Are faith and optimism synonyms?

Faith v OptimismCan a Christian be a pessimist?

I certainly hope so. Or I’ve got a lot more to be worried about than my general disposition.

Maybe the more important question is whether faith and optimism are synonymous. Do these two words mean the same thing?

Methinks not. I believe they are related, but not the same. I have two lines of reasoning on this:

Observation

  • I know plenty of optimists who have no belief in Christ whatsoever. Their lens on life is upbeat and sunny, but based on no Christian eschatological or theological view.
  • I know plenty of ardent followers of Christ who generally see things in a negative light. The Bible speaks to discouragement, even amongst believers. And perhaps this is one reason God saw fit to send the Holy Spirit to comfort us in His absence?
  • At the point of conversion to faith, I observe no broad, correlating change in “outlook bias” from pessimistic to optimistic across the general population.  Read More
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