Difference between revisions of "Belief"

<p> BELIE'F, n. </p> 1. A persuasion of the truth, or an assent of mind to the truth of a declaration, proposition or alleged fact, on the ground of evidence, distinct from personal knowledge as the belief of the gospel belief of a witness. Belief may also by founded on internal impressions, or arguments and reasons furnished by our own minds as the belief of our senses a train of reasoning may result in belief. Belief is opposed to knowledge and science. 2. In theology, faith, or a firm persuasion of the truths of religion. <p> No man can attain to belief by the bare contemplation of heaven and earth. </p> 3. [[Religion]] the body of tenets held by the professors of faith. <p> In the heat of persecution, to which christian belief was subject, upon its first promulgation. </p> 4. In some cases, the word is used for persuasion or opinion, when the evidence is not so clear as to leave no doubt but the shades of strength in opinion can hardly be defined, or exemplified. Hence the use of qualifying words as a firm, full or strong belief. 5. The thing believed the object of belief. <p> [[Superstitious]] prophecies are the belief of fools. </p> 6. A creed a form or summary of articles of faith. In this sense, we generally use Creed.

<p> <strong> [[Belief]] </strong> . Older Eng. (akin to <em> lief </em> and <em> love </em> ) for the Lat.-French ‘faith,’ which displaced it in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] everywhere except in &nbsp; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 . RV [Note: Revised Version.] follows AV [Note: Authorized Version.] except in &nbsp; Romans 10:16 f., where it restores ‘belief,’ after Tindale, in continuity with ‘believe.’ ‘Unbelief held its ground as the antonym (&nbsp; Matthew 13:58 , etc., &nbsp; Romans 3:3 etc.). In modern Eng., ‘faith’ signifies ethical, ‘belief’ intellectual, credence: ‘faith,’ trust in a person; ‘belief,’ recognition of a fact or truth beyond the sphere of sensible observation or demonstrative proof. See Faith. </p> <p> G. G. Findlay. </p>

<p> In its general and natural sense, denotes a persuasion or an assent of the mind to the truth of any proposition. In this sense belief has no relation to any particular kind of means or arguments, but may be produced by any means whatever: thus we are said to believe our senses, to believe our reason, to believe a witness. Belief, in its more restrained sense, denotes that kind of assent which is grounded only on the authority or testimony of some person. In this sense belief stands opposed to knowledge and science. We do not say that we believe snow is white, but we know it to be so. But when a thing is propounded to us, of which we ourselves have no knowledge, but which appears to us to be true from the testimony given to it by another, this is what we call belief. </p> <p> See [[Faith]] </p>

<p> '''(1):''' (n.) [[Assent]] to a proposition or affirmation, or the acceptance of a fact, opinion, or assertion as real or true, without immediate personal knowledge; reliance upon word or testimony; partial or full assurance without positive knowledge or absolute certainty; persuasion; conviction; confidence; as, belief of a witness; the belief of our senses. </p> <p> '''(2):''' (n.) The thing believed; the object of belief. </p> <p> '''(3):''' (n.) A persuasion of the truths of religion; faith. </p> <p> '''(4):''' (n.) A tenet, or the body of tenets, held by the advocates of any class of views; doctrine; creed. </p>

<p> A word of various application, but properly definable as that which lies at the heart of a man or a nation's convictions, or is the heart and soul of all their thoughts and actions, "the thing a man does practically lay to heart, and know for certain concerning his vital relations to this mysterious universe, and his duty and destiny there." </p>