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Mark23 · 08-28-2006, 02:29 PM

The word "faith", takes on an almost exclusive meaning in religious context that cannot be applied to scientific matters.

You mention that everyone has faith in something, and you are right. I have faith, for example, that the earth is going to continue to spin on its axis, and that as a result the sun will come up tomorrow morning. The difference between this type of faith and religious "faith", is that this faith is based on evidence.

There is nothing irrational about having faith in something if its based on evidence. There is everything irrational about believing something is true just because it must be so, because a pastor has told me, because my parents have told me, because a holy book has told me, etc.

It is important to realise the different contexts of the word faith. Religious faith is the belief in something in the <b>absence</b> of evidence, or often in the face of evidence - as we see with young earth creationists. That is entirely different from having faith that your car will start if it is brand new and has just been filled with petrol.

Yes, faith is a broader concept of whether there is a god or not. Yet only when used in a colloquial sense. Religious faith is something quite different.

And I must disagree with you on science being a "faith based field". On the contrary, science is an evidence-based field. When I believe something in the light of evidence, it is exactly the antagonist of religious faith. When people look at geology, at biology, at history and astronomy and conclude that the world is 6,000 years old and created by a supernatural force, they are either willfully ignorant, or stupid, or both.

There aren't any other options.

As for education never eliminating faith, well I agree with you. You are right to say it will never eliminate faith, but that is because we will continue to have ignorant and stupid people in our society, and they aren't going to go away.

08-28-2006, 02:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
Mark23 Upright Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland	The word "faith", takes on an almost exclusive meaning in religious context that cannot be applied to scientific matters. You mention that everyone has faith in something, and you are right. I have faith, for example, that the earth is going to continue to spin on its axis, and that as a result the sun will come up tomorrow morning. The difference between this type of faith and religious "faith", is that this faith is based on evidence. There is nothing irrational about having faith in something if its based on evidence. There is everything irrational about believing something is true just because it must be so, because a pastor has told me, because my parents have told me, because a holy book has told me, etc. It is important to realise the different contexts of the word faith. Religious faith is the belief in something in the <b>absence</b> of evidence, or often in the face of evidence - as we see with young earth creationists. That is entirely different from having faith that your car will start if it is brand new and has just been filled with petrol. Yes, faith is a broader concept of whether there is a god or not. Yet only when used in a colloquial sense. Religious faith is something quite different. And I must disagree with you on science being a "faith based field". On the contrary, science is an evidence-based field. When I believe something in the light of evidence, it is exactly the antagonist of religious faith. When people look at geology, at biology, at history and astronomy and conclude that the world is 6,000 years old and created by a supernatural force, they are either willfully ignorant, or stupid, or both. There aren't any other options. As for education never eliminating faith, well I agree with you. You are right to say it will never eliminate faith, but that is because we will continue to have ignorant and stupid people in our society, and they aren't going to go away.