Is faith a reliable path to knowledge?

[Jan Ardena]

It is. In common usage the word means trust, sure we all trust in certain things,

It just doesn't mean trust, it means hope as well. The trust is there because you hope that what will be will be, because you have no evidence, or proof that it will turn out how you hope it will. Otherwise there is no need of faith, if it is only about trust.

in religious terminology it means unquestioning belief in the absence of evidence.

I don't know about religious terminology. You'll have to provide that. But faith isn't about ''unquestioning belief'', although sometimes, in any situation, one may have hope, which is like a belief, but in a very portable sense. If your child is bleeding to death, in the rush hour, after a drive-by gone wrong, you can only hope that the ambulance comes in time to take her to the hospital. That it has a 80% chance of doing so, based on statistics, for most people, would not be enough.

jan.

 

[Michael 345]

It is. In common usage the word means trust, sure we all trust in certain things, in religious terminology it means unquestioning belief in the absence of evidence.

Trust me

You can't get pregnant the very first time

 

[spidergoat]

Otherwise there is no need of faith, if it is only about trust.

So you agree, faith is different than mere trust.

 

[Michael 345]

So you agree, faith is different than mere trust.

I would contend faith is on a higher (stronger) level than (in your definetion) mere trust

Which by the use of the word mere seems to put trust below faith anyway

I would also contend trust does not have as strong a link with lack of evidence

Faith proceeds onward dispite lack of evidence

With trust lack of evidence does not appear to be present to the degree it is in faith

 

[Write4U]

Jan Ardena said,
It is. In common usage the word means trust, sure we all trust in certain things,
It just doesn't mean trust, it means hope as well. The trust is there because you hope that what will be will be, because you have no evidence, or proof that it will turn out how you hope it will. Otherwise there is no need of faith, if it is only about trust.

IMO, that is not a logical argument. In reality, you know that what will be will be. You just hope that what will be, will be good for you. But without evidence you cannot trust that what will be will be good for you and you can only hope it will be good. But if the dispatcher tells you that the ambulance will be there in 10 minutes, you trust it will be there in 10 minutes.

But if you have no evidence or proof that it will turn out good, cause you're in the middle of nowhere a religious person can only have faith that God will favor you, somehow, and then you make an appeal to God (offer prayer) to make it be good for you. Hence the expression "hope and pray"

But as Carlin said, "if God's will be done anyway, why pray at all"?

 

[Michael 345]

But as Carlin said, "if God's will be done anyway, why pray at all"?

If his will is bad for you (of which you have no idea)

your praying to make it good for you (which again you have no idea if it is or isn't)

You might well change the will of god though

I was going to do him good but he pissed me off with his constant praying - god do this god do that - I'll let him sink or swim

No stuff it I'll make him sink

 

[Jan Ardena]

So you agree, faith is different than mere trust.

I don't know what "mere trust" is.

Jan

 

[Write4U]

I don't know what "mere trust" is.
Jan

I looked it up.

Key Difference: Trust and belief have deeper meanings when it comes to using it in relationships.
Trust would actually mean that a person places complete confidence and reliance in another person.
Faith is more commonly considered as a spiritual concept. It is considered as an allegiance, duty or loyalty to one person or being.

http://www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-trust-and-faith

 

[spidergoat]

I don't know what "mere trust" is.

Jan

Tentative vs. absolute.

 

[river]

Intelligence yes, it's probably all over the place, but it needs a medium like a brain. Intelligence without a mechanism is a myth.

Disagree

Intelligence , is not confined to the physical . Sure to express intelligence in this world one needs a physical body .

But Intelligence can be from the spirit world as well .

 

[spidergoat]

By definition there can be no empirical evidence of a spirit world.

 

[river]

By definition there can be no empirical evidence of a spirit world.

What would be empirical evidence of the spirit world ?

 

[spidergoat]

There can't be. The spiritual is not physical.

 

[Write4U]

river said,
Disagree

Intelligence , is not confined to the physical . Sure to express intelligence in this world one needs a physical body .

But Intelligence can be from the spirit world as well .

But then it is a Pseudo-Intelligence, an inherent logical function. Somewhat similar to a computer. It is not sentient Intelligence.

 

[river]

river said,
Disagree

Intelligence , is not confined to the physical . Sure to express intelligence in this world one needs a physical body .

But Intelligence can be from the spirit world as well .

But then it is a Pseudo-Intelligence, an inherent logical function. Somewhat similar to a computer.

Why pseudo-intellegence , inherent logical function and then similar to a computer ?

What is the reasoning to all three conclusions ?

 

[Write4U]

Why pseudo-intellegence , inherent logical function and then similar to a computer ?

What is the reasoning to all three conclusions ?

From my perspective, all universal functions, physical or meta-physical, are mathematical in essence. There is no intent or motive. It is merely Implicated.
See David Bohm's "Wholeness and the Implicate Order"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicate_and_explicate_order

 

[river]

From my perspective, all universal functions, physical or meta-physical, are mathematical in essence. There is no intent or motive. It is merely Implicated.
See David Bohm's "Wholeness and the Implicate Order"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicate_and_explicate_order

We are in trouble .

 

[Write4U]

We are in trouble .

The Implications of GW tend to agree with you, We may well be in deep trouble.
The universe couldn't care less.

 

[river]

The Implications of GW tend to agree with you, We may well be in deep trouble.
The universe couldn't care less.

GW stands for ?

 

[Write4U]

GW stands for ?

Global Warming! I'm sure you have heard of the possible consequences of GW.

One of the Implications of GW is a domino effect of global catastrophes, perhaps causing the Sixth Great Extinction.

Human industry and waste products contribute to GW. Not good.