Why faith?

[Skat Bo]

Why is faith so hard to follow? I'll just watch the string of posts this is bound to spark. This should be intersting.

[Nucular]

What do you mean, "follow"? Do you mean "understand", or "stick to"?

[LuxFerum]

Originally posted by Skat Bo
Why is faith so hard to follow?
Because it does't work.

[Nucular]

Originally posted by LuxFerum

Because it does't work. I think it works too well, in terms of what it sets out to do: guard an irrational belief against all challenges. Any logical objection to the belief is redirected as instead a challenge to faith; and, since it is a premise of the faith position that wavering is 'weak', and retaining faith is 'strong', it completely removes an exchange of ideas from the realm of logic.

It's a horrible invention.

[LuxFerum]

Originally posted by Nucular
it completely removes an exchange of ideas from the realm of logic.
No it doesn't.
otherwise we should be behaving like ants.

[Nucular]

What?

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by LuxFerum

No it doesn't.
otherwise we should be behaving like ants.
Just musing here...historically speaking, we've spent an awful lot of time behaving very much like ants. Enough that there's really no other word for a "queen ant" that quite describes the job...

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by Skat Bo
Why is faith so hard to follow? I'll just watch the string of posts this is bound to spark. This should be intersting.
Faith
Definition: Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

Faith is irrational and borders on ignorance. Having faith does not prove nor deny the existance or validity of something. It does not increase your chances of throwing a good game of craps at the casinos. It does not make the cute girl across the room like you anymore (unless she thinks having faith is a turn-on??...). Faith is one of humans worst forms of judgement. Its about as reliable as guesstimating the amount of fuel a large aircraft needs based on observing it. Its about as reliable as choosing if a person is guilty or not based on how much remorse he shows (which is actually a double bladed axehead).

In short, faith is worthless and pointless.

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by Mercutio

Just musing here...historically speaking, we've spent an awful lot of time behaving very much like ants. Enough that there's really no other word for a "queen ant" that quite describes the job...
I think the word "government" comes about as close to "queen ant" as we are ever going to get... unless someone comes up with a better word...

[LuxFerum]

Originally posted by Mercutio

Just musing here...historically speaking, we've spent an awful lot of time behaving very much like ants. Enough that there's really no other word for a "queen ant" that quite describes the job...
We may work like ants, but we know that the "queen ant" is a c8nt.
We may fear it, or not care enough about it, but the logical thinking is always there, not always aimed at religious or political concepts.

[ntech]

Because there has never been a shred of real evidence ever produced throughout history for people to put their faith in. You might as well have faith in santa.

The buy-bull doesn't count since it has been de-bunked thoroughly. next!

[Skeptical Greg]

Originally posted by Skat Bo
Why is faith so hard to follow? I'll just watch the string of posts this is bound to spark. This should be intersting. I heard a child once said :

" Faith lets us believe in things we know to be untrue .. "

That about sums it up for me...

Unless you want to add .. Faith is hope, in the absence of knowledge..

[Skeptical Greg]

Whoa!!

Randi had something to say about this, in this weeks commentary.. Quoting Krakauer, in his book "Under the Banner of Heaven..."

" Faith is the very antithesis of reason, injudiciousness a critical component of spiritual devotion." That says it all.

This weeks commentary (http://www.randi.org/jr/072503.html)