the belief that reason and faith cannot yield conflicting outcomes, if each one is understood, and used in the right circumstances. Others hold the contrary opinion; conflicts between the two will always arise. The issue, in this regard, has always been 'which one, between the two, should prevail when a conflict arises?' Some advocate for the prioritizing of reason, and others, faith. Others, however, in appreciation of the different contexts within which the two are applicable, hold the view that, reason…

The individual believes the lies imposed by society, and sees them for truth. It provides a convenient vehicle for relinquishing the responsibility of freedom. Categories and definitions limit freedom, choice, and the capacity to transcend categorization.

According to rown, it should also be kept in mind that the bad faith concept is somewhat beyond simple self-deception. It is the perpetuation of a "truth" that the individual knows to be in fact false. However, this perpetuation feeds upon itself by the individual's needs for whatever is the result of the deception. For the unhappy worker, for example, bad faith persists as a result of the paycheck, while the unhappy mother would continue in bad faith for the sake of being called a "good" mother, and so on. In Sartre's view then, it appears that there is little that the individual within such a society can do to escape bad faith. Even…

Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas was summarily concerned with the compatibility of faith and reason. In The Summa Against the Gentiles (Summa Contra Gentiles) and the Summa of Theology in particular, Aquinas presents his arguments for the synthesis of faith and reason. Aquinas offers a rather ironic glimpse at the nature of reason, which is both capable of intellectual comprehension of God but simultaneously insufficient for understanding God. Thus, Aquinas argues that God can be ascertained and even logically proven via the use of reason, but that the experience of God is a transcendent, spiritual, and emotional one that requires faith. Faith also fulfills the goals of reason, which is truer and greater understanding of God. hereas faith fails to provide the means by which to perceive the mundane world, reason is unable to offer a genuine proof or understanding of God.

One of the ways Aquinas reconciles faith and reason is…

ideals of Religious faith looking at such questions as "What are the grounds of religious faith? What does a faith do for a life?. Examples used are historical data such as Germanic faith, Vedic cultures and faith from Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Bibliography cites four references

Faith; Blind love or stupidity

What are the grounds of religious faith?" This question is as ambiguous, and as difficult to answer as the question "Does a God exist?" There are many ways of understanding the need and grounds for a religious faith, such as psychological, sociological and cultural. It also needs to be recognized many devout followers believe that their God is supreme, for instance followers of the Muslim faith.

However, to answer the question, where are the grounds for faith in religion, we need to look at the evidence and the reason of the existence of faith. The moist common answer may…

"(32) Through faith, a man or a woman entrusts his or herself to another, and thus a human bond is formed.

Therefore, it can be concluded that philosophical reasoning is as vital as faith for diaconal ministry. The unity of truth, that is, the importance of realizing that both philosophy and religion lead to the same ultimate truths, shows that reason and faith are more related than they are usually considered to be: "The unity of truth is a fundamental premise of human reasoning, as the principle of non-contradiction makes clear. Revelation renders this unity certain, showing that the God of creation is also the God of salvation history."(35) as Fides et Ratio emphasizes Christian philosophy points to this unity of truth by showing that the God of creation is also the God of history and that God is at the same time the transcendental truth and the historical, immediate…

 Faith and learning has an inherent and indelible connection to success in business. Most scholars and successful businesspeople would agree that a commitment to lifelong learning is essential to personal and professional success, though the importance of faith isn’t as well documented. This paper will explore the intricate connection that faith has to many successful businesses and entrepreneurs and how it can forge winning practices in business.

Current research demonstrates the pivotal impact it can have to entrepreneurs, who make up a massive part of the economy. “Mitchell J. Neubert and three colleagues at Baylor University investigated the connection between faith and the propensity to start a business, by examining data from a survey that queried 1,714 U.S. adults about their religious habits” (Neubert, 2013). Essentially, entrepreneurs were found to pray more often than non-entrepreneurs and to possess a higher level of faith, believing that God was directly listening and…

Authentic Prayer in Habakkuk

The world today offers many challenges, especially for the person who is determined to maintain a sense of faithful love for God. In addition to the many scientific and non-faithful persons attempting to dethrone God from the faithful heart, personal struggles and challenges could also lead to significant despair. Even the strongest of faiths can be tested, challenged, and even a little shaken. It is my belief that this is one of the reasons why the Bible is filled with examples of everyday human beings who, despite the faith required for their positions as prophets or preachers, nevertheless experienced challenges that were every bit as hard on their faith as the challenges we experience today (Hays, p. 16). Hence, a prophet like Habakkuk and the nature of his prayers provide for the reader an honest rendition of what it truly means to have faith, and indeed,…

In the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1644, we see a confession of faith statement that is much closer to that of what modern day Baptists would find familiar. ith the coming and continuance of the English Civil ar, Baptists saw the need and took the opportunity to write down their own statement of faith. The document was written and signed by seven separate congregations that collaborated to write the document. The document's purpose was to differentiate the beliefs of the Particular Baptists from the General Baptists. This was to formally define the beliefs of the Particular Baptists as opposed to the General Baptists. hile not detailed, it was very clearly Calvinistic in tone. It rejected the notion that the law convicted of sin, claiming that the terrors of the law were not needed. They were not needed because the gospel alone has the power to do this. Secondly,…

Leap Faith

Kierkegaard ( Soren Kierkegaard 1813- 1855)? How view faith differ conventional religious

Soren Kierkegard's conception of a leap of faith is decidedly distinct from that of traditional religious understanding of this notion. In most religions, particularly Christianity, a leap of faith is simply placing one's belief in a deity that does not exist. Anyone who adheres to a particular organized religion, especially monotheistic ones that include byth Judaism and Islam, in effect is taking a leap of faith because they have decided to worship a deity that they cannot see and have little empirical evidence about.

Kierkegaard's conception of a leap of faith is highly different from this point-of-view, largely due to the internal nature of his idea of this concept. Kierkegaard viewed a leap of faith as an inexplicable conviction about something that is not based on external knowledge or surroundings. Moreover, such a view or belief…

it's about a human being who grew. The archbishop evolved from an ordinary and quite timid person to a great popular hero. But he could have been a rabbi during orld ar II, fighting the Nazis, or a Tibetan monk against the Chinese. The purpose is to show the way a human being can reach the heights of humanity, and how one man can make a difference.'" (Champlin, p. 1)

Catholic Social Teachings:

The film is a great accomplishment for achieving this above-noted sense of universality and for still dealing honestly in Catholic themes and teachings. For Romero, equally as critical as his personal faith in God was his connection to the Catholic community that surrounded him. hat made Romero so important to El Salvadorians was his clear identification with the faith and the desire for peace in the Catholic Church, in its worshippers and in the citizens of the…

Periechontology

In order to understand the underlying concepts of faith with respect to philosophy, first it is important to understand 'philosophy' adequately. Jaspers was concerned about noting the originality and singularity of philosophy and he frames it as "to elucidate" (erhellen). As per Jaspers, this clarification or elucidation does not come to philosophers through an external agent but it happens by itself during the philosophical process and this happening is an innermost act. (Wildermuth, 2007). Philosophers understand the meaning and philosophy behind actions and things as they seek to explore hitherto mysterious, unexplained happenings and phenomenon.

However, only a few philosophers speak about the death. Even then, the best they can reveal about death is about its awareness. As such, although death is an unavoidable event and that is the only knowledge we have about it. All are aware that they have to face death one day and it will…

In the city of Medina, Muhammad united the warring tribes. Following eight years of fighting Mecca tribes the Muslims conquered Mecca. In the year 632, after returning to Medina from a farewell pilgrimage to Mecca, Muhammad became ill and died. At the time of his death, almost all of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to the Islamic faith. He had united the Arabian tribes into a single Muslim religious polity hegemon (ibid, 34-40).

The revelations Muhammad reported receiving until his death in 632 form the body of the Qur'an, regarded by Muslims as the "ord of God" and around which the Muslim religion is built upon. In addition to the Qur'an, Muhammad's life and traditions are observed by Muslims. These stories discuss Muhammad and the other prophets with reverence, adding the phrase peace be upon him whenever his name is mentioned. His life and deeds have been debated and criticized…

Nursing and Jewish Faith

Currently, about 6 million Jewish reside in the U.S. These Jews might subscribe to the Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform paths of Jewish faith, or they might be secular and non-aligned. Even though devout customs and degrees of following among these paths of Judaism differ extensively, nurses must gradually come to terms with the religious customs of Judaism to extend the utmost complete care. (Jewish Perspectives on Pregnancy and Childbearing) This paper shall deal with patients having strong Jewish faith which are the Orthodox Jews and the role of a nurse in providing special considerations to this particular community. The orthodox Jews constitute a special cultural class and they devote their complete lives preaching about Torah. Their religious faiths are shown in every facet of their lives, in health as well as illness. (Special considerations for Orthodox Jewish patients in the emergency department) The manners in which…

There was much political turbulence and the Jews hoped for national liberation. The Maccabaean revolt set the stage for all future hope of the restoration of God's people from exile. One thing the different groups of Jews generally agreed upon was that as long as there was Roman occupation, everyone would remain in exile. Most all of them agreed that it was Israel's sin that had led them to this exile. One group of Jews, the Pharisees, committed themselves to strict purity with hope for a reconstituted and restored Israel.

The Jewish people were monotheistic -- that is, they believed in one God, and they believed in one God at a time in history when surrounding cultures -- including the ones dominating them (specifically the Romans during Jesus' time) -- were polytheistic (they believed in many gods) and they used idols to represent their gods. The Jews never used idols…