Is Belief a Choice?

[eleos1954]

This question is centered around Christianity. Bible verses elude to non-belief being a 'sin', and may very well be unforgivable, if unbelief in Christ is still obtains at natural human death. But if belief is not really a choice, should humans be held accountable for eternity, if they genuinely did not receive their individual necessary evidence for belief?

All positions and viewpoints are welcome.

believe - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of.

Truth - a fact or belief that is accepted as true.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is truth.

 

[cvanwey]

believe - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of.

Truth - a fact or belief that is accepted as true.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is truth.

This does not answer the question. Is belief a choice? Please reference posts #4 and #5 for reference.

 

[cvanwey]

When a Christian says you "hear his voice", what he is referring to is the hearing of the truth of the Word of God as written in the Bible, and believing in your heart the things written.

Regardless, I was a practicing Christian for decades and did not 'hear' anything. My 'heart' was 'open' for decades. So if Christianity is true, either I still had many 'filters - (hardened heart)', or, God apparently passed over me.

 

[eleos1954]

This does not answer the question. Is belief a choice? Please reference posts #4 and #5 for reference.

sorry about that.

we choose what we believe, of course

 

[cvanwey]

sorry about that.

we choose what we believe, of course

So in accordance with post #4 and #5, you can then choose to 'believe' you can fly w/o artificial means? Interesting...

 

[eleos1954]

Regardless, I was a practicing Christian for decades and did not 'hear' anything. My 'heart' was 'open' for decades. So if Christianity is true, either I still had many 'filters - (hardened heart)', or, God apparently passed over me.

did not 'hear' anything - could you further explain please

 

[Hammster]

Then why would God command something we have no control over?

Well, it’s not the only command He gives that we cannot follow. So you might want to ask Him.

I don’t want to stray from the OP, though.

 

[eleos1954]

So in accordance with post #4 and #5, you can then choose to 'believe' you can fly w/o artificial means? Interesting...

well you can choose to believe that you can fly w/o artificial means ... but that isn't the truth.

 

[Hammster]

YES.

But you fail to catch where belief (faith) comes from. It is not something we just work up. Paul teaches that Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word [Gr: rhema = a SPOKEN word] of God.

God spoke and the universe came into existence. God speaks to us and it changes us within. But here is the choice: We can receive what He says which will produce faith/belief, or we can reject it. Indeed the author of the book of Hebrews three times quotes this passage from Psalm 95:

Today if you hear his voice do not harden your heart...

If you hear him, you must have belief, if your understanding of Romans 10 is correct.

 

[cvanwey]

did not 'hear' anything - could you further explain please

Regardless of verbiage, syntax, or even context, is why I used quotes for the word 'hear'.

You stated - 'hearing of the truth of the Word of God as written in the Bible, and believing in your heart the things written.'

Belief is not a choice. I cannot force myself to 'believe' a resurrection happened if the evidence does not appear to fit, using my own standards - (whether these standards are actually worthy or not). My point is that belief is not chosen, but instead evidence based. If someone claims they read the Bible, and this is their evidence, so-be-it. This is not enough, alone, for me however. I cannot tell myself to believe honestly and intellectually. So as it stands, belief is only changed, from some form of evidence. And since I prayed for decades, and did not receive such evidence through a Godly voice, premonition, vision, feeling, or other, I am stuck with all other claims for evidence in such an assertion.

 

[Oncedeceived]

This question is centered around Christianity. Bible verses elude to non-belief being a 'sin', and may very well be unforgivable, if unbelief in Christ is still obtains at natural human death. But if belief is not really a choice, should humans be held accountable for eternity, if they genuinely did not receive their individual necessary evidence for belief?

All positions and viewpoints are welcome.

According to Christian Theology:
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

A person who chooses not to believe does it out of choice rather than belief. For if Christianity is true, one either chooses to go with the evidence or to deny it. So it is a choice.

 

[cvanwey]

well you can choose to believe that you can fly w/o artificial means ... but that isn't the truth.

Exactly!

So if someone states they do not believe in a resurrection, and this is the truth for them, then are they sinning? If they honestly assess all provided evidence, and conclude the evidence is lacking, they cannot instead 'act or fake' like they are believers, can they? So if belief is NOT a choice, why might a God condemn such non-believers, for a choice they cannot make?

 

[cvanwey]

According to Christian Theology:
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

A person who chooses not to believe does it out of choice rather than belief. For if Christianity is true, one either chooses to go with the evidence or to deny it. So it is a choice.

Following your very specific verse... What if someone follows all such things 'seen' and 'evidence' from Christianity, and believes an alternate conclusion? Was this belief a choice, or instead concluded w/o choice? Can you really choose what you believe? Or is it instead the specific evidence presented? Because as it stated in the Holy Qur'an... Surah 4:82 'If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.'

 

[TheFriendlyAtheist]

If I cannot choose the belief that I can step off the Empire State building and not fall than I don't see why I would be able to choose anything else I believe. I'm either convinced a statement is true or I'm not.

 

[Oncedeceived]

Following your very specific verse... What if someone follows all such things 'seen' and 'evidence' from Christianity, and believes an alternate conclusion? Was this belief a choice, or instead concluded w/o choice? Can you really choose what you believe? Or is it instead the specific evidence presented? Because as it stated in the Holy Qur'an... Surah 4:82 'If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.'

Religion is like anything else that we humans undertake to form opinions. Islam also proclaims that the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel are true. That is why, when determining truth one must look at it all.

 

[cvanwey]

If I cannot choose the belief that I can step off the Empire State building and not fall than I don't see why I would be able to choose anything else I believe. I'm either convinced a statement is true or I'm not.

So in Christianity, God would know whom claims true belief in a resurrection. If they do not believe, this would also be genuine (as you either believe or do not). One cannot change their belief, w/o alternate evidence to change their current belief accordingly. In my case, I searched for decades, not leading me to Christianity. If my intent is earnest, God would know this. And yet, non-belief, at human death, is considered an eternal sin. Seems unjust....

Just like this poster's reply. For me not to believe I will fall off the empire state building, I would need to also disbelieve in the theory of gravity, w/o overwhelming evidence to the contrary...

 

[frater_domus]

Yes and no. We can choose to open ourselves to divine knowledge, but the content of said knowledge that we will belief for its truth comes from God and His word. Take Peter in Matthew 16:17 as an example. He chose to accept divine knowledge and it was revealed to him that Jesus was the Christ by God. Note that Peter did not explicitely chose to believe that Jesus was Christ, but rather he chose to listen to God, God revealed the truth to him and Peter chose to believe that truth.

 

[cvanwey]

Religion is like anything else that we humans undertake to form opinions. Islam also proclaims that the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel are true. That is why, when determining truth one must look at it all.

My point is that true belief is not a choice. Otherwise, please explain the other posts, relating to jumping, and 'believing' you can fly.

 

[eleos1954]

Regardless of verbiage, syntax, or even context, is why I used quotes for the word 'hear'.

You stated - 'hearing of the truth of the Word of God as written in the Bible, and believing in your heart the things written.'

Belief is not a choice. I cannot force myself to 'believe' a resurrection happened if the evidence does not appear to fit, using my own standards - (whether these standards are actually worthy or not). My point is that belief is not chosen, but instead evidence based. If someone claims they read the Bible, and this is their evidence, so-be-it. This is not enough, alone, for me however. I cannot tell myself to believe honestly and intellectually. So as it stands, belief is only changed, from some form of evidence. And since I prayed for decades, and did not receive such evidence through a Godly voice, premonition, vision, feeling, or other, I am stuck with all other claims for evidence in such an assertion.

So when you studied the numerous prophesies, many of which are verified by history and/or archeology, ancient writings etc. that was not acceptable evidence to you?

"Belief is not a choice". What one believes is what one believes there's no "force" to it ... if you don't believe something ... that's your choice ... a belief can be based on something or it can be based on nothing.

"evidence through a Godly voice" - as in a audible voice?

assertion - the Lord doesn't force anyone .... if there is any force going on it is self imposed ... and you have control over that ... one can believe what they want .. everyone has choice

 

[cvanwey]

Yes and no. We can choose to open ourselves to divine knowledge, but the content of said knowledge that we will belief for its truth comes from God and His word. Take Peter in Matthew 16:17 as an example. He chose to accept divine knowledge and it was revealed to him that Jesus was the Christ by God. Note that Peter did not explicitely chose to believe that Jesus was Christ, but rather he chose to listen to God, God revealed the truth to him and Peter chose to believe that truth.

I too 'chose' to listen for God for decades, but never received an answer. Maybe if I had instead received some sort of answer, I too would agree. At which point, if the response was convincing enough, I would have no choice but to either believe or not believe, based upon if my own mind assessing the incoming revelation as real or not. (I.E.) others there to corroborate the event to further minimize doubt.