Whats the difference between a fact and a belief?

Question

Is it just that it is dependent on our current state of knowledge?

People knew for a FACT that the sun revolves around the earth - until Copernicus found otherwise.

Answer 1

A belief is a psychological phenomena; it is a statement that a person is certain of.

A fact is something that is true.



Psychological factors are irelavant to a fact. It makes no difference if anyone believes it or can prove it or even understand it. For example, consider these facts:-



The Earth goes round the Sun

Poincaré's conjecture is true.



The first was true even before brains existed on this planet. The second is true, even though most people do not understand the maths. A fact is a fact, even if there is no evidence or proof. For instance, consider these claims (which I do not understand) :-



(1) The Hodge conjecture is true.

(2) The Hodge conjecture is false.



Exactly one of them is a fact, but we do not know which one. There is no proof either way. If you find out which one is a fact and prove it, there is a reward of $1,000,000

Answer 2

A 'fact' and a 'belief' are one and the same thing, seen from different Perspectives. For something to be ACCEPTED as a FACT, a died in the wool Universal TRUTH!, you must BELIEVE that it is a 'fact'!

I know that 2+2=4.

I also know that 2+2=1.

The 'difference' is 'context', where it is being examined, under what rules, in what culture, what moment, all context, all Perspective!



Every Perspective is unique every moment!



"For every Perspective, there is an equal and opposite Perspective!" - The First Law of Soul Dynamics (Book of Fudd)



"The complete Universe (Reality/Truth/God/'Self!'/Tao/Brahman... or any feature herein...) can be completely defined/described as the synchronous sum-total of all Perspectives!" - Book of Fudd

ALL INCLUSIVE!!!



In a certain context, the term 'fact' is used to 'validate' a 'belief'!

Recognizing something as 'just' a 'belief', makes the ego all shaky, because 'beliefs' are ego!

Ego = imagination! Thought!

So 'beliefs' are constantly being supported, validated and, like the malware that they are, spread!

In our tech world, the 'belief virus' can be better spread and validated if we call it a 'fact'!

I mean, what idiot would argue with a 'fact', right?



When the 'Factians' start with their 'empiricism', be prepared; learn how quantum mechanics has utterly demolished the entire foundation of all empiricism, all logic! Yeah! Aristotle was wrong, also! All the 'laws' of 'logic' have been made obsolete!

Answer 3

Facts can be demonstrated to be real, and they can be confirmed by other people. Beliefs MAY involve facts, but it is not necessary. Knowledge is a subset of belief. Everything that we (as individuals) consider real is a belief. SOME of that belief can be demonstrated through evidence, logic, and experiment. THOSE are facts.



That the sun revolved around the earth was NEVER a fact. It was a mistaken belief, backed up by invalid logic and insufficient and improperly applied data.

Answer 4

The main difference in it's truest objective sense is



Facts have known way[s] to be proven



Belief doesn't have known ways to be proven [or disproven ]





Astrology is true is a Fact.. that has been proven to be true despite what other deceivers or ignorance says



Also All religions are based on astrology -- Is another fact that is true and provable

Answer 5

I'm going to be lazy and just do this... https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=difference%20between%20fact%20theory%20and%20hypothesis



The upshot is that facts are things you can't deny are true, like the properties of materials (atomic structure, hardness, ductility, etc.).



Theorems are grounded with observations and accepted by the majority of people. They don't have to map directly to reality, just model it.



Hypotheses are speculations that need to be reviewed before being accepted.

Answer 6

Facts have physical evidence. They believed it to be a fact but it was not actually a fact.

Answer 7

Facts have physical evidence. They believed it to be a fact but it was not actually a fact.

Answer 8

Why not see what the Bible say?



Hebrews 11



By Faith We Understand

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.



3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.



11:1–40 The 11th chapter is a moving account of faithful OT saints and given such titles as, “The Saints’ Hall of Fame,” “The Honor Roll of OT Saints,” and “Heroes of Faith.” They all attest to the value of living by faith. They compose the “cloud of witnesses”(12:1) who give powerful testimony to the Hebrews that they should come to faith in God’s truth in Christ.



11:1 This verse is written in a style of Heb. poetry (used often in the Psalms), in which two parallel and nearly identical phrases are used to state the same thing. Cf. 1Pe 1:7—God tests our faith in the crucible.



assurance. This is from the same Gr. word translated “exact representation” in 1:3 and “assurance” in 3:14. The faith described here involves the most solid possible conviction, the God-given present assurance of a future reality.



conviction of things not seen. True faith is not based on empirical evidence but on divine assurance, and is a gift of God (Eph 2:8).



11:2 men of old. In this context, the term refers to all saints, both men and women, under the older covenant, a select few of whom are described in vv. 4–40.



gained approval. Lit. “were testified to” or “had witness given about them” (cf. vv. 4, 39). God bears witness on the behalf of these saints that they lived by faith and divine approval is granted to them.



11:3 By faith. Each example of faith in vv. 3–31 is formally introduced with this specific phrase. True saving faith works in obedience to God (see notes on Jas 2:14–25).



we. This refers to the writer and all other true believers, present and past.



worlds. The physical universe itself, as well as its operation and administration.



were prepared. The concept involved in this verb (used also in 13:21) is that of equipping so that something might be made ready to fulfill its purpose.



word of God. God’s divine utterance (see, e.g., Ge 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14).



not made. God created the universe out of something which cannot be seen. There is the possibility that the invisible something was God’s own energy or power.





MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Heb 11:1–3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Answer 9

A belief is an assumed truth. It is an assumed truth that we must have in order to live the life we have chosen to live. Beliefs form the foundation for all of our daily decisions because we can't prove anything.



People confuse beliefs with opinions. We don't live by opinion. The idea that the sun revolves around the earth or vice versa is an opinion.

Answer 10

Fact is something most people agree on, with evidence behind it. Evidence is an object or material that most people agree on that is for fact. I'll let you figure it out.



Belief is just a belief. People can say that the universe is evidence of a creator, so they believe the creator exist. Using inductive logic, it's reasonable. Deductive logic is the fact/evidence thing. It's better to have things that needs no evidence, such as the color red.

Answer 11

No a fact is not what we think we know only what we can prove for a fact. Ie people believed the sun revolved around the earth. The beloved it was a fact but it was never proven so even though people pelived it was a fact it was not.

Answer 12

Fact is true regardless if anyone thinks it to be true, belief is only true if people think it to be true, and is only true for the people who think it to be true.

Answer 13

Facts have physical evidence. They believed it to be a fact but it was not actually a fact.

Answer 14

no, facts are non changing and cannot be proved wrong. beliefs change wth the whims of the religious leader

Answer 15

Facts have physical evidence. They believed it to be a fact but it was not actually a fact.

Answer 16

A person can better distinguish truth from fiction if he or she practices devotion to the rоѕаrу.



http://www.marian.org/13th/howto.php

Answer 17

Fact & Belief



Common misconception is that fact & belief are two separate 'categories'. Fact is defined as something that is proven, back up with math, science concepts, historical evidence. Belief is another word for faith. True with the definition these two words appear very much different but in my years I have quickly learned that for each individual fact & believe vary to much to hold any sense of true definition. Wars have raged on the basis of 'facts' as well as 'beliefs', To an atheist the absence of a deity or any form of higher power is fact and they base this on the information they have accumulated in their own personal life experience. To a christian the existence of God is also proven to them. So to one which is a belief is a fact to another. As you mentioned some facts we learn to have been not facts at all but misinterpretation of data or lack of resources to interpret data completely. This is why it is so important to be patient, open, kind and thoughtful to others with their own personal facts & beliefs.



A previous commentor stated that a fact is unchanging but to christians God is unchanging regardless of how many people read this and 'face palm'. We can never truly know fact from belief until something becomes undeniably true. Even today Atheist cannot prove undeniably that the bible is false nor can Christians prove undeniably to an atheist that their is a God. Therefore the ultimate conclusion to your question falls to not the person who proposed the fact but to the one who is receiving the information.



It is ultimately up to you to do the research and to be the individual who decides what is real and what is unreal your life. Some might take this concept to far! But...when given information think of this...



"Believe half of what you hear and nothing of what you see!" Meaning sometimes what we hear may be information in context or worse completely wrong information but don't be so disrespectful to brush it away but walk away with a grain of sand. Our eyes fool us everyday and so many wise men have commanded us through the centuries that when we truly wish to see, we simply close our eyes. :)

Answer 18

Well there the same without difference and before you hate be let me explain this

Everything is filter in to our minds so the question is, is anything real? In this case I would be some static unchanging text that you yourself created

But I would argue that I'm human not something that your mind just made up

but how do you know? really

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L45Q1_psDqk

Answer 19

Facts are unchangeable. The sun never revolved around the earth. That is fact. Just because some believed otherwise (it wasn't universal by any means) did not make the sun revolve around us. Just fervently believing something does not make it any truer.

Answer 20

No a fact is not what we think we know only what we can prove for a fact. Ie people believed the sun revolved around the earth. The beloved it was a fact but it was never proven so even though people pelived it was a fact it was not.

Answer 21

Facts have physical evidence. They believed it to be a fact but it was not actually a fact.

Answer 22

Facts can be proven.



Belief in anything supernatural simply can't be proven.



You should not confuse that belief with, say, belief that black holes evaporate. Some people do the heavy lifting as far as learning about the universe goes, others just accept that the heavy lifting has been done by someone they trust.



(For those of you who might ask, 'How is this any different to believing what my pastor says, whom I trust?' the difference is, nothing the pastor says is provable by you OR him...)

Answer 23

no, facts are non changing and cannot be proved wrong. beliefs change wth the whims of the religious leader

Answer 24

No they didn't.



They *believed* the sun revolved around the earth, without having any evidence for that belief.



When technology advanced to the point that measurements could be taken, they realised their belief was wrong.



The *facts* proved otherwise.



Edit.



They *assumed* the sun went round the earth, because they had no way of measuring it. An assumption is not evidence.

Answer 25

no, facts are non changing and cannot be proved wrong. beliefs change wth the whims of the religious leader

Answer 26

A person can better distinguish truth from fiction if he or she practices devotion to the rоѕаrу.



http://www.marian.org/13th/howto.php

Answer 27

Fact is true regardless if anyone thinks it to be true, belief is only true if people think it to be true, and is only true for the people who think it to be true.

Answer 28

A person can better distinguish truth from fiction if he or she practices devotion to the rоѕаrу.



http://www.marian.org/13th/howto.php

Answer 29

Fact is true regardless if anyone thinks it to be true, belief is only true if people think it to be true, and is only true for the people who think it to be true.