Question about "faith"

[Peebothuhlu]

If "faith" is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something".(dictionary.com) As an atheist, do you have complete confidence or trust in anything? or anyone? If so, what is the foundation for that "complete" faith.

I'm not looking for an argument, so you don't have to be guarded. I'm simply wanting to learn more about your belief, or absence of belief.

Hello!

I have 'Faith' in/of many things.

I have 'Belief'/'Beleive'/'Beliefs' of/about many things.

I have 'Knowledge' of many things.

I don't have a 'Complete' of anything.

Hope that little responce helps.



cheers.

Not at work.

[no one]

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?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

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

[Gawdzilla Sama]

If "faith" is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something".(dictionary.com) As an atheist, do you have complete confidence or trust in anything? or anyone? If so, what is the foundation for that "complete" faith.

I'm not looking for an argument, so you don't have to be guarded. I'm simply wanting to learn more about your belief, or absence of belief.

"complete" is not appropriate. "Faith" should always be conditional. I get on airplanes because I have faith that the engineers generally get things right, after enough tries. If that faith is shown to be unjustified I'll stop flying. This is where religious people fall down. They "keep the faith" without applying critical thinking.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

If "faith" is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something".(dictionary.com) As an atheist, do you have complete confidence or trust in anything? or anyone? If so, what is the foundation for that "complete" faith.

I'm not looking for an argument, so you don't have to be guarded. I'm simply wanting to learn more about your belief, or absence of belief.

"complete" is not appropriate. "Faith" should always be conditional. I get on airplanes because I have faith that the engineers generally get things right, after enough tries. If that faith is shown to be unjustified I'll stop flying. This is where religious people fall down. They "keep the faith" without applying critical thinking.

Some rational philosophers call that 'reasonable expectation from experiences'.  It's rather a cumbersome term, but it's useful for differentiating between religious faith and the more prosaic sort.  When I flip a light switch to 'on', I expect that the bulb will illuminate, because it's happened thousands of times before - that's a reasonable expectation. The religious variety of faith would be a belief that orange marmalade would flow out of the bulb socket when I flipped the switch. Why?  Because it's based on belief, because there's no evidence for it, and it runs counter to reason.

Boru

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I don't let other people control my use of words.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I didn't say you should. If people are too goddamned dense to understand what you mean when you say, 'I have faith when I get on an airplane', fuck 'em.

Boru

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I didn't say you should. If people are too goddamned dense to understand what you mean when you say, 'I have faith when I get on an airplane', fuck 'em.

Boru

But lots of people allow their words to be twisted around and wind defending something they never actually said.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I didn't say you should. If people are too goddamned dense to understand what you mean when you say, 'I have faith when I get on an airplane', fuck 'em.

Boru

But lots of people allow their words to be twisted around and wind defending something they never actually said.

Exactly right.

Boru

[Pat Mustard]

If "faith" is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something".(dictionary.com) As an atheist, do you have complete confidence or trust in anything? or anyone? If so, what is the foundation for that "complete" faith.

I'm not looking for an argument, so you don't have to be guarded. I'm simply wanting to learn more about your belief, or absence of belief.

Your definition is wrong. Faith is simply the unjustified belief in a god for which you have no evidence. As an atheist, I cannot have faith.