I think there is a difference between 'belief' and 'accepting as a working hypothesis'. I think we can choose to accept something as a working hypothesis and go about our lives based on that assumption. But I don't call such 'belief'. When I say that I 'believe' something, I mean that I find that it is mostly likely to be true. because of that, belief requires evidence and thought. Occasionally, the probabiilities can be re-evaluated and the belief can be strengthened (probability increased) or weakened (probability decreased).
But, in matters where there is no evidence, belief isn't really a possibility. Instead, there can be a 'choice' to act 'as if' the idea was true (or false). For me, this is *always* provisional. So, before the discovery of the Higg's boson, I said that it was *likely* that such existed but that I didn't know for sure. I provisionally accepted that hypothesis in doing physics, but realized if it were not eventually discovered, those calculations would have to be re-done.
It seems to me that 'faith' is taking a provisional hypothesis and elevating it to the status of an actual belief. For me, that stinks of self-delusion. That isn't actual belief: being convinced something is true. It is, instead, simply making a working hypothesis and refusing to really question it after that. And that is simply dishonest.
But, in matters where there is no evidence, belief isn't really a possibility. Instead, there can be a 'choice' to act 'as if' the idea was true (or false). For me, this is *always* provisional. So, before the discovery of the Higg's boson, I said that it was *likely* that such existed but that I didn't know for sure. I provisionally accepted that hypothesis in doing physics, but realized if it were not eventually discovered, those calculations would have to be re-done.
It seems to me that 'faith' is taking a provisional hypothesis and elevating it to the status of an actual belief. For me, that stinks of self-delusion. That isn't actual belief: being convinced something is true. It is, instead, simply making a working hypothesis and refusing to really question it after that. And that is simply dishonest.
