Pull up a chair

[Mudhammam]

An exhibition of irrational certitude in irrational ideas.

Interesting. I see that definition no where in the dictionary......


faith [feyth] Show IPA
noun
1.
confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2.
belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3.
belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4.
belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5.
a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith. -http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/faith


I do not know if you were joking or serious. Hard to tell with you sometimes. What reference did you get your definition from?

Wow.. you're kind of slow, aren't you?
Did you not ask "What is faith?" If you were merely looking for a dictionary definition, you certainly didn't need to solicit an answer here. I gave you the definition as I see it used by people, including yourself, contrary to your disingenuous assertion that it is simply "trust" or "belief." Both of those ideas regarding our perceptions of the world are flexible. It doesn't take a lot for someone's trust or belief in something to change...unless of course it is held by faith, such as your faith in God. If it was flexible and could change, it would cease to be faith. Is this hard for you?

Faith is trust in an unsubstantiated idea, often times incredibly silly or irrational, and held with an unjustified degree of certainty even though it stands contrary to evidence or has no evidence to stand on at all. Do you trust people who haven't earned your trust? If so, you're very gullible and I pity you, sincerely. By this elaborated definition I have just offered, like the original, all claims that fail to meet the basic threshold of rational thought/and or empirical verification should be treated at best cautiously and none too seriously until further reason is given. Obviously, this doesn't describe your faith in Christianity--which is more than trust or belief. As I said, irrational certainty in irrational ideas.

Then clearly you're not using the term 'faith' consistently.

Faith as I have been using it simply means to place firm trust in something.

Um. No. Unlike putting trust in yourself and the representations you formulate about the world in your mind, which are necessary assumptions everyone is forced to make, you're specifically talking about trust in something that is unknown, both epistemologically and ontologically. Please do tell us what it means to trust in Calligraphy Ferris Insects. Perhaps now you can explain the difference to yourself in trusting your girlfriend versus trusting Jesus Christ. Who is God and how do you know it is real? What justification do you have for trusting it? Not such a difficult question if you substitute "God" with actual, real people you trust... unless the relationship you have with your girlfriend lacks any sort of substance as your imaginary relationship with Jesus does.

Does this necessitate irrational certitude in our cognitive faculties? No it does not unless we're claiming infallibility. Our cognitive faculties could be misrepresenting what the world actually is. Or so a snake would probably argue (or a Christian for that matter). Does it involve an irrational idea? No it does not because this would be self-defeating.

But you trust in your cognitive faculties though? Yes or no?

Yes. I trust that this sentence carries meaning to you (though it's quickly diminishing), based on the fact that you've responded to my past messages. Otherwise I would not be typing it.

We don't unless we test them out in the world... in which case it's self-defeating to outright deny the existence of objects (even if they're illusory) that thoughts and words represent to us.

Even if you "test" logic and science by using them in the real world, you cannot use this to say they are reliable.. To do so would be to argue in a circle.

Wow that sounds so deep. But it's not. That's just a semantics game. I'm using "words" and "logic" to describe objects, their functions, and abstract thoughts. Either you understand what I mean or you don't. Saying that "red" is actually "red" is arguing in a circle too..but so what? Make up whatever word you want to describe the phenomenon that appears "red" to you. So long as other people understand, there's nothing else to "test."

Are you really this stupid? I mean, are we really having this conversation right now? Or do I simply "trust" we are based on faith? Well gee, then, that must mean anything goes!