Question about "faith"

[rockyrockford]

I have faith that there is no Grand Plan.  I have some faith in science, medicine and the general power of education.  I have a great deal of faith in Chaos.

Faith that chaos is a negative, or positive? I understand "some" faith in science and medicine. Faith in the general power of education, such as teaching folks to wash their food will cut down on the spread of E coli? or that through education one attains a high level of understanding.

As in, the more you are educated, the less need there is to depend on "faith" as a religious foundation for your understanding of the future.


excellent post, thank you!

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Sometimes I have faith that things will be okay despite indications they will not.  It serves to keep me focused on performing tasks that increase the likelihood that things will be okay.

So, your faith that things will be okay, despite evidence it won't, is an internal "hope"?

Thank you! great post!

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I don't have "faith", that humans are an awful, downright laughably retarded creature.

There's just centuries of evidence, to reinforce and uphold said viewpoint.

It is just straight up fact. Faith, on the other hand, is the human equivalent of baaa baaa baaa.


So, have you any wool?

Is seeing humans as "downright laughably retarded creatures" how you see ALL, including yourself? Or only those that are different in beliefs from yourself. Are you able to see good in mankind as a whole? Or are you simply convinced that mankind is an evolved creature, flawed , and therefore mankind 's actions reflect flawed evolution. That mankind isn't getting better as time goes on.

Great post, thank you!

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I tend to agree with Bertrand Russell that faith (as defined by the OP) is an intellectual dead end. In other words, once you possess ‘complete confidence and trust’ in any proposition, you’re stuck. Faith, absent evidence and reason, atrophies our ability - and even our desire - to learn new stuff.

Furthermore, religious faith (and it’s pretty plain that that’s what the OP is getting at) by its very nature creates insoluble conflicts. Muslims have faith that Mohammed was the last prophet. Mormons have a markedly different opinion. Both of these beliefs cannot be correct, primarily because they’re faith-based. It isn't like conflicting views about human evolution or the amount of dark matter in the universe - a belief held by faith is impenetrable to evidence and reason by its very nature.

Boru

thank you! excellent answer.

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I understand the difference between "FAITH in God" and "FAITH the airplane won't fall from the sky". I'm sure you and I share the exact same faith that the when the light switch is flipped the light will come on, unless evidence (power outage) proves otherwise.

But where we would part is faith in an eternity. Is it safe to say, respectfully, that as an atheist, you have no hope, or faith, in any kind of life after death, and that after death the body just decays to dust.

Would it also be safe to say that as atheists you don't believe that inside you there is a soul that makes you an individual, but that individuality who you really are is made up in the brain.

I can't thank you enough again for this open conversation. If the rules allow, I'd appreciate if anyone can recommend some good books on atheism, I'd greatly appreciate it.

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I have faith that the next chair I sit on won't fall apart and leave me sitting on the floor. It's faith in the sense of 'trust' and there's a silent 'probably' contained in my use of the word faith. My faith in chairs is based on long observation, but if it looks or feels rickety or fragile my faith in it's ability to support me will be much reduced. This sense of the word faith is basically tentatively holding a conclusion based on inductive reasoning.

Is this question ever going to tie back to not believing in God or gods, the only thing all atheists have in common?

extremely interesting statement "...Is this question ever going to tie back to not believing in God or gods, the only thing all atheists have in common?..."

My question to an atheist is not "why don't you have "eternal faith in God", but what do you have "eternal faith" in? If anything. If you feel that that the word "faith" is more of a religious term, then it would be very hard for you to relate to the question about faith. It wouldn't apply to you, it would be an unfair question. 

Would it be safe to say, that an atheist doesn't have "eternal faith" in anything...not even nature will last, our sun will eventually burn out a bazillion years from now.

Great Post !! Thank you!!