Believe

believe (bi·leev´) v.t.

Believe (Bi·leev´) v.t.

To be convinced by the available evidence that something is true (see truth). An involuntary reaction of a clear mind to evidence.

To make a Free-Will decision or leap of Faith, without regard to the evidence, to speak and sometimes to act as though a Truth is a truth.

Examples: to believe the earth circles the sun, to believe molecules are made out of atoms, to believe I live in Los Angeles, to believe it's hot today.

Examples: to Believe in Santa Claus, to Believe homosexuality is a sin, to Believe a Free Market will solve all economic and political policy problems.

Whether one believes or does not believe a particular proposition is not a matter of choice, but a matter of intelligence, care, and evidence.

It is possible to believe that which is false, but only if the evidence is misleading or incomplete, thinking is unclear, or one has not been careful in considering the case. On the other hand, it is not possible for a clear thinker to disbelieve clear evidence.

Whether one Believes or does not Believe a particular proposition is generally held, by Believers, to be a matter of free choice.

However, Belief is often a function of group loyalty or accident of birth rather than choice—the percentage of people who Believe that ritual bread and wine literally become the "body and blood of Christ", for example, is much higher among Roman Catholics than Baptists.