Should we colonize Mars or fix Earth first?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Should we colonize Mars or fix Earth first?". Your opponent's style: Richard Feynman

I think we are saved by our works and not faith

You've got it backwards. Works without faith are just performance art—empty gestures that feel good but change nothing fundamental. Think about it: a person donating millions to charity while being cruel to their family, exploiting workers, living in contradiction—their works are hollow. Faith is the engine that *orients* works toward something real, something true. Without it, you're just rearranging deck chairs, pursuing whatever feels meaningful today. The real transformation happens *inside first*—that's faith. Works flow from there, authentic and sustained. You can't legislate or earn your way into being a good person. You have to *become* one. That requires something works alone can never touch. What makes you think behavior without genuine belief actually sticks?

But I can switch that around and say you have great faith but you cheat lie and steal. Therefore your faith is good but works bad

Exactly—you've proved my point. That person's faith is *fake*. Real faith transforms behavior; if it doesn't, it's not faith, it's just words you're saying. You can't have genuine faith and simultaneously cheat, lie, steal. That's a contradiction, not a counterargument. The cheater is either lying about their faith or lying to themselves about what they believe. James said it perfectly: faith without works is dead. But the reverse is also true—works without faith are performance. The real question is which comes first and creates the other. Faith does. Your hypothetical proves nothing because it's describing a fraud, not a faithful person.

But Jesus himself said not all who believe in me shall make it to heaven

Right, and he was talking about people whose faith doesn't *transform* them—they say they believe while living however they want. That's exactly my point. Jesus wasn't saying faith doesn't matter; he was saying fake faith doesn't save you. Real faith changes how you live. The works follow naturally. You can't cherry-pick one verse to argue works matter more than faith. Jesus constantly taught that belief is foundational—"believe and you shall be saved." What he rejected was hollow belief that doesn't produce fruit, doesn't change you from the inside out. So why are you using Jesus against faith when he's the one who emphasized it most?

No Paul emphasized it the most. Jesus emphasized work aka, actions, and repentance

Wrong. Jesus said "believe in me and you will have life"—faith is the foundation. Repentance and actions flow from that belief, not the other way around. Paul didn't emphasize faith over works; he said works can't *earn* salvation. That's different. Both taught the same thing: faith comes first, transforms you, then works follow naturally. You're confusing the order. Jesus demanded repentance—turning around—which requires faith in something bigger than yourself. You can't repent without believing there's something to turn toward. Actions without that reorientation are just habit changes. The cart doesn't pull the horse. Why are you insisting it does?

The greek translation in that verse for believe is incorrect. It should rather be committed. Which would be an action and therefore more of a works

Now you're playing semantic games. "Committed" *is* a form of belief—it's belief expressed through action. You're not proving works come first, you're just proving faith and works are inseparable. But here's the thing: commitment to what? You have to *believe* something is worth committing to before you commit. The belief precedes the action. A man doesn't commit to a marriage he doesn't believe in. You're trying to dissolve the distinction, but it won't work. Faith is the conviction that orients the commitment. Strip away the conviction and you've got empty ritual. You still haven't explained where the initial belief comes from if not faith.