How is it that religious people have such strong faith in things with no proof, and huge contradictions?

This is million years question and we can not solve this here under a single question in Yahoo answers. What I believe is that there no reality behind the religion drama. Religions are made to control human mind and acts. This is our inner fear that forces us to believe in any god or religion. In the matter of fact religion is being use to rule the people and make a huge money. This is a big business. The people who can run this business should be very smart and crook. They are playing with fire but these are us common people who are producing that fire for their pleasure.

I don't know about other religions but since I've studied Christianity my faith is stronger. That is because contrary to popular believe there is in fact lots of proof. You cannot proof that God exists, that takes faith, but you can proof a lot of other things to do with the Bible. Try prophesy for instance. Look a bit deeper and you'll be surprised at what you find. It amazes me that people who don't believe think that believers follow blindly? We are talking about people from all walks of life here, from the professor with a doctorate to the bum on the street. Do you really think that out of 2 billion believers not one has had the vission to check out the so called contradictions? Not to even mention the hordes of atheists converting. As soon as people hear I'm studying Theology they start treating me like an idiot who's lost all brain power. Just because you love God and believe the Bible to be His Word does not make you a blithering idiot. Having said all this God loves you and unfortunately I'm only human and tired of being told I'm following BLINDLY.

I am not convinced that "such strong faith in things with no proof" is a true statement of the religious person's position. I have also never seen any true contradictions - much less huge ones. Could you perhaps help us by providing an example of a huge contradiction?

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

"How about gods commandment of "thou shalt

not kill" and "love thy neighbor"

yet we are also told to persecute the gay?"

God's commandment in the original Hebrew prohibits murder, not killing. Most modern-day Bible translations reflect this distinction. The King James Version, for instance, reads "kill" whereas the New King James Version renders it "murder."

Most definitely we are commanded to love our neighbor. It is unthinkable for anyone to persecute gays! For a Christian to do it is indefensible. God in no way sanctions the persecution of anyone - gays included. But I am sure you would agree that there is a difference between persecuting someone and explaining to someone the scriptural teachings regarding a belief or behavior. To illustrate, Jesus did not persecute the woman caught in the act of adultery. He did, however, point out to her that her behavior was wrong and encouraged her to stop doing it. Anyone who persecutes gays is obviously not loving his neighbor. But if he professes to be a Christian, it is HE that is the contradiction - not the Christian faith he professes to live.

First of all, there is tons of proof, historically, archeologically, and other. I hate it when people say I follow blindly when they simply don't even try to understand, when they have never given God a chance to work in their lives, when they ask questions not seeking answers, but seeking to put people down and hope to turn them from truth.

Secondly, there are some things that may appear to be contradictions on the surface, but God's word backs itself up and is not confusing. You can't just listen to the ones who make it look that way, and not give the Bible itself a chance to prove itself. Have you actually tried studying it rather than the things others say?

Finally, my strong faith results from personal experience. Nobody can refute that or take that away from me. I KNOW God is real, alive, powerful, and loving. I've seen Him work in my life, and hope to always have that. Life is so hard. . .I don't know why anyone would try to go it alone when they could have their creator with them.

It's funny, but you know, you have faith an don't even know it. I say that because you have faith that your heart continues to beat, or your hands continue to function as you used them to type this question. Who's to say the ceiling above you won't come crashing down on you. You have faith whether you know it or not that the ceiling will continue to hold together. Tell me this, I'm diabetic, and from a scientific stand point, the doctors told my family several years ago that I would be mentally challenged if I actually survived due to complicatons of the disease. Science didn't turn my situation around, I'm capable of doing things any "normal" person can do. You're challenging a concept that works or functions in "blind faith" not logic. "Faith is substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." -Heb. 11:1

Study the three main religions of the world (Islam, Chiristianity & Judaism: & observe why such faith exists!!). Read the following books (free available from the following website). Click on the link below:

I can only tell you that I was once agnostic, then God gave me a revelation of Himself and over a 2 hour period I became a Christian. You can't easily become a Christian just by studying the Bible, you need a revelation. If you are seriously looking for the truth, simply ask God to show it to you. I don't consider my faith to be totally blind. God has answered many prayers and I have changed inside.

I promise you, that you believe in things not seen without evidence.., it may not be God, but a person, place or thing.

A country you've never been to - you assume its real because you have brochures with photos, people giving accounts of their vacation there and so on.

Now consider our Bible is the brochure just without pictures. In the case of the Travel Brochure named earlier - pictures can be faked.

Name a famous person you never met, could never get a chance to meet. You're assured he or she exists by what means? Todays world can fake a good many things. In the movies when an Actor dies before the film is complete - they impose digital images and voice with the aid of a computer to complete the film...., so its quite feasible to put together a fake actor, fake name, fake voice.., and so on.

A person can question things to death - and in the end drive yourself nuts.

My belief in God and his Christ - remains in tact and not dependent on your say so as the final authorities word on the matter.

The reason you don't understand faith is because you don't have faith. Faith is a gift from God. You either have it or you don't.

That's why faith, in and of itself, constitutes proof. If there was no God, no one would have faith, because no God would be around to gift the faith to anyone.

"Jesus said, "I give sight to those who cannot see, and take away sight from those who can."

He's talking, among other things, giving or withholding/taking away the gift of faith.

The axiom : For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, no explanation will suffice.

You think only the blind have faith? You think believing is seeing, do you? Faith is not about believing (only) what you see. "Blessed are they who have not seen, but believe.", says Jesus.

That is because those who do not believe, like yourself, are truly blind. Those of us who do believe are not blind because BELIEVING IS SEEING.

If enlightenment, True Enlightenment, is what you seek, look to God and pray. If you do not feel compelled to pray, then true enlightenment isn't what you are seeking.

If I may suggest some books for you to read or areas of study.

get books on christian Apologetics by these authors

Lee Strobel | Dr. Craig Blomberg | Dr. Bruce Metzger | Dr. Edwin Yamauchi | Dr. John McRay | Dr. Gregory Boyd |

| Dr. William Lane Craig | Dr. J.P Moreland | Michael J. Behe | Philip Yancey | Stephen C Meyer | Jonathan Wells |

Your answers are their for you to find.

You will find that christianity is BASED ON PROVABLE FACTS

The historical reliability of the Gospel by Craig L. Blomberg

The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ by Gary R. Habermas

Dawkins God, by Dr Alister McGrath

Jesus under fire. by JP Moreland

You will have ne excuse when you stand before God when you havd a chance to find the answers but you rejected them.