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Originally Posted by Mabd
According to... whom?
It is the interpretation given by most denominations - Christian or otherwise, for sure. What is kinda odd, from my own experience, is listening to (in this instance) Apolstolic pastors exhorting the congregation to have a close and personal relationship with God, yet within the limitation of Church doctrines.
Can, should?, the Church put restrictions on Faith? Doesn't the Faith in God go beyond the limitations of denomination? If you believe in God as a Catholic for example, have sex with a condom outside of marriage are you still Catholic (before you confess your "sin" - which I personally find ludicrous). Surely, technically, you are not a Catholic until you partake in the rites that reinstate you to grace (ready for you to do it all again next week). Does that make your belief in God any less?
If you are willing to question the Church surely that makes your Faith *not* blind since questioning introduces an element of rationality. What it will do is get you excommunicated.  But then, you still have your faith in God, do you not? So back to the original statement - only Church doctrine and interpretation demands blind faith but Faith in an amporphous deity can still be had independent of doctrine without having to be the TeleGod in the corner of the room. |
Oh I agree, faith can be had without doctrine, and without an organisation backing it. But faith in the unknowable is blind, no matter who agrees with you.
I have "faith" that my car will start tomorrow, its has every other time, and hasn't been making funny noises lately.
Others have have faith in god, because they think it would be nice if he existed. Or, because there is no evidence that he doesn't exist (which isnt really evidence). Or, because they have faith - they have faith because they have always had faith. Or, because they had a dream in which god spoke to them, or had some other religious experiance. The point is that there is no actual evidence here.
Maybe we have differing views on what constitutes blind faith, as opposed to merely believing