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Clifford, in the "Ethics of Belief" the first story tells of man who was shipwrecked due to the lack of not properly tending to his ship. He assumed that his ship could make the journey.
One line from the story reads "he thought that perhaps he ought to have her thoroughly overhauled and refitted" (Ethics of Belief). Even though as mentioned in the story that he could have afforded the repairs he still chose not to have it done.
This ended up costing him more than it would have if he would have just had the repairs completed.
According to Clifford the owner lacked all of the evidenced needed to insure that the ship was safe and could make the voyage. Clifford states that if the owner had done a vehicle inspection report he would have realized and been aware of the repairs that needed to be made.
In the argument for evidence Clifford also states that you must be able to support a belief, he suggests that unless a belief influences the holder to take action, in this instance to repair the ship, one does not truly have a belief at all.
He didn't follow his convictions.
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One must have full confidence in their decision and stand behind it. In most instances people become persuaded by someone else or some other ideology, instead of standing on their convictions. In today's society more and more people are compromising their beliefs. "Choice" is the most powerful word in the dictionary and we all have choices to make.
We must realize that with choices comes consequences and we do not always like the consequences that comes with the choices.
Same holds true with one's faith. You should not just have faith in God, but once you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior then it is when you start to grow and get discipled by your Pastor or mentor. This is when you begin learning "why" you believe what you do.
Clifford goes on to say, that if one does not act immediately upon their beliefs, is when you may have a greater reaction. Clifford however does pose that believing in non-sufficient evidence is wrong and you may not find their beliefs until they study more of the evidence, in the story of the ship owner.
Blaise Pascal was a mathematician and a French physicist although extremely intelligent he realized that there was something missing in his life, spiritually. At the age of 31, in 1654 Pascal had a life changing event to take place in his life, that of accepting Jesus Christ as his savior.
He then left the life of a physicist and mathematician behind and directed his efforts towards the things of God. Prayer, bible study and sharing his testimony with others he came into contact with as well as authoring a book to defend the Christian faith. In his argument being a mathematician, he literally does a cost analysis. He concludes that it is rather more beneficial to believe that God exists than not to.
In his argument for the faith, he speaks of the choices we have made as individuals. The choices that are made by people that we know nothing about. He argues that people although have a choice and would it not be better to help those who do not believe in God, to give them the adequate information and let them choose for themselves.
The fact that he states we have two things at stake. We have gain or loss weighing in the balance. This holds true with everything we attempt to do or accomplish. We want the largest return for our investment. With financial investments we do not always have all of the facts although we should, but sometimes we have to take an experts word.
Same holds true for our faith, we as free moral agents just need to take God for his word, which is the bible. What He says he will do, then he will do. There is over three thousand promised recorded in the bible. These promises are to the believer and nonbeliever as well. Those in whom accept Jesus promised an eternity in heaven and the individual who does not accept Jesus are promised hell for eternity.
In conclusion for me, I align more with the Non Evidentialist. The reason I can say this is that I have the faith to believe "thus sayeth the word of God." I simply have chosen to believe in God in Jesus his only begotten son. I believe all scriptures for one in particular 1Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
I was raised in a Christian home when I was growing up, that heritage has spilled over into my family. It is a way of teaching our children just as we were taught by our parents. That is to not only believe but to also to accept Jesus into my heart. This was taught from scriptures not by being manipulated or brain washed as some like to suggest.
This is a choice that each individual must make at some point in their life. Just as Pascal mentioned that when his life was changed his efforts were directed toward the things of God such as bible study, personal prayer times as well as telling others what had happened to him. I too desire alone time with God in my prayer life, studying the word of God and telling others about Jesus the Son of God.
On March 13, 2018 my father passed away. I am very careful not to say that we lost my father on this day. Because, beyond a shadow of a doubt I know where my father is. He accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and now he is in heaven, 2 Corinthians 5:8 "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
We have the promise to be reunited with our loved ones one day. I hold to this promise as well others found throughout the scriptures. This one passage has helped me personally in the last year and a half.
My evidence for my faith is found in the word of God. I take the bible as God's word. I did not require actual visual evidence when I received Christ into my heart however literal transformation took place that day. I passed from death unto life according to John 5:24.
I did not experience a literal manifestation of God but I did realize that there was more to the spiritual realm and I chose Jesus Christ and forty two years later I still choose Jesus Christ. It is real to me and my family.
One of our favorite verses is Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." I do not claim to have all of the answers but this I do know, I have chosen Christ as my Lord my God and my Savior.
Faith and Philosophical Enquiry. (2019, Dec 07). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/shawn-o2-example-essay
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