In his 1976 book, titled ‘The Selfish Gene’, British biologist, evolutionist, leftist and atheist Richard Dawkins argued that faith is a “blind trust” in the absence of evidence, and even in the teeth of evidence.
Building on Dawkins’ argument and by a mere logical extrapolation, faith is defined as a trust, fidelity and confidence based on some degree of warrant, but not on a proof. Therefore, a religious definition of faith goes – a belief or trust in religious doctrines or teachings based on spiritual convictions, rather than proof.
At Oxford’s Centre for Christian Apologetics academic tutor Tom Price hypothesised that the New Testament of the Christian Bible used the word faith in its context, of which the word’s origin and development is known to have evolved from a Greek root “Pistis”, which means “to be persuaded” via a Latin word Fidem (trust) until the English coined their version “faith” via an Anglo-French word “Feid”. He also argued that faith is independent of reason.
What actuality does faith establish? Faith neither establishes truth, nor does it hold good reasons or valid evidence in its application. It is part of the belief based on poor knowledge and reason. Richard Dawkins went on to criticize that “faith is a belief without evidence, a process of active non-thinking,” it is more like pretending to know something you do not know anything about.
Let’s take an example of Christian faith in a god, an omnipresent. One believes that by faith this god is in existence and the same can protect him/her. By extension there is no evidence of existence, neither do the people see evidence of protection. It’s all fake and fallacious. Reason is substituted by faith and there is no plausible evidence produced to validate such belief. At one occasion even American theologian, pastor and author Grey Boyd argued to the contrary that faith includes doubt and obedience to god, but to the extent that faith is not fideism. The validity or warrant of faith or a belief depends on the strength of the evidence on which the belief is based.
With a Christian god that is believed to be omnipresent (present everywhere) by logic and reason neither the premises nor the conclusion are true or reasonable, because there is no material evidence produced so to say god is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.
In epistemology – which deals with theories of knowledge – some scholars argue that faith and reason are hostile to each other and that faith is superior at arriving at truths. While faith and knowledge are required for spiritual growth, skepticism surrounds the amount of truth generated through faith, given the validity of evidence presented for such truths.
Christianity is one misconception of the ancient religious doctrines, seeking religious transactions through devotion and milking the hopes of the poor under the pretext of faith and miracles. One cannot take faith for its sake, but for a good reason and valid evidence.
In the absence of reason in its diction, Christianity faces a cerebral liquidation. It is because of its own contradiction and illogicality by faith that Christianity will eventually die an intellectual death. – Letter shortened: Ed
Shivute Kaapanda Eyanda village