Is faith a reliable path to knowledge?

Discussion in 'Comparative Religion' started by James R, Jul 23, 2015.

  1. Dinosaur Rational Skeptic Valued Senior Member

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    From Paddoboy Post 7
    The word faith is usually is usually used on contexts lacking evidence

    From a previous post of mine
    Remarks similar to the above are typical definitions of faith.
     
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  3. KUMAR5 Valued Senior Member

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    Don't children keep true faith in their mother and learn/get a lot?
     
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  5. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Yes. And then they grow up to be adults. And discover not everything their parents taught them is right (or right for them).

    Which kind of brings us back around to the problem with having faith in God: "Our father who art in heaven...".

    We gotta grow up and find our own way in the world, without parents.
     
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  7. KUMAR5 Valued Senior Member

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    Such discovery power may also be acquired from parent teachings. Moreover time and environment changes with the passage of time. New things can be introduced older things can be become obsolete. It does not mean parents-children relation is odd. Logical God as an entity or concept(pending matter) provide you faith & motivation to perform healthful and harmonious activities. Yes, a plant can find out its own way to grow depending on relative environment but seed & sowing and initial growth also matter much and is a basis to that plant.
     
  8. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Nonetheless, the child must grow up and learn to make its own way in the world, if it ever wants to be an adult.
     
  9. Dinosaur Rational Skeptic Valued Senior Member

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    I think I might have posted remarks similar to the following to this or another Thread.

    Faith in the sense of religious faith is belief in the absence of little or no supporting evidence.

    The above definition surely implies that is it not the source of or a path to knowledge, except by accident/coincidence.
     
  10. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    What can be learned religiously that can't be learned any other way?
     
  11. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Mothers are real.
     
  12. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Not a question of what can't be learnt religiously (if that is even a process) that can't be learnt any other way?

    I would put it more that religion sets large pretzel shaped traps in the form of weird explanations (the main one "god did it") to explain the workings of the universe

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  13. Xelasnave.1947 Valued Senior Member

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    How to play lets pretend.
    Alex
     
  14. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Sorry you are wrong

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    I used to play let's pretend with girlfriend many times
    Mostly "Let's pretend we are married"

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  15. Thales Registered Member

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    "Is faith a reliable path to knowledge?"

    In general, I would say yes. I'm not lying.
     
  16. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Interesting
    What faith are you relying on to give you knowledge of what in particular?

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  17. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Depends on how we define ''knowledge'' in this context. Wisdom seems more fitting. Faith can lead to wisdom.
     
  18. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Faith: Spiritual Apprehension. From google.
     
  19. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    In fairness, faith can also lead to horrific crime...............

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  20. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    Very true, but I'm of the opinion that mentally unstable people will always find ways to justify their actions.
     
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  21. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    How?
     
  22. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    I've learned wisdom from different religious teachings. You'd have to believe in God to feel it, I think.
     
  23. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    I disagree.
    First, religious teachings discourage the search for wisdom other than their teachings. "Thou shalt have no false idols".
    Second, most philosophers are not religious or even theist. Objective secular morals are just as valid as any useful moral message in scriptureor reigious teachings.

    I do qualify that scripture often does contain wisdom and morality, but that wisdom and morality is not exclusive to religious scripture.

    Example:
    The Seven Mortal Sins are profound, but not exclusive to religious teachings.
    And IMO: "the natural movement in the direction of greatest satisfaction" practised to excess leads to "greed".
    These are secular concepts derived from observation and deduction of demonstrated consequences over time.
    Fat people tend to die sooner than people who practice moderation and select healthy nourishment.

    The Jewish taboo against pork is not about religion, it was a result of contracting Trichinosis.
    Trichinosis is caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and makes you really sick or you die. People tend to take notice of these things.

    This has nothing to do with religion. It is a logical result of practising basic hygiene.
    Think of all the religious exorcisms to rid the body of disease, mistaking bacterial infection for demon posession.

    The Black Death took some 25,000,000 lives.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2019

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