What does faith mean to you?

Apologies if this topic is a repeat.

 

Ever since I've remembered, my grandfather always emphasized on the importance of praying to and fearing "god". Who or what "god" was/is, I never knew and still don't. My parents, being the atheists that they were, never enforced any sort of religious beliefs on me. Therefore, I grew up with an incomplete idea of religion, and in correspondance, faith. Now, I realize, to me faith has always meant something that came from within. Not something written in a book, not something that tells me to pray to an idol, to bow down and fear the almighty. Faith is not something you're born with, it's something that you gain through experience at life.

So, I ask you...what does faith mean to YOU?

good topic . Will post my response later . 😛

faith is evrything
imaan sab kuch hai
ure religon is very imprtant it guides u through life i mean sum people r born in a muslim/hindu/sikh/jew/christians family and stay like dat all their lives unless they wanna convert
ure born into the religion ure parents r from
and da non-religous are people who dont belive in no-one but they were aslo born in into a family dat belonged to a religion but didnt care or didnt know abt their religon becuz maybe their parents didnt include dem in a religon it just caries on from generation to generation or aybe they stepped away from da religion and made the children feel dat they're not from any relgion they're just "non religious"

ure def born in a religion either ure parents r from dat religon an include u in it obviously becuz ure their blood and those parents dat dont belive in no-one becuz maybe they wrnt told by their parents they make their children non-religious it duznt mean ure not born into a religon

like euro_pakigal said faith is everything (to me)

Faith is something you believe in. Not out of fear, not out of force, but plainly just becuase your heart says so. And as you said, My parents and my grandmother never forced me into religion..they just showed me how to pray. And now I teach my daughter to pray every night and she is toddler she does not know what prayer is and what God is. All I teach her is join your hands and tell God thank you and that I love you. She reminds me to pray if I forget only to spend 1 more minute with me doing this ritual. Whenever I was low and helpless in my life I used to talk to "God" and I always felt that something or some power was giving me strength even when all people I know my friends, parents, husband, anyone is not with me this power is always with me and I used to talk and sometimes get my answers that don't be so fragile you are more than you think you are...and I alawys came out as winner with that positive vibes...that i think is faith. Positive Power ..Positive Vibes is Faith to me.

Originally posted by: euro_pakigal

faith is evrything
imaan sab kuch hai
ure religon is very imprtant it guides u through life i mean sum people r born in a muslim/hindu/sikh/jew/christians family and stay like dat all their lives unless they wanna convert
ure born into the religion ure parents r from
and da non-religous are people who dont belive in no-one but they were aslo born in into a family dat belonged to a religion but didnt care or didnt know abt their religon becuz maybe their parents didnt include dem in a religon it just caries on from generation to generation or aybe they stepped away from da religion and made the children feel dat they're not from any relgion they're just "non religious"

ure def born in a religion either ure parents r from dat religon an include u in it obviously becuz ure their blood and those parents dat dont belive in no-one becuz maybe they wrnt told by their parents they make their children non-religious it duznt mean ure not born into a religon

Well two questions: 1. Is faith limited to religion? I agree religion plays a HUGE role in your faith, but I consider myself agnostic though my family is Hindu, yeh I still have 'faith'

and 2. Just because you're born into a religion, does that mean you should readily accept it? 

Originally posted by: sowmyaa

Faith is something you believe in. Not out of fear, not out of force, but plainly just becuase your heart says so. And as you said, My parents and my grandmother never forced me into religion..they just showed me how to pray. And now I teach my daughter to pray every night and she is toddler she does not know what prayer is and what God is. All I teach her is join your hands and tell God thank you and that I love you. She reminds me to pray if I forget only to spend 1 more minute with me doing this ritual. Whenever I was low and helpless in my life I used to talk to "God" and I always felt that something or some power was giving me strength even when all people I know my friends, parents, husband, anyone is not with me this power is always with me and I used to talk and sometimes get my answers that don't be so fragile you are more than you think you are...and I alawys came out as winner with that positive vibes...that i think is faith. Positive Power ..Positive Vibes is Faith to me.

that last part makes a lot of sense to me. I don't remember a time that I've actually prayed and felt closer to God. However, I do believe that there are things out there that are meant to be above our human understanding, a driving force maybe. I think the realization that there's something out there is what faith is...

yeh_ada_143 I don't think you need to pray, or go to temple or church or anything to feel the faith. I think your "heart" can also be faith, for someone else religion can be faith, for some their parents are faith. Whatever gives you soothing, contentment, or trus in yourself is faith to me. I don't think you have to be relious or pray to belive in faith.

Originally posted by: sowmyaa

Faith is something you believe in. Not out of fear, not out of force, but plainly just becuase your heart says so. And as you said, My parents and my grandmother never forced me into religion..they just showed me how to pray.

I agree with what you said . Especially the part i quoted .To me faith is my trust and love for god . To me faith is doing things because you feel its right and god would approve . I don't hold every word written in a holy book sacred , as often i find things a bit dated for todays context . My faith teaches me to be a good human being and to do good deeds and thats whats i hold important . And i know as long as i am a good human being GOD will not desert me . Even if i don't pray as often or even if i go against certain tenents of my belief ..................but as long as i follow my basic tenants of being a good human being first and foremost!!
Edited by Aparna_BD - 18 years ago

Faith for me is smething which u beleive is right doing...ur faith might not be explanable to others but as long as u beleive in it...live ur life acc to it..thats it 😛