Why is faith (belief without proof) a good thing? Also How is it a reliable way of gauging reality?
I think these are important questions considering theists often say we need to take God's existence on faith.
In fact in the Bible requiring evidence is somehow regarded as a lesser trait. One glaring example of this is in the story where Thomas doubts Jesus's resurrection.
John 20:25-29 (NIV) So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
As we can see the blessed are those who believed without proof. pushing forth the idea that questioning a claim and requesting evidence is some how lesser stance.
I think this story also draws a number of parallels with the typical argument we see between theists and atheists.
Theist: Believe in God. Atheist: What proof is there for God's existence? Theist: There is no proof you just have to take in on faith. Or like in the story above they site some personal experience that proved it to them but expect atheists to go on faith alone.
This often goes around in circles, but I would like to take a different slant on it. If I am expected to believe based on faith alone I first want to know why this is such a superior methodology.
I'm not so sure, and this kind of leads into the second question of how is it a reliable way of gauging reality?
I hate to be the postmodernist here (that's a lie I love it) but we have to ask which reality is more important to the "average" person their reality or reality as a whole.
There's no question that when looking at objective reality facts are more important than faith but for individual's reality I'm not so sure one is better than the other.
I hate to be the postmodernist here (that's a lie I love it) but we have to ask which reality is more important to the "average" person their reality or reality as a whole.
There's no question that when looking at objective reality facts are more important than faith but for individual's reality I'm not so sure one is better than the other.
Objective reality is the only reality. No matter what your faith is, bullets still kill you, you still need to eat, and the same things happen to you. "Individual reality" doesn't exist.
Sure it does, in objective reality there are billions of people in the world in my individual reality there are only thousands. The billions of people still exist but as far as I'm concerned they don't.
Individual reality exists because individual conscience does seeing as how reality stems from that very conscience.
Sure it does, in objective reality there are billions of people in the world in my individual reality there are only thousands. The billions of people still exist but as far as I'm concerned they don't.
Individual reality exists because individual conscience does seeing as how reality stems from that very conscience.
Doesn't matter. They still effect you and can be effected by you. Not caring about them doesn't affect there existence in any form. They are still real and part of your reality. For example, the computer you are using was likely made by someone out of what you would call "Individual reality" but they still effect you.
They are still real and part of your reality. For example, the computer you are using was likely made by someone out of what you would call "Individual reality" but they still effect you.
They exist because I understand they do from what I know, subjective reality has to exist simply because not all individuals know all the same things. Obviously if I don't know a bullet will kill me it still will but the question is do I care, or does the fact I don't know factor into my reality.
They exist because I understand they do from what I know, subjective reality has to exist simply because not all individuals know all the same things. Obviously if I don't know a bullet will kill me it still will but the question is do I care, or does the fact I don't know factor into my reality.
Reality is derived from knowledge.
We have no knowledge of extraterrestrial life forms, but if they exist then they are part of reality. Your theory doesn't work in any form of reality... A city may not know a hurricane is coming for it, but it is still effected by it. You don't own any reality...
A city may not know a hurricane is coming for it, but it is still effected by it.
But the attitude of the city before the hurricane hits, based upon the knowledge they have, will be different.
Knowledge creates reality, there is an over bearing reality that all of us exist in but as our knowledge only extends to some parts of reality it is subjective to the individual. I live inside my own reality as does everyone else, no one lives by knowledge they don't have.
But the attitude of the city before the hurricane hits, based upon the knowledge they have, will be different.
So? That has no baring on the reality of the situation.
Knowledge creates reality, there is an over bearing reality that all of us exist in but as our knowledge only extends to some parts of reality it is subjective to the individual. I live inside my own reality as does everyone else, no one lives by knowledge they don't have.
What you know has no bearing on reality, how you act and what you know is not reality. Unless we are using some different word usage of reality?
A bullet will kill you, weather you know about it, care about it, or whatever.
Oh, sure it is, as long as it's only for yourself (your own believe). And not a corrupted, power-thirsty, brainwash religion. Faith shouldn't be profitable.
faith is good because it gives you hope.if you dont have hope. if you dont have hope than you dont have something to believe on anyways my point is hope is not bad sometimes is the only thing you have.
Then get off your *** and do something... It doesn't matter if your believe in something or not. Sure, faith can be an effective opium if your, oh say a poor starving peasant in Africa or something, but much like opium it has more harmful effects like said people killing themselves in fire or killing others like albinos. And once again it has no bearing on reality...
hmm... well i have faith that their's dragons and magic in the world. as for things like god, i'm meh on that. *burns hand with magic again* and as for hell, ear.... OWWW!!! *quickly puts the fire out* anyway... earth is hell to me. or at least being trapped. *looks to the skies and dreams of flying.* i also have faith that it's possible to have past lives. make of that what you will.
