Faith

The scripture in Hebrews chapter eleven says faith is an evidence of things not seen or in other words, faith is the evidence of things not perceived by any of the human senses. However, it is true that just because something can’t be apparently perceived doesn’t mean the object in question is nonexistent. The reality of a thing is therefore not dependent on human perception. Moreover, the reality of a thing isn’t changed or affected by our merely believing in it or against it either.

What is Reality? Well, I think we can learn a lot about reality from the bible and Hebrews 11:3 sums it up very well I think. It says, “by faith we understand that the universe was formed by God’s command so that what is seen is not made by what is visible.” The verse says that the reality of physical things, the reality of our physical universe, was created God. This verse though is more specific than we tend to think in how God made it though. By implication this verse says that the universe was created by something invisible. I also learn that this invisible force is connected to God’s command.

I appreciate the thought you have invested in your essay. However, I'm not sure I completely agree with it, or perhaps I'm don't fully understanding what you are saying. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a bit like a piece of music that different people sing with different tunes. This is the way most people read this Hebrews 1:1:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Thus, the emphasis is on a feeling, belief, inutiion, or emotion --hope-- that may or may not be realized. And what is the target of that emotion? The answer is: things that are not seen. This puts the cart before the horse, in my view, as it makes faith essentially a passive act and humans essential are automota manipulated by a cosmic puppet-master , not unlike the subservient chicken.

http://www.subservientchicken.com/

So, in the minds of many Christians, faith is the antithesis of intelligence or commonsense or experience. It is the behavior of an infant to his mother, a puppy to his master, or a turkey awaiting the butcher's knive-- uncaring and oblivious but consumed with dumb, blind, mindless trust.

But that isn't the context of Hebews 11 at all. Note what follows.

"By faith Abel offered ...By faith Noah prepared k..By faith Abraham sojourned ..." and so on. All of these are acts of personal will-- good choices followed by good actions that were freely made in accordance to God's will.

Thus, the implicatioin is that faith relates less to one's state of mind than free will and free effort.

The emphasis I would place on this verse is as follows:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

What are things? It is anything-- things of this world and things not of this world. Well, how do we know what those things are and if they really are? How do we know that North Dakota exists, that the permanent record and the Loch Mess monster do not exist, that the landing on the moon was not fake, and that professional wrestling is fake? Why shouldn't we believe or disbelieve in The Flying Spaghett Monster?

The answer lies again in an act of will and courage, not unlike that taken by Abel, Noah, and Abraham, at first things, trying to discern through intellectual struggle and doubt the difference between the illusion of things and the substance and evidence of things. If I were to have a patron saint, it would have to be Thomas the Apostle. He is remembered for his incredulity when the other apostles announced Christ’s resurrection to him: “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and I put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) Eight days later, he made his act of faith. “Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou has believed,” Jesus said. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.” (John 20:29) So how do we know what is true? We start, as Thomas did, from a point—not of belief-- but of doubt. And from that doubt comes inquiry, the exacting search for facts, principles, and applications, and the exercise of logic and its implications. All of life conspires to trick us, to make us think that appearance is reality, that the shadow of things is the substance of things. The Bible asks that we be economical in our faith even in the world of politics: "Put not your faith in rulers, or in the son of man, in whom there is no salvation." (Psalm 146:3).

Doubt is especially important when it comes to foundational beliefs. Cults find fertile soil in mysticism and irrationality precisely because such cults discourage critical thinking and tough-minded rationality with their fallacious appeals. In the laboratory and the academia also, you must be ready. Someday, you may encounter a popular and smart teacher who eloquently bashes the “Xian myth.” He may even take a special interest in you. At such times in particular, you need to carefully weigh, think, and debate the issue through, and be prepared to disagree without being disagreeable. This mental engagement is needed where ever any argument is made—from professors or the pulpit, the media or your friends, and even what you are reading right now. And rationality and Christianity are not in opposition with each other, as the writings of Thomas Aquinas attest. In fact, as time goes by, you will see that rationality and doubts accords with faith much more so than does irationality and credulity. I would go so far as to say that irrationality and credulity are the enemy of faith.