Faith and Doubt For we live by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7 HRE 1O1 Unit 1: Call to Journey

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi  Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.  O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.  Amen

Religion and Faith  What is religion? –A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence  What is faith? –Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, deity (God), view, or in the doctrines or teachings of a religion

Religion in Canada Religion in Canada(2001 Census) Religion in Canada(2001 Census) Are Canadians less religious?

What about faith?  Do you know what believing is?  How many of you believe you will have dinner today?  Who will fix dinner for you?  So, you believe that _____ will fix your dinner today. You believe this because ______ has done so in the past over and over again.  Faith is believing in something you can’t necessarily prove.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Hebrews 11:1 The Bible says that Faith is given to us by God. But it is something you may have to practice for it to feel natural (like writing your name in cursive, or playing an instrument.) God loves us and He can do all things. This means that God is always able to take care of us. So, we can trust God. When we go through our days trusting God and knowing He will help take care of us, that is living in faith. Jesus told His disciples to have faith (or to believe in) God. When we live in Faith, we are blessed.

Believing What Can’t Be Proved  How can we scientifically prove God’s existence?  We can’t! We must learn to accept God as a mystery  Why? Because the very nature of God is beyond scientific. Also, God exists outside of time, while we are bound by time.  The only “proof” we have is that the universe does not contain its own beginning and end.

Believing What Can’t Be Proved God is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the one from whom all things come and to whom all things go. God is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the one from whom all things come and to whom all things go. – Revelation 1:8; 22:13

Faith makes you Healthy!  Studies have proven that those who believe in God not only live a healthier life but also live longer (up to 14 years more)  For people living with an illness, faith and religion also demonstrate positive effects

What are some mental health benefits to faith?  Sense of well-being and happiness  Life satisfaction  Hope and optimism  Purpose and meaning in life  Higher self-esteem  Better coping with loss/death  Greater social support and less loneliness  Less anxiety  Lower rates of alcohol and drug abuse

Where there is faith, there is love; Where there is love, there is peace; Where there is peace, there is God; And where there is God; there is no need. Where there is faith, there is love; Where there is love, there is peace; Where there is peace, there is God; And where there is God; there is no need. Leo Tolstoy Leo Tolstoy