What is the difference between trust and faith?
Thought on How Trust and Faith Become Intertwined in the Church (October 2024)
Google’s top response to the question: “what is the difference between the words trust and faith” led to a website which gave the following answer. “Faith is a belief that is not based on proof, a belief with no supportive evidence. Trust is something that is based on past experience. . . . trust is earned, faith is given.” More formal definitions suggest trust can be given without reason, but I expect that sentiment is dwindling.
If you take this to a logical conclusion then a down-and-out homeless person with an addiction who becomes an adherent of a church has no reason to trust God but every reason to have faith in God. This is what I mean by saying these terms are intertwined. What exactly do we trust or have faith that God will do? It comes down to salvation because He never promised to provide us earthly benefits whenever requested. Some will say every negative thing that has happened to them is because God wanted it to, assuming it ultimately is in their best interest. I expect many if not most Christians do not have that view.
So, enough with all this pedantic semantics! Why does any of this matter? I raise this issue because there are plenty of statistics showing that trust is rapidly eroding in western countries (and likely long gone in most eastern countries). It will be different depending on who is or is not to be trusted. I raised this matter in my article “Do you trust your church leadership”, but recent statistics have shown that this is not a static condition. There is a continuing downward trend in trust of various classes of people.
Again, why should the Church care? I suggest that this downturn is a societal phenomenon fuelled by all of the negative news and social media, as well as increasing pressures, that members of society are experiencing. And I fear faith is so intertwined with trust that faith will fall prey to the trust death spiral, regardless of what the Church tries to do to remedy this. Less trust and less faith all around.
In my earlier article I suggested trust primarily erodes in authoritative figures who can impact your personal life. The article mentioned judges, priests/ministers, bankers, business executives and politicians at the bottom. However, there is statistical information that suggests distrust is getting more generalized. In 2000, a survey1 reported that 27% of Canadians have “a lot” of confidence or trust in leaders of charities. That figure dropped to 8% in 2020. That is a 70% decline in trust for charity leadership in just twenty years. It was suggested the the We Charity controversy during the Covid years fuelled a rapid drop of trust. However, I’m not sure that matters in the long run as every drop is likely fuelled by some negative press or experience with respect to a charity.
I raise this issue with charities because most of this distrust likely has nothing to do with a charity’s authority over a person. Some of it would, such as someone being fired from a charity or being turned down for requested charitable support. Most people surveyed would not have such experiences, other than being bugged for donations at the most awkward times. I think it is a logical assumption that if the general population is losing trust in its most beneficent institutions, this will spill over to the churches as well.
So, when a new church goer or prospect is told about faith in God’s salvation, be ready to answer questions as to the proof that God will do what He promises. And, to make this argument even harder to win, most people are saying they are not trusting priests and ministers much these days. Evangelism is an uphill battle and it seems the hill is getting steeper every day.
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1. Confidence in charity leaders has fallen sharply over the last two decades – what does that mean for the sector?, Steven Ayer, June 28, 2021, https://charityvillage.com/confidence-in-charity-leaders-has-fallen-sharply-over-the-last-two-decades-what-does-that-mean-for-the-sector/