Why do some evangelical Christians equate having faith with being humble?

Because God tells them to be humble and don’t ask questions.

Because they tell other people to have faith in what they say (as if they speak for God) and not ask questions.

I could write an essay here, but before I do, let me be certain:

Are you looking for an answer as to why evangelical Christians believe in a god that has no empirical evidence?

Are you asking whether they think that belief makes them humble?

Are you asking whether they think it’s humble to claim they don’t know?

Because there are a lot of assumptions being made in the way this question is phrased, and I feel like I’m going to have to do a lot of deconstruction before I can give a solid answer. I just want to make sure I’m answering the right question.

For clarification, if you don’t know already: I am an atheist, but I was born into a Catholic family, and raised by my Apostolic Pentecostal (fundamentalist, evangelical Christian) stepfamily. I spent several years as a Sunday School teacher and Youth Group leader, and was otherwise active in ministry as well. I left the Church and religion entirely over a course of a couple of years, claiming atheism about seven years ago. I’m more than happy to give answers from an Evangelical perspective, without bringing my current faithless stance into it.

It’s the Christian way! “The meek shall inherit the earth.”
And they BELIEVE! Lord God Almighty, they BELIEVE!
(And don’t ever doubt it!!!) Only Agnostics wonder about the existence of God.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever met a humble evangelical.

They are humble because they accept God’s will but they think God’s will is the same as their will which is really a form of pride.

I have never met a humble evangelical either. Quite the opposite. And they believe their sanctimonious judgementalism is condoned by God. They are doing his work after all.
Not ALL Christians are like that tho.

Evangelicals are not generally humble. They’re condescending.

I concur that evangelicals would not be considered “humble’ because they are proclaiming something—proclaiming it to be the most important decision you will ever make. And they will indeed offer plenty of evidence for it.

Evangelical Christians and organized Atheists both PROCLAIM something about God—the Evangelical often offers some sort of evidence and the Atheist in turn declares there are NO evidences to support the claims of the Christian. Neither is a “humble’ position.

A humble Atheist would be someone who kindly, comfortingly, assures a person that this life, in all its good and in all its pain and suffering—is all there is. That is not to say that it is meaningless. And at death—all but love survives, and memories—kind of bittersweet. Even though there is no god, we are all still significant to each other and in the grand scheme of things.

The kind of Christian you are describing in your question who accepts things on faith and considers this ‘humble’—well, that is the Christian who accepts the Bible as the word of God and doesn’t need empirical evidences or tries to prove anything. They may have already seen enough ‘evidences’—or maybe just accept it on faith.

To state that you know (as many Christians).or that you merely believe, or don’t know (as an agnostic) is not in and of itself humble. It is merely stating one’s belief or position.

And it is not arrogant to proclaim Christ is the only way to God if it is true—or if one is convinced it is true. Like the message or not, such people are concerned about your eternal destiny.

As for me, I am convinced that we ALL have access to the same information But I do not hesitate to state my own position

Atheists don’t claim to be humble as part of being an atheist. Atheists don’t claim any kind of behavior is required.

Yeah—I don’t think anyone’s position on ANYTHING is in and of itself “humble” or “arrogant.” Its how one proclaims their position or what they say about other positions.

I’d still love some clarification on the question before I answer. Most of these responses are knee-jerk responses that aren’t particularly helpful in understanding the position of the Evangelical.

I don’t think my response was exactly knee-jerk though I do read a lot of arrogance and judgement in many of the responses. Not all..

Here is a more to-the-point.

The idea I think you are looking for is that some Christians merely accept the Bible as the word of God and do not need or proclaim any evidences.

Agnostics, which you mention, proclaim that they do not know. But that is not any more humble in itself than someone who merely accepts and believes.

I asked this question after watching sermons from John Hagee and Joyce Meyer. They believe that believing in God and accepting Jesus Christ is humbling and shows humility.

Joyce Meyer is a horrid shitstain of a televangelist who shakes down senile old women for their Social Security checks so she and her husband can live in separate $25 million mansions.

Fuck her and the horse she rode in on.

Does that response answer your question?

btw—neither John Hagee or Joyce Meyer ask for money. Their audiences are HUGE as are their book sales.

I could ramble on and on about how they suck hairy green donkey dicks and bomb abortion clinics and aspire to turn America into a Nazi fundamentalist theocracy and shit in their pants, but ,lets get our heads out of the Junior High toilets and stick to reality.

They are probably saying it is humble merely to accept the Bible as God’s word and live by it. But I haven’t heard any of their programs.

By the way—why do you watch TBN?

Occasionally something on TBN grabs my interest, Israel, Heaven, overcoming adversity, etc etc But I generally don’t watch stuff I vehemently disagree with.

Yellowdog – I’m not here to discuss this with you. You are not the OP, so you could not possibly answer my questions, which were an attempt to gain clarification from the OP themself about the nature of the question.

My mother in law, who has dementia and brain damage due to a mostly successful surgery in the 80s, is obsessed with Joyce Meyer. I know (and have researched) far more about that woman than I’ve ever wanted to.

In the late 1990s, I also questioned Joyce Meyers along with the many “prosperity gospel” and “Word Faith” teachers. Those who believe that if you have enough faith, you can make it happen by proclaiming it. I consider that way outside the pale of what would be considered biblical Christianity.

There were many cons, such as Benny Hinn, in those days and yes, I’d count Joyce Meyers among the numbers. But I never heard her ask for money or promise prosperity..

Its very easy to find fraud and scandal with these persons and bring them down if they are guilty of something, hiding something, or doing something they shouldn’t be. Their audiences are not loyal and will distance themselves from fraud and scandal if and when it appears.. But the program’s support base and book sales are legitimate. If your mother in law is giving all her money to a T.V. ministry then she needs to be declared mentally incompetent and someone else needs to be in charge of her money. It is not necessarily the fault of Joyce Meyers, who does not know your mother in law and does not need her money or ask for it.

Well just saying it enough brings it into existence. Telling a kid he’s always a brat or stupid is a good example.

Ok.