Faith: RC and LDS Perspectives

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We have been discussing on various threads ‘faith’. I believe this is the core to both RCs and LDS. Those who wish to comment here, can we attempt to keep a civil tone? I am here to learn from faith experts, not to bash. I will ask very probing questions, please do not assume these questions are to cast doubt, but to inspire depth of thought.

Faith is defined by the Bible as “The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Alma defines faith as, “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which aer not seen, which are true” (Alma 32:21)

I would suggest for our discussion here we differentiate between true faith vs. false faith (such as that demanded by Jim Jones like preachers).

It is my opinion man (and woman) was sent to first obtain a physical body, and second to develop and test our faith in the ‘unseen god’.
 
Your quotation from the book of Hebrews is completely congruent with Catholic teaching, but there is more. Faith includes obedience. Scripture and the Jewish understandings of “belief” have always included the dimension of obedience.

Here are a couple of NT passages that bring this home:

John 3:35-36
“The Father loves the son and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him”

In another passage Jesus tells us that, “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”(Matthew 7:4).
 
My idea of true faith is the way Jesus describes the faith of little children, saying that that is the type we must have. I’ve seen that type of faith in only one adult, and that is my now ex-Mormon fiance. Her faith is like Mount Everest, and though she is (ahem) well over 50, her faith is so childlike, it really is a beautiful thing to behold. I can’t do that. I’m naturally skeptical in all things, including faith. So I tend to think in terms of faith being a gift of God. I’ve heard various Catholic teachers speak on this, that we can’t have any faith at all unless we get it first as a gift. Some get the gift, some don’t. Or maybe it is that we all get it, but some choose to activate it, and some don’t. Apparently some get more of it than others. It apparently doesn’t take much of it to move a mountain… didn’t Jesus say a mustard seed size dose was adequate for major earth moving duty?

My personal opinion is that religion doesn’t have a heckuva lot to do with faith. That is why deep faith people are found in every religion, or at least, I’ve seen them in every religion I’ve had any experience of, and that is a few. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
 
When I am asked about the faith and works aspect of the LDS, our faith in the Christ is saving us from death. It also prompts us to do the works. As James says, faith without works is dead. My interpretation of that is if you are actually doing the gospel, you don’t have the gospel.
That is another discussion, what is religion. Religion has got a bad rap from the press, so a lot of people are pulling away from the term. I think this is wrong. A truly religious person is responding to the spark in each of us to look to God. That is why, in my opinion, the mmgwc (man made global warming catastrophe) is so evil. The mmgwc is modern mans attempt to feel they control the world in the smallest ways. Imagine Algore reaching up to replace his globe-destroying-flourescent light bulb with the man-saving-the-world-light-bulb. He says to himself, fingers quivering Michelangelo style, shall I save the world, or not? Is global warming happening? Probably. Is man the cause, doubtful.
Rember, the faith of a mustard seed is enough to move mountains. Lots of faith anywhere? Doubtful.
 
wussup said:
It is my opinion man (and woman) was sent to first obtain a physical body, and second to develop and test our faith in the ‘unseen god’.
Click to expand...
please explain why you believe that our primary purpose on earth is to gain a physical body? why do you believe that to be so significant?
 
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