Stumble it!The evidence of things unseen…
posted in Philosophy, Religion by themaiden |Faith is not a reason. Faith is not an excuse. Faith, the evidence of things unseen…
Faith. Faith is belief. Beliefs are opinion. Everyone has them. The real question is about value. So how does one assign value to opinions? This step– this assigning of value– is crucial. Without it, knowledge becomes impossible, for there would be no way to chose between opinions and so one might as well not argue about anything. There is no way to win. Put another way, all opinions must be valued equally, since there is no way to weed out the bad ones. Fact becomes arbitrary.
Put into the context of daily life, the concept shines with a foolish glow. A ten year old boy, albeit, a very smart one, upon reading the following, responded as if were overstating the obvious.
“I believe that the Earth is flat.” Why? “Because I believe that it is flat.”
“I believe that Africans are not human.” Why? “Because that is what I believe.”
“I believe that women in short skirts want to be raped, so it shouldn’t be a crime.” Why? “Because that is what I believe.”
“I believe that we are Atlantians.” Why? “Because that is what I believe.”
Opinion, taken at face value can literally be used to prove anything. Belief becomes reality. Fiction becomes fact. Personal preference becomes law.
But people don’t take opinion at face value. Most people would not eat arsenic because their neighbor told them it will cure gout. Most would not give a life’s saving to a salesman because he claims to be able to triple the money in a week? Nor would most buy, for a cool million, a cup of water from the fountain of youth? (Certainly a good deal if it worked out.) These types of claims demand proof, or at very least evidence? So what would be that proof? A handshake? A promise? Signed affidavit? Or something more tangible? Perhaps a survey of the effects of arsenic upon those who consume it. Perhaps a mathematical model of the salesman’s investment plan. Or a chemical analysis of the water of life.
Even then, there are no guarantees. Still, some substantiating evidence is better than none.
Strangely though, with religion, the same rules seem not to apply. Faith is rarely questioned. The unseen evidence of faith is taken as is. It is even worn as a badge of honor. Or taken almost as a proof of itself. I believe, because I believe.
But an argument based on faith, or a conclusion drawn from an argument based on faith cannot be evaluated. It simply is, and as such opinion becomes something nightmarish. It becomes inalterable, beyond reason, beyond criticism. It becomes a force in itself, a proof of itself. A conclusion need only be stated. There are no checks and balances.
This is the poison of religion. It strips us of the ability to evaluate, and leaves us prey to any who with charisma enough to attract a following. Faith tells us to believe first, and believe foremost. It tells us to hold onto belief despite the evidence, despite ourselves. It demands that we not question because questioning would be a sign of lack of faith.
Faith is a proof used when no other evidence can be gathered, or when what evidence there is conflicts with a beloved tradition. This, strangely, rarely strikes anyone as odd. In most cases, evidence comes before a conclusion. A banker will not decide the trustworthiness of a mortgage applicant without first checking that applicant’s credit history.
Another odd consequence of arguing from faith is that conflicting beliefs can be proven true, one as easily as the other. I have Faith in Krishna, lets say. You have faith in Christ, or Allah, or David Koresh, or Walt Disney. Who’s to say who is right? All arguments stand, as is, on Faith.
To squeeze around this problem an appeal is usually made to revelation. That is, God– some god or other– spoke to a prophet and revealed the truth. Hence, we needn’t bother with deciding which Faith is the true Faith. The answer has been given to us. Hmmm….. So which of the many prophets do we believe? Anyone can claim divine insight. Why disbelieve some while believing others? The issue turns on faith. It hasn’t really been sidestepped at all.
False is false. Or, more accurately, evidence is evidence. Belief can be based on something, or on nothing. Lack of evidence cannot be made up in faith. If it could, we’d all be bending spoons with our minds.
Faith is not the evidence of things unseen; it is not evidence at all.
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