JREF Forum - View Single Post - Is science faith-based?

SkeptimusPrime · 2nd May 2012, 08:43 PM

The argument used by the religious (at least the ones who make a cogent argument) is to say that one has to accept that empirical thinking is valid without any proof, since proof would necessarily rely on empirical thinking and would therefore be circular.

The argument is therefore that we accept methodological naturalism in a sort of faith based way.

I think the primary failure here is a sort of confusion about degrees of certainty, as if because we cannot be 100% sure of empiricism means that believing in it puts you on equal footing with people who believe the earth is 6,000 years old because a book said so.

Just because neither claim can be demonstrated as true with 100% certainty doesn't mean it is equally reasonable to believe either one.

2nd May 2012, 08:43 PM	#123
SkeptimusPrime New Blood Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 8	The argument used by the religious (at least the ones who make a cogent argument) is to say that one has to accept that empirical thinking is valid without any proof, since proof would necessarily rely on empirical thinking and would therefore be circular. The argument is therefore that we accept methodological naturalism in a sort of faith based way. I think the primary failure here is a sort of confusion about degrees of certainty, as if because we cannot be 100% sure of empiricism means that believing in it puts you on equal footing with people who believe the earth is 6,000 years old because a book said so. Just because neither claim can be demonstrated as true with 100% certainty doesn't mean it is equally reasonable to believe either one.