Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - The "New Atheism," the vocal minority making the rest of us look bad, or more?

Leto · 11-03-2006, 02:49 PM

[QUOTE=KnifeMissile]...
Well, it's based on the same faith that I have that if I let go of my glass of coke, it will fall. In some sense, I do have faith in this idea. In another sense, it doesn't take a leap faith to see that this is true, regardless of your religion or lack thereof. I think it is the latter of which Charlatan speaks, rather than the former...

QUOTE]

You're close, in the sense that I operate out of a set of definitions. It is senseless to discourse on a topic, without defining your terms and/or parameters, as you would need to be able to communicate your ideas.

I would dispute that you have faith that your glass of coke will fall, I would instead state that you know from experience, empirically derived, plus from the knowledge of proven scientific theorems, that in the presence of the force of gravity, and, all other things being unchanged or equal (ceteris paribus) your glass of coke will continue this behaviour each time you let go of it.

Your faith in the scientific method is your starting point. And useful for the paradigm of your world.

Faith in a god, does not require scientific theorems or proofs. It stands on it's own merit as being merely accepted.

the same faith operates for atheism, as there is no proof (or just as much proof as for theists) to support that there is no god. It merely takes faith to believe that there is no god.

11-03-2006, 02:49 PM	#98 (permalink)
Leto Junkie Location: The Danforth	[QUOTE=KnifeMissile]... Well, it's based on the same faith that I have that if I let go of my glass of coke, it will fall. In some sense, I do have faith in this idea. In another sense, it doesn't take a leap faith to see that this is true, regardless of your religion or lack thereof. I think it is the latter of which Charlatan speaks, rather than the former... QUOTE] You're close, in the sense that I operate out of a set of definitions. It is senseless to discourse on a topic, without defining your terms and/or parameters, as you would need to be able to communicate your ideas. I would dispute that you have faith that your glass of coke will fall, I would instead state that you know from experience, empirically derived, plus from the knowledge of proven scientific theorems, that in the presence of the force of gravity, and, all other things being unchanged or equal (ceteris paribus) your glass of coke will continue this behaviour each time you let go of it. Your faith in the scientific method is your starting point. And useful for the paradigm of your world. Faith in a god, does not require scientific theorems or proofs. It stands on it's own merit as being merely accepted. the same faith operates for atheism, as there is no proof (or just as much proof as for theists) to support that there is no god. It merely takes faith to believe that there is no god. Last edited by Leto; 11-03-2006 at 08:37 PM..