Sukihotu,
In most religion that are practiced today, people believe in the all mighty creator God. God is the center of the teaching. And God is every thing. God's words are real and the people must follow what God says.
However, there is no way we can find out whether there is an existence of God. Nevertheless, people need to have faith in God. Where else in Buddhism, although Buddhist believe in gods and goddess, but we do not subscribe into believing there is a all mighty creator God.
But, that doesn't mean Buddhist does not need to have faith in this practice. In fact some amount of faith is still required because not all things said in Buddhism can be verified too.
Here is what Ven Sayalay Susila has to say about faith (or Sadha in Pali)
It is confidence in wholesomeness, believing in what ought to be believe in : for example, kamma and its consequences, and the past and future existence. A person without faith, when entering into the dispensation of the Buddha, cannot grasp the essence of the teaching. Faith has the ability to purify, like a water-clearing gem which, when out in muddy water, cause the impurities and sediments to sink and makes the water become crystal clear. So the arising of faith discards the hindrances,causes the mental corruptions to subside, purifies the mind, and make it undisturbed.
The mind being purified, the devoted one gives gifts, observes the precepts, and cultivates the mental development of concentration and insight with clarity. Thus it is said, one with faith can set forth on the path of generosity, morality, and mental development. Its proximate cause is hearing the good Dhamma, which is necessary for the attainment of stream-entry. Nowadays, no one is able to attain stream-entry without first listening to the Dhamma or instruction on how to practice.
I wish you well in your pursuit in walking the spiritual path.
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu
Mettacittena
1st Mar 2011
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