help with faith

[samanthaH]

I swear my faith is waning everyday, none of my friends are christian im like the odd one out, I get teased for 'believing in something that doesnt exist' I started crying in school yesterday. I came home determined to find evidence of god existing but it seems like most people out there dont believe. I find articles like this:

"Why should fewer academics believe in God than the general population? I believe it is simply a matter of the IQ. Academics have higher IQs than the general population. Several Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQs tend not to believe in God."

Why was I bought up to believe god was real when theres more evidence to suggest he is not? I thought he must be since I learned about it in school. However I know alot of the things in the bible are impossible eg Noahs Ark. I live in New Zealand and our native flightless birds wouldnt have made it all the way to the ark!

 

[Kitty.]

Hey

I know how tough it is to be the odd one out among friends. Some of my really close friends aren't Christian and I have been teased some before.

Romans 5:10-12 says

10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Persecution is not limited to physical. Persecution can be verbal as well.

I don't know whether or not those statistics are true or not.
I am in Honors classes and what not so my IQ is higher and I have found that I seem to struggle with my faith more than people I know whose IQ's are lower.

Let me tell your right now that God is definitely real. There is tons of evidence to suggest that He is real and I have seen Him in my life.

As for the Noah's Ark question, before the flood, the continents were not separated. It was just one big continent, so therefore the birds could have easily gotten to the Ark. Also, God led all the animals to the Ark as well. It was a supernatural event.

Take care,
Kitty

 

[Sketcher]

Flightless birds don't disprove the flood story. There could have been tectonic activity since the flood, or God may simply have decided to get creative again in your little corner of the world since the flood.

As far as an inverse relationship between faith and education/IQ, that's a complete falsehood. Anyone who is intellectual will know that sort of a claim is a correlation/cause fallacy, even if they could prove the numbers that they're claiming. Furthermore, a larger number of "intellectuals" disbelieving in God does not mean that God doesn't exist - such a claim is both argumentum ad numerum and argumentum ad verecundiam - two fallacies in one statement! The first fallacy is appealing to numbers - just because a large number of people believe A does not mean that A is so. For instance, as a good instructor will point out, it was once common knowledge that the sun revolved around the earth. But the sun never did revolve around the earth, did it? The second fallacy is trusting the opinions of people in areas which they are not expert. They might be smart - Einstein was a brilliant physicist. But when people start quoting his political opinions and giving weight to them because he believed them, they commit a fallacy because he was not an expert in politics, but in physics (and even in physics, his beliefs are not the final and complete truth; he was proven wrong about the universe being eternal). So when "most intellectuals" believe something about God or politics or philosophy, you have a gaggle of people, most of whom are speaking outside their areas of expertise. The majority of them believing (or in this case, disbelieving) something certainly does not mean that what they believe is right. A secularist would say the exact same thing if most intellectuals believed in the Christian God, but this logical principle goes both ways. Atheists today can no better claim that their way is better than Christians could 400 years ago.

Finally, there are brainy Christians out there who have become experts in various areas of church history and other ancient history. Perhaps you should look at what they say about the claims of Christianity and how they stack up to the evidence we have. You should also look into why their faith not only survived their rigorous educations, but got stronger. Lee Strobel interviews them in "The Case For Christ," which is a nice book to get your feet wet. You might also want to look at Christians who have contributed to modern science, if only for personal inspiration. Georges Lemaître and Francis Collins are two people to start with. No need to believe the lie that science and God are somehow opposed to one another.

 

[sealacamp]

However I know alot of the things in the bible are impossible eg Noahs Ark.

Impossible? Nothing is impossible with God, nothing at all. IQ has nothing to do with it as well. Believe me not all academics disbelieve in God and not all academics have a high IQ not to mention that IQ is nothing but a measure of potential and doesn't indicate what anyone can do or understand. If a person can't practically apply what they learn then what good is a high IQ? All of what you have stated is a deception from leftists designed to undermine any ones faith in God so what is left to believe in? People? The government? God has evidence of Himself in every part of this world and many people just can't see it because they are so busy rationalizing away what is right in front of their faces. I hope that God will lead you into His truth and strengthen your faith despite what appears to be overwhelming circumstances.

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”
He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

Don't let the world deceive you for that is just what will happen if you let them. Guard yourself against such deception and immerse yourself in Gods truth. We are at war and will be until Christ comes again. So don't be surprised when you are attacked for your faith, it comes with the territory. May God give you what you need to persevere.

Sealacamp

 

[Marootsoobutsu]

re: IQs and faith, there are two important things to note about that survey. The first, is that while people who have a bachelor's degree are less likely to be religious, those who have post-graduate degrees are *more* likely to be religious than people with no education. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, getting into college is definitely easier with a higher IQ... the bar for college is low enough that exceptional dedication and rigor isn't necessary. However, getting into a post-graduate program requires not only a high IQ, but extreme dedication and rigor, especially at the doctorate level. So, while post-grads tend to have a still higher IQ than bachelor's earners, there are substantially less of them. So, making a claim that, "If you have an above average IQ, you're more or less likely to do X", at least in this case that is not the same as, "The higher your IQ, the more likely you are to do X." Secondly, it is worthwhile to examine the basis for IQ, and understand what it really means. Even within the psychological profession, its value is highly debated. In some ways, it is arbitrary and in others misleading. As an example, I have been tested by professionals in the industry, and have ranged everywhere from 135 to 170. That's actually a massive degree of variance... but what's most interesting about it is that the "really smart people" out there are quite likely to have a similar variance, while the 90-110 range folks are pretty likely to be consistent. When it comes to IQ, "average" is fairly easy to quantify; intelligence is incredibly difficult to pin down. So when people say, "Those who are the smartest say this..." it's rough to really determine who is *actually* at the top, and who is only a bit above average. Lastly, if we accept the second premise (that IQ in above-average settings is somewhat arbitrary; it can show, "This person is smart," but it can't really show it in relation to other smart people), and the the first (that academic discipline and dedication matter more than raw intelligence toward getting higher degrees), then we quickly see that the "those with a higher IQ" becomes a jouralistically titillating tag line, but is absolutely devoid of perspective. There is a saying, "A little physics will take you away from God. A lot of physics will bring you back." The same is true in most fields-- the deeper you delve into science, literature, history, linguistics, math, whatever it is you want, the more readily and amazingly you can find God within them. The key, is this: Seek, and you will find. For atheists, they will find atheism in anything. But, "For the pure, all things are pure." If you seek God with all your mind, with all your passion, you will find Him, and He will guide you, if you let Him. Do not despair; you are not alone... there is always a remnant. Stand fast, and do not lean on your own understanding, but on His.

 

[desmalia]

I swear my faith is waning everyday, none of my friends are christian im like the odd one out, I get teased for 'believing in something that doesnt exist' I started crying in school yesterday. I came home determined to find evidence of god existing but it seems like most people out there dont believe. I find articles like this:

"Why should fewer academics believe in God than the general population? I believe it is simply a matter of the IQ. Academics have higher IQs than the general population. Several Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQs tend not to believe in God."

Why was I bought up to believe god was real when theres more evidence to suggest he is not? I thought he must be since I learned about it in school. However I know alot of the things in the bible are impossible eg Noahs Ark. I live in New Zealand and our native flightless birds wouldnt have made it all the way to the ark!

Hi Samantha,

Welcome to CF! It sounds like you are starting to ask lots of important questions about Christian faith, and that is excellent.

I would like to recommend a video series that you may find very helpful. Perhaps your church's pastor or youth pastor might be interested in presenting it. Here's the link: True U.
It's designed for teenagers who are preparing to go to college, but is great for all high school kids. There are lots of trailers you can watch there to see what it's about.

If that isn't an option, I strongly recommend you talk to your parents about these questions, and also your pastor.

 

[heymikey80]

I swear my faith is waning everyday, none of my friends are christian im like the odd one out, I get teased for 'believing in something that doesnt exist' I started crying in school yesterday. I came home determined to find evidence of god existing but it seems like most people out there dont believe.

Have you noticed that "most people out there don't believe" is a measure that contradicts the article you found, next?

I find articles like this:

"Why should fewer academics believe in God than the general population? I believe it is simply a matter of the IQ. Academics have higher IQs than the general population. Several Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQs tend not to believe in God."

That's somewhat of a ridiculous measurement. Most people know Einstein believed in God -- not a God of the Bible, he was more interested in the God he could discern from physics, but it definitely colored his thinking. Phrases like "God does not play dice" can't be simply rejected out of hand. Einstein really, really disliked Christianity -- for rather clear reasons, considering its intolerance of Judaism -- but was intrigued by the Person of Jesus Christ.

Frankly, a majority of people have believed in God for millenia. And over the years, academia has shifted back & forth on the question of God. They vacillate. Nothing's changed today. We haven't discovered any new enlightening data on the question of God. People change. But not the question and the challenges.

Learn the whole circumstances of the question. Christianity has answers to this question, and has a vast quantity of thinking and information on the question of God that have spanned centuries.

Why was I bought up to believe god was real when theres more evidence to suggest he is not?

I'm sorry -- what? Either God exists, or ethics and morality aren't normative -- they'd just be power grabs. Every human being who says "that's not fair" would simply be saying "I don't like that", and to that you can simply laugh and brush it off, so what if someone doesn't like it?

I thought he must be since I learned about it in school. However I know alot of the things in the bible are impossible eg Noahs Ark. I live in New Zealand and our native flightless birds wouldnt have made it all the way to the ark!

Hm. Well, you started out with a question of God's existence and people who wouldn't give the Bible a second thought, but ended with a challenge to the Bible.

A newspaper will give out reports of activities in manners and expressions that are radically different from a science textbook. The range of meanings differs widely. I don't see the point of trying to make the Bible into a textbook of theology. It is however expressing something in history that's real. Still, I don't know how plain it is when it comes to certain stories.

 

[Cardinal John H. Newman]

I swear my faith is waning everyday, none of my friends are christian im like the odd one out, I get teased for 'believing in something that doesnt exist' I started crying in school yesterday. I came home determined to find evidence of god existing but it seems like most people out there dont believe. I find articles like this:

"Why should fewer academics believe in God than the general population? I believe it is simply a matter of the IQ. Academics have higher IQs than the general population. Several Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQs tend not to believe in God."

Why was I bought up to believe god was real when theres more evidence to suggest he is not? I thought he must be since I learned about it in school. However I know alot of the things in the bible are impossible eg Noahs Ark. I live in New Zealand and our native flightless birds wouldnt have made it all the way to the ark!

First off, as someone with much training in physics, Noah's Ark is more than possible. Archaelogically, very likely. Historically, it did happen.


As someone in the scientific field, I have met no fellow scientists that hates religion, or is opposed to religion. There is an extremely well-known tiny, tiny group including hitchens, dawkins, etc... though but the only reason we know about them is because the scream so loud. However, they freaked when the Pope went to Britain a few months and the Pope reduced them to the utter irrelevence that they are. Most more-prominent-than-gallup statistics agree that most scientists have faith.
Personally, I wouldn't really worry about it, new fields are opening up in science- the homeopathic theory of water that is proving how water has memory and results suggesting the reality of morality. Metaphysics and quantum mechanics are devastating atheists as well. Sadly, most atheists are too close-minded to be open to science these days. Atheists, in my humble opinion, are stuck in their own version of the Dark Ages. Think about it. Since God is real, then there is morality, and therefore they must change their lifestyles or else be damned forever in hell. In my opinion, when one is enslaved by one's sins, it's hard to break away.

For the next note, I understand what you mean about friends. I recommend slowly but confidently creating a bible study group and associating with these christians instead. Leave those that mock you and pray for them. Sadly, many of them probably never will be open to reality but in Christ it is possible. Though they may not change for years, even once you lose track of them. Remember: the road is long and narrow and only for those few that choose to follow Him. Your choice.

 

[Cardinal John H. Newman]

Flightless birds don't disprove the flood story. There could have been tectonic activity since the flood, or God may simply have decided to get creative again in your little corner of the world since the flood.

As far as an inverse relationship between faith and education/IQ, that's a complete falsehood. Anyone who is intellectual will know that sort of a claim is a correlation/cause fallacy, even if they could prove the numbers that they're claiming. Furthermore, a larger number of "intellectuals" disbelieving in God does not mean that God doesn't exist - such a claim is both argumentum ad numerum and argumentum ad verecundiam - two fallacies in one statement! The first fallacy is appealing to numbers - just because a large number of people believe A does not mean that A is so. For instance, as a good instructor will point out, it was once common knowledge that the sun revolved around the earth. But the sun never did revolve around the earth, did it? The second fallacy is trusting the opinions of people in areas which they are not expert. They might be smart - Einstein was a brilliant physicist. But when people start quoting his political opinions and giving weight to them because he believed them, they commit a fallacy because he was not an expert in politics, but in physics (and even in physics, his beliefs are not the final and complete truth; he was proven wrong about the universe being eternal). So when "most intellectuals" believe something about God or politics or philosophy, you have a gaggle of people, most of whom are speaking outside their areas of expertise. The majority of them believing (or in this case, disbelieving) something certainly does not mean that what they believe is right. A secularist would say the exact same thing if most intellectuals believed in the Christian God, but this logical principle goes both ways. Atheists today can no better claim that their way is better than Christians could 400 years ago.

Finally, there are brainy Christians out there who have become experts in various areas of church history and other ancient history. Perhaps you should look at what they say about the claims of Christianity and how they stack up to the evidence we have. You should also look into why their faith not only survived their rigorous educations, but got stronger. Lee Strobel interviews them in "The Case For Christ," which is a nice book to get your feet wet. You might also want to look at Christians who have contributed to modern science, if only for personal inspiration. Georges Lemaître and Francis Collins are two people to start with. No need to believe the lie that science and God are somehow opposed to one another.

Facebook "like." lol. Ya, father georges lemaitre and francis collins are good examples. Another is Bishop robert grosseteste, the developer of the scientific method. Or father georges mendel that developed genetics.
Sketcher and I could name thousands more, but I think the point is proven.