Are all forms of religious faith indicative of insanity? (My counter example.)
May 9, 2015 at 12:17 am
(This post was last modified: May 9, 2015 at 12:19 am by Whateverist.)
Quote:"There are two ways to slide easily through life," the noted linguist and mathematician Alfred Korzybski once said. "To believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking."
Those two paths-unquestioning belief and unyielding disbelief, fundamentalist faith and radical skepticism-have for years polarized the debate over religion. In its starkest equation, the polemic pits those who view reason as wholly antithetical to their beliefs, against those whose rationalism leaves no room for the mysteries of faith. But is there some middle ground?
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/faithandreason...html#doubt
I do think there is something to this. There is no easy choice which is neutral and unquestioningly rational and reasonable. If you think there is an obvious balance to strike between faith and skepticism, I think you're taking the easy way out. Radical skeptics need to explain to me why they accept the existence of other minds and the existence of a 'real world' that is not a subjective construct. "Well obviously" hides an undefended compromise short of consistent skepticism. No stance requires defense more than another. Everyone needs to think.
Anyone who can reflect on and discuss their stance without hysteria and recognize the reasonableness of others taking a different stance are essentially reasonable. Am I wrong?
