What is faith?

[Adrian Martin]

An atheist friend of mine rejected his Protestant faith a few years ago because he didn't think it was rational enough. In his own words, he grappled with the problem of faith. Now he thinks that faith is a bad thing and that we should be "rational". He sees no difference between the faith of a Mormon, a Buddhist, or an Orthodox.

What is faith to us? All religions claim they have something called "faith" including ours. If our beliefs are based on faith, how can we show their validity vis-a-vis other religions? Say if a Mormon or an Buddhist came to you and asked you to show why Orthodox had the fullness of truth and other religions have not. How have our Church Fathers shown in dealing with pagans and other unbelievers that Orthodoxy is true?

[Matthew Panchisin]

How have our Church Fathers shown in dealing with pagans and other unbelievers that Orthodoxy is true?


Faithful loving prayers.

In Christ,

Matthew Panchisin

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Faithful loving prayers.

In Christ,

Matthew Panchisin

I think this is so.

Also it should be pointed out that even the most 'rational' person lives by faith in his own principles.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Anthony]

I don't really accept the idea that faith and reason are opposites. Trusting and deciding who to trust (which is at least part of faith) are thoroughly rational activities, present as much in scientific research as in the spiritual life. When a child trusts its parents or teachers, that is normal human rational activity going on (though sadly it can sometimes be misplaced). Likewise when we trust those in whom we recognize the voice of our Shepherd, or our spiritual mother the Church.

[Nina]

How have our Church Fathers shown in dealing with pagans and other unbelievers that Orthodoxy is true?

Through their lives. Their words were in complete accordance with their lives.

[Andreas Moran]

An atheist friend of mine rejected his Protestant faith a few years ago because he didn't think it was rational enough.

I think your friend was quite right to reject his Protestant faith on that ground. Our Orthodox faith is the exercise of our free will (with God's help) to accept the revelations to us of Moses, Christ, the Evangelists, the Apostles, and the Saints. It can't be rational to accept some parts of these revelations and to reject others, as Protestants do.