When Christians say that they have faith in God, what do they mean? Do they know what they mean? Do they even meaning anything at all? Perhaps not - their statement can only be regarded as sensible and reasonable if they can distinguish having faith in God from having faith in Mumbo Jumbo, but how many are able to manage this?

In Critiques of God, edited by Peter Angeles, Sidney Hook writes:

It makes sense to say, “My belief that X is my friend is based on faith, not evidence or reason,” but only because I know what the phrases “X is a friend” and “X is my friend” mean. Similarly the statement “Belief in God’s existence is based on faith, not rational evidence or argument” takes on meaning only if I am able to describe what it is I have faith in.

But how can anyone who eschews intelligence or reason know or describe what he has faith in? How can he distinguish between the assertion, “I have faith in God” and the assertion “I have faith in Mumbo Jumbo”?

Theists like Christians have strong beliefs, there is no question about it, and they certainly wouldn’t regard their “faith in God” as practically indistinguishable from “faith in Mumbo Jumbo.” This doesn’t mean that the two aren’t indistinguishable, though. If Christians wish to insist that they can be distinguished, all that’s required is for them to actually do that: distinguish one from the other.

How can they go about doing this? They need to explain what “God” is and how “God” is different from Mumbo Jumbo. This shouldn’t be so hard — at least, it shouldn’t be hard if their “God” is something that makes sense and warrants sensible, rational belief.

 

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