How do "skeptic's prayer" advocates address the objection that the prayer is unnecessary because belief is a decision?
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In my prior question, https://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/99697/61679 , several responses concurred that this form of prayer is valid and supported by scripture. Yet, a compelling objection caught my attention: the contention that we should refrain from advising skeptics to pray for signs, revelations, experiences, or 'aha' moments to foster belief. According to this objection, skeptics already possess all the necessary elements for belief, and thus they should simply opt to believe without the need for praying for anything else. In essence, it posits that belief is a decision of the will that can be made instantly, without the necessity of praying for additional guidance or experiences. Consequently, after having heard the preaching of the gospel, a skeptic should encounter no impediment in simply choosing to believe.
The purported capacity of individuals to instantly adopt any belief purely through an arbitrary act of the will is termed **direct doxastic voluntarism** in philosophy, a viewpoint that encounters substantial [philosophical objections](https://iep.utm.edu/doxastic-voluntarism/) and is similarly disputed [even within Christianity](https://www.gotquestions.org/doxastic-voluntarism.html) . Nevertheless, I've observed that certain Christians assume its validity. Notably, individuals have cited specific Biblical passages to substantiate their adherence to **direct doxastic voluntarism**. The following are some examples:
Mark 1:15
>and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; **repent and believe** in the gospel.”
Mark 5:36
>But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, **only believe**.”
Acts 19:4
>And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, **telling the people to believe** in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
Luke 8:50
>But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; **only believe**, and she will be well.”
John 10:37-38
>**37** If I am not doing the works of my Father, then **do not believe me**; **38** but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, **believe** the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
John 14:1
>“Let not your hearts be troubled. **Believe in God; believe also in me**.
Does the Bible genuinely endorse **direct doxastic voluntarism**, and if it does, does this undercut the validity of the "skeptic's prayer"?
Asked by user61679
Jan 15, 2024, 08:48 PM
Last activity: Jan 17, 2024, 02:36 AM
Last activity: Jan 17, 2024, 02:36 AM