Religion has always been a part of human history. It has served a number of purposes for the majority of people throughout history. The purpose for religion has been to fulfill a number of functions such as explaining natural phenomena, offering hope, giving comfort, and defining morality. Although the role of religion in human history has been beneficial in many ways, the how much a person believes in a religion is dependent on their personal experiences and beliefs.
It is a misconception that people have the same religion regardless of where they live or what country they are from.
Summary Table
| Belief | Faith |
| Believing something to be true is knowing it. | Faith is the willingness to believe something even though there is no real evidence. |
| Faith is an act of the will. | Belief is more passive. |
| Belief is an act of the intellect. | Faith is about trust. |
A person may believe in a religion, but if they do not experience the things that are talked about in the religion, then they will not have faith in that religion. But what exactly are the differences between belief and faith?
Let’s take a look at the difference between belief and faith.
What is Belief?
Belief is the act of holding a certain opinion or thinking something to be true without any supporting evidence. Belief can be based on religious beliefs, scientific evidence, or an individual’s experiences. For example, if someone believes that the earth is round and that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, then they have a belief in a round earth. The person may not have experienced the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, but their belief has been formed based on what they have been told by their parents and other family members.
What is Faith?
Faith is a religious belief that is based on personal experiences. Faith is something that a person believes in and has faith in. The individual will accept that belief based on the evidence that they have seen, heard, or felt.
In a religion, the beliefs are usually defined by what the religion says. If you have faith in a religion, then you believe what it says and does not doubt it at all.
The Similarities Between Belief and Faith
Both belief and faith are similar in the sense that they are based on faith. Both are based on trust and hope in the future. Belief is an active process of coming to know something, while faith is a passive process of trusting that you already know.
Belief VS Faith
The differences between belief and faith are that belief are:
The actual state of knowing
Believing something to be true is knowing it. If you are told that the sky is blue, you know that it is blue.
If you see something fall, you know that it has fallen.
Faith is the willingness to believe something even though there is no real evidence.
The act
Faith is an act of the will. Belief is more passive. It requires no action on your part to be in the state of belief.
The level of knowledge
Belief is an act of the intellect. It is the level of knowledge that we have that a certain proposition is true. It is knowing what you know and believing what you believe.
Faith is about trust. It is a willingness to believe in something even though you do not have all the facts.
