Are all forms of religious faith indicative of insanity? (My counter example.)

[Jenny A]

I do not see this as an either/or between irrational faith and rational disbelieving. I also see rational faith and irrational disbelief.

Somehow, I think the word rational got lost in translation.

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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?

I agree that we do have to make assumptions that can't be supported rationally just to get by day to day.  At some point you have to at least generally believe your senses.  The thing is that it hurtw when you bump into walls if you don't.  I think most of us can remember pondering as a child whether we are the only "real" person and everyone else is robotic or exclusionary.  The thing is that acting as if that were so would lead to grave personal difficulties.  So if it's an illusion, it's a very solid, consistent illusion. Autistics who have trouble imagining the mind of another person have difficulties dealing with other people. There is at least indirect evidence of other minds in that dealing with others works better if you make that assumption and act on it. 

The thing is that some stances are reasonable and other aren't, even where emotions are involved.  My husband/child/friend/sibling loves me is a statement that's hard to substantiate especially if you are going to consider what consciousness is or isn't and to try to work out a rational definition of love.  But if you take the leap and assume that actions mean something then the idea is not unreasonable even if it can't be proven rationally or scientifically.  But some ideas are not rationally held.  Angels coming in through the window is much harder to explain. So is that the father who first beat then abandoned you loves you. That one flies in the face of the evidence.