The atheist and faith

"‘Faith’ -- as far as I can see from general practice, and from your use of the word -- implies ‘beliefs one holds without being conscious of any good logical or evidentiary reasons for holding that belief.’" JSK

Banks are built on faith. You trust the bank with your money. Wall Street is build on trust. Marriage is built on trust. If you lose faith in your marriage partner (you don’t trust him or her) you have in essence lost your marriage. Friendships are built on trust. If I don’t trust you and you don’t trust me, then we have no basis for a friendship.

Trust is what holds a doctor-and-patient relationship together like hyphenations. Trust is what you exercise every time you swallow a pill or receive a booster shot. Faith is there when you allow your dentist to drill and fill. You trust both his ability and his integrity. It’s there when you let a surgeon operate, or when you let a stranger prepare your food in a restaurant or at a drive-through. You trust that his hands are clean and that the food is fresh.

You have trust when you ride a rollercoaster, or put on a parachute, when you cross a bridge, or fly in a plane. You have faith in your car when you drive it, in the gasoline when you pump it, and when you put on its brakes. You trust the driver on the other side of a yellow line will stay on his side of the road. You have trust when you sit down on a chair, drink a can of coke, bite into a candy bar, or spread ketchup on hot fries. We have faith in history books, science books, newspapers, and often a misplaced trust in politicians. We even trust elevators, knowing that they can let us down.

Trust me, there are some people who don’t know the meaning of trust in God, despite having it written on our currency. They think that someone who has faith in God "believes" in His existence, without a hint of evidence. However, eternal life comes from trusting in the person of Jesus Christ, not simply in a belief in His historical existence. Look at how the Bible differentiates belief from an implicate trust: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is [a belief in His existence--clearly evidenced by creation to all but a fool--see Psalm 14:1, Romans 1:20], and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (trust]." (Hebrews 11:6).

If a man refused to have trust, he wouldn’t cross a bridge, ride an elevator, fly in a plane, go to a doctor, or use a banker. Such a person would live in paranoia. I knew a man like that once. He was an atheist. He was afraid to fly. He was afraid of crowds because he thought someone might try and kill him. He was so paranoid, he didn’t even use his real name.

May you and I always remember how "trust" is the oxygen of human relationships. It is the oil that makes things work, and it's the means of exchange between God and man.