Comments on: Outrageous Beliefs Are NOT Equal to Claims They Are Preposterous

By: Eznight

Eznight — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:26:00 +0000

The definition you have given is a definition of blind faith, not a definition of faith. And blind faith is never what the Bible asks for.

By: Eznight

Eznight — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

You still misunderstand faith. Please see the Latin. Also you need to see my following posts from scientists that show that faith is integral to science even being done.

By: Daniel Miessler

Daniel Miessler — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:31:00 +0000

If you’re unwilling to use definitions that other use for words then there is nothing to talk about. Everyone knows that faith is something you believe without having evidence; that’s why it’s considered a good thing by believers.

By: Eznight

Eznight — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:08:00 +0000

Sorry but my definition traces all the way back to the Latin. Also please see my following posts.

By: Daniel Miessler

Daniel Miessler — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:02:00 +0000

In the context of science (which is what we’re talking about), faith is believing something without evidence. See the OED’s second definition: “strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.”

By: Eznight

Eznight — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:59:00 +0000

“The enormous usefulness of mathematics in the natural sciences is something bordering on the mysterious, and there is no rational explanation for it... it is an article of faith.” ~ Eugene Wigner, Nobel Laureate in Physics

"The belief that there are indeed dependable regularities [the sun will rise each day] of nature – is an act of faith, but one which is indispensable to the progress of science.” ~ Theoretical physicist Paul Davies

"Science does not explain the mathematical intelligibility of the physical world, for it is part of science's founding faith that this is so.” ~ John Polkinghorn, Professor of Quantum Physics at Cambridge

"Physics is powerless to explain its faith in the mathematical intelligibility of the universe for the simple reason that you've got to believe in the intelligibility of the universe before you can do any physics at all." ~ John Polkinghorn, Professor of Quantum Physics at Cambridge

By: Eznight

Eznight — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:54:00 +0000

Naturalism is based on the faith that all phenomena can be explained naturalistically since it must of necessity use faith to postulate that it's origin can be explained someday.

At the heart of science lies the conviction that the universe has an inherent order that is intelligible.

The irony of the atheistic position appears when we ask where our human faculty of reason comes from. It holds that our human cognitive faculties were produced by purely naturalistic mechanisms that were not concerned with truth but with survival. But if the thoughts in our minds are just the motions of atoms in our brains, a mechanism that has itself arisen by mindless unguided processes, why should we believe anything it tells us including the fact that it is made of atoms?

By: Eznight

Eznight — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:50:00 +0000

First you seem to misunderstand faith so let us define faith

(from WordNet)

noun: loyalty or allegiance to a cause or a person ("Keep the faith") noun: complete confidence in a person or plan etc ("He cherished the faith of a good woman") noun: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny noun: institution to express belief in a divine power

The word faith comes from the Latin fides (fee-days) from which we get fidelity. It's basic meaning is belief, trust; that which produces belief evidence. Belief proceeding from reliance on testimony or authority. Thus the words faith, belief and trust mean essentially the same. Of course they are only justified if there is hard evidence to back it up.

By: Eznight

Eznight — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:42:00 +0000

@ Jacob Kline

You most certainly can see the book (the Bible) as countless peoples have and "evaluate the trustworthiness of the source" as many have done and elucidated the incredible evidence of its truth.

By: Daniel Miessler

Daniel Miessler — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:42:00 +0000

Computer-generated art has a creator, too--a computer.

Your second sentence is comedy. Or, at least I hope it is.

Please give one single piece of evidence of God. Keep in mind that evidence needs to be verified independently using actual observation in our world. Faith is not welcome in the world of evidence.

By: Eznight

Eznight — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:11:00 +0000

I must assume you were trying to make a funny joke with your analogy since it actually shows evidence for a creator of the ruined city. To say that God does not exist is a cursory postulation of an epistemological meta-narrative making metaphysical statements with presuppositions that show a cursory study of religion and God. Since the evidence for a Creator God is overwhelming, the very inception of a universe without God leads one to commit moral and epistemological suicide, as there is no ontic referent, which logically leads to a pathos of a telos of determinism.

By: Hugo7771

Hugo7771 — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:09:00 +0000

welcome news

By: nintendo dsi r4

nintendo dsi r4 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:23:30 +0000

Well thats really great if we can celebrate these and spread awareness so that people who are not having it can try to avoid it and who have it can go for the regular check ups and be aware of the consequences. I would say this is the great initiative in order to share this.

By: nintendo dsi r4

nintendo dsi r4 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:23:30 +0000

By: Headcancer

Headcancer — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:25:20 +0000

To fit the illustration correctly:

As the two hikers come across this city, the first hiker finds a pamphlet that describes these very specific details and cites no source other than itself. The pamphlet is an assortment of sheets assembled together and it's obvious that not only were the different sections written at different points, but by different people, only some of whom bother to sign their names to their page. Futhermore, while many of the pamphlet's pages contain references that coincide with previous pages, there are also quite a few contradictions as well as a slew of fairly specific and somewhat unusual instructions as to what someone is to do with the ruins and the items within.

The second hiker may well find that there's a handful of other pamphlets scattered around the area, many of which have similar descriptions and thoughts as to the pamphlet found by the first hiker.

Now, who's to say which pamphlet, if any, is the most accurate in describing the ruins and how they came about? While belief in the material WITHIN each of these pamphlets is certainly on the same level, the belief that a pamphlet itself may be full of bunk and the statements within are erroneous or absurd is something on a different scale.

By: BoobTubeThinker

BoobTubeThinker — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:41:00 +0000

Not at all what he's saying; what he's saying is that it's a good idea for society/government to reject ridiculous claims that have no basis in evidence. No-one has the right to ALLOW or DENY someone's beliefs; it's when those beliefs are put into public practice that the line is drawn.

By: Headcancer

Headcancer — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:25:20 +0000

By: BoobTubeThinker

BoobTubeThinker — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:41:00 +0000

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:18:03 +0000

Daniel,

I just want to be sure that I am understanding you correctly. You think it is a good idea for society/government to tell people what they are allowed to believe? I have not read your article on "Socialism and Anarchy" yet, but I am pretty sure that I will disagree with it, too. We will see though shortly. hpefully, I will be surpised.

Cheers,

Benjamin

By: Colette

Colette — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:08:48 +0000

Belief has nothing to do with Truth. I can believe that gravity doesn't exist. I can believe I can jump off the Empire State Building and fly. The Truth is, I can't, no matter what I believe.

So, Truth is Truth, whether I believe it or not.

The more I learn, the more I realize there is so much I don't know and can't understand ....