(September 13, 2016 at 3:36 pm)Arkilogue Wrote:(September 13, 2016 at 5:05 am)bennyboy Wrote: Rob, the problem you are talking about is true for ALL mental experiences and states of mind. . . you have to take what people say, then see if you can find neural or physiological correlates. But if you test a lot of people, and those who SAY they have feelings of faith tend toward certain types of brain function which those who say they do not have those feelings, then you can reasonably infer that their feelings are real.
And faith is NOT religion. Faith is a state of suspension of disbelief, combined with a sense that some entity or principle maintains rightness in the universe. Religions require it, but it is not religion.
Faith = pistis = Divine persuasion not self persuasion.
If faith is taken to mean belief, then there is no need for the word faith. It's spiritually redundant aka dysfunctional. Much to the delight of The Church.
The meaning has been hijacked and lost like part of a map cut off. People won't very well explore a territory that is not represented nor entertain a possibility they think does not exist.
If you can degrade the meanings of words, you can degrade the function of thought and limit the potential expression/development of an individual....aka "newspeak".
I didn't say anything about persuasion of any type, self or otherwise. Nor did I say that faith is belief. Can you please stop quoting my posts, and then making up a bunch of bullshit that has no relation to what you quoted? That's rude and annoying.
Or. . . just shut the fuck up and we can all spray salad on our monitors and PRETEND you posted.