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One can believe anything even without proof. But can one rationally believe in something that has been proven?

Update:

to stare in the face of facts.

Can one believe in something that proclaims to speak the truth ( word of God ) even when some of its claims have been disproven i.e. age of earth or ages of some prophets and chosen few like Noah etc. and the fixation of species, noah's ark story itself, and so forth, all of these are either false or highly unlikely ( ages of moses and noah ). So when asked how can i believe in something i can't prove i say i don't believe it b/c i can prove something or other i believe it b/c what is supposed to be evidence ( word of God which every text maintains to be THE Truth so not a word of it false ) of the contrary namely that God(s) exists has when taken literally as I would imagine the writer's would have taken it proven false. The Earth is not new but old and as such stories as adam and eve being the ultimate descendants and a great flood and noah's ark and all the further mythical/fantastical claims that are clearly false how can one still believe it true

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  • Acorn
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    The word "believe" has very loose meanings in casual, everyday talk. Technically, if you know something to be true, you don't believe it anymore ... you know it.

    But people use that word in many ways. I can say I believe that gravity exists, even though I know it does.

  • 1 decade ago

    The thing about proof is that it is irrefutable, everyday we can, as you say, accept a great multitude of statements without incontrovertible sensory proof- such as 'it is dangerous to use a phone at a petrol station' and, although there is evidence to suggest that a phone may produce a spark, it has not been undeniably proven that this spark is any more dangerous or likely to prove ignition than the static produced by our clothing.

    Hence we can only rationally believe something with irrefutable proof for its verity, such as the fact that London is in England. Equally we cannot rationally believe something supported only by evidence but not proof, such as the idea that soft drinks cause cancer. Our irrational belief of unproven statements is somewhat intrinsic to human nature and evident, not only in religion/non religion, but primarily in daily life. If we were, indeed, to stop believing in all that lacked utter proof for its verity, progression would be stunted by our acceptance of only that which is tangible- disabling the worth of either science or religion and rendering us quite unable to formulate any new ideas.

  • 1 decade ago

    Yes. Charles Darwin believed in his unproven theory of evolution while believing at that time in the proven theory of spontaneous generation. He was such a smart man.

  • ?
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    Do you believe in selective breeding as a way to get better bloodlines in livestock?

    So do I.

    Tithing as described in Numbers is clearly about selective breeding.

    Written thousands of years before "Science".

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  • I don't believe in anything, but if something is proven and I see this proof then I believe it: but not believe in it.

  • 1 decade ago

    No

    Belief isn't rational to start with.

  • 1 decade ago

    You want to be shown?

    He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

  • 1 decade ago

    no, because nothing has ever been proven, ever! you can't even prove that you exist.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Nah, it's more in the realm of acceptance rather than belief.

  • 1 decade ago

    If there was proof it wouldn't be your belief, it would be fact

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