Do you use logic/reason to think and work things out (beliefs, choices and decisions) OR....?

Question

Do your subjective feelings help you most in your thinking processes?

It seems the atheists at this section are almost entirely objective and the 'believers' are more subjective. I identify myself as equally objective and subjective (mind and heart -- logic and feelings), so I'm just wondering how others see themselves?

Thanks in advance. :-)

Do you identify with LOGIC and REASON or FEELINGS and EMOTIONS? thanks

I don't see the 2 'sides' as separate at all -- in fact they should be working together at all times. This is what multidimensional awareness is: the marriage of Mind and Heart :-)

and when both are working together in this 'marriage' many higher thinking functions kick in -- such as intuition.

Answer 1

I am an atheist and I do prefer to think using logic and reason.

Answer 2

Logic, reason, thinking, beliefs, choices, decisions, objective, subjective, mind, heart, feelings, seeing, wondering, OR.....?

Like Beeves said about some school work... "Like man, there's just to many words!!

Let us class our functions into mind, will and emotion.

1. Mind: The words you have used all apply to the mind except for choice and decision. That is to say logic, reason, belief, seeing, objective, wondering, feeling and subjective are all words which refer to the human thought process or the mind.

2. Will: Two other words you used are choice and decision. These are acts of will. What we WILL to do is who we are and therefore we can put the word heart into the province of the will.

3. Emotion: Now we are left with the catagory of emotion. None of the words that you have used fall under the heading of human emotion.

You might say that feelings, wonderings, even seeing could be in the emotional class.? The answer is no. Feelings travel at a higher rate of speed than thought. Both have idea content. We could even say that thoughts are decayed feelings.

I use what you call subjective feelings because they are part of the thinking process. Thinking is the entertaining of individual thoughts, reason the chaining of those thoughts and logic the sequencing of those thoughts.

One must be very carefull not to judge between atheists and believers. Despite the atheists position he or she is still a believer. Human beings cannot avoid belief. The athiest believes there isn't any God. You believe there is. Neither one is doing anything more than retaining an idea or thought.

If you ever get down to it with any athiest you will find a feeling base. They are just as feeling based as the next person. It is my position that we are, like all other creatures, primed to be subjective. Objectivity gets to much attention and very little exercise. That is my subjective view.

Oh. What about the class of emotion, since feelings remember are really thoughts in high gear? Under emotion is where you should put the words, faith, hope and love - the true emotions.
Believers should be lovers first and thinkers second.

Answer 3

I agree with you. I'm a Christian, but I examine things both objectively and subjectively. My religion is not based solely on blind faith, although there are some points that require such faith.

For example, I can logically surmise from the complexity of the Human organism that we could not be an accident. Therefore, we must be created. Additionally, to be truly convicted in my faith, I must have extensive knowledge of the history and principles behind it. I study the bible, just like a physics major studies his texts. When you look at the whole bible with all its principles and teaching, its actually quite logical. That is how faith is built. Even the bible says that.

At the same time, I believe in the truth of the Bible based on faith. There will never be any conclusive proof of creation or evolution.

In fact, I think that acceptance of Darwin's theory of evolution requires quite a leap of faith. The concept that anything in the universe becomes more complex over time is logically improbable. I'll logically accept the concept of genetic change, but its devolution, not evolution.

So, regardless of whether you believe in God or not, everybody operates, to some extent, on faith.

Answer 4

When one gains the understanding of abstract thought (higher level) and what it delivers to the concrete mind, we also must recognize; when that thought is eventually delivered to the intellectual mind, it is here where it is either accepted or rejected.. That choice is determined by logical reasoning. We may have the deeper feeling accompanying that original thought but, intellect and emotional response will distort what we are attemping to interpret. The end result being, many of those deeper thoughts are rejected and prevent us from gaining further understanding. As well as losing some of the abilities which may have been delivered to us...This then becomes the level of the lack of faith in those things higher... Universal knowledge is available to anyone willing to accept it.. without subjectivity.

Answer 5

Hello Tasa:

I have read some of your answers marked "Best". They were both informative and enjoyable to read. I'm sure there are plenty more very good answers, in your collection: I look forward to reading some more. I was trying to find a complete description, for the "ego - (fear based self)", you refer to from time to time. A state of mind that limits ones ability to reach full potential of their faculties.

Allow me to answer your question above. I am neither an atheist nor a believer, I would best describe myself as a searcher of the truth. What I have used, to reach my conclusions, thus far, have been almost exclusively logic and reasoning. Not because I had a choice, but because that is what was made available to me, at that time, by my maker: Although, I am no longer limited to this anymore.

Now, I have a question for you, if you do not mind.

Using logic and reasoning, I have come to understand a force that governs all that is. It is the same force that gives humans their ability to think and to be aware of themselves. I have discovered this force, for the most part behaves in a mechanical manner albeit very complex. So complex, at times, that it behaves as if it has life: By this I mean it does not seem to follow the laws of random energy (The laws of Probability).

Using the full spectrum of thought (mind and heart): Can you tell if the entirety of the force, I speak of "god", has the ability to think as we humans do; or is this type of thought reserved only for when "he" takes human form?

An answer, I have been able to find, from those who practice meditation, is that there are few words to describe the experience one has when one connects with "The Force". Needless to say, this answer has not been contenting.

If you would not mind sharing your thoughts, on this subject, I would much appreciate it. You may contact me through Yahoo! Answers "Joe_Pardy".

Thanks ...

P.S. In computers, both types of thought (logic/reasoning and emotion/feelings) can be somewhat mimicked by predicate logic and fuzzy logic. Predicate logic can handle precise information very well, but is not so good at working with inprecise data. Fuzzy logic, on the other hand, handles inprecise data much better.

Answer 6

I agree with you. There are those that do not know how to back up what they believe with any logic. When these people are challenged they either become frustrated or just say "I just know it is true". Maybe it is that their faith is greater than mine but I want things to make sense, and when they don't, I study until they do.

GOD is intelligent beyond imagination. Do any of us really think that he does anything that is illogical or not according to a predetermined plan? I believe that he wants us to have faith, but I believe that faith was meant to sustain us until we can understand and have a true knowledge of the LORD's purposes. The Holy Spirit is a comforter and confirmer of truth. He is also a teacher. Through the Holy Spirit we "may know the truth of all things". He uses our hearts and feelings to communicate with us. What he communicates is TRUTH. Should not truth be logical?

Answer 7

Suppose you are on a road and you cannot ever turn around and never return from whence you came. You come to a fork in that road and you must go forward and thus you must choose one of the roads. Suppose you see other people and you ask them which road you should take. Now suppose that you get different advice, but a "few" people tell you You are on the road of life. You must make choices every day of your life.
that they have "heard" from others that the left fork holds dangers and that there is a very high priced toll booth, but "nobody" knows anything about the right fork, and they are taking that one.
These are just rumors, right?
Who would you believe? Which road will you take?
Will you take the road that is rumored to be dangerous? Or the road, about which, no one knows or ever heard?

Answer 8

Atheists seldom use logic or reason when developing their theories. They are quick to accuse those that have beliefs in Jesus, Allah, Yahweh, of being ignorant and having blind faith, when they are the ones that practice blind faith. Senario: If there is no Creator, then we had to have evolved from amino acids to what we are today. If you calculate the time it take to micro-evolve from goo to human, it would be over 30 trillion years. Most scientists theorize the earth to be 4 billion years old. Hmm..
The truth is that there is more evidence backing up the existence of God though science and archeology than there is the absense of him. Darwin himself renounced his theory on natural selection because he deemed it to be inaccurate, yet we still teach it in our schools.
Atheists are just as subjective as believers. You really want to know the truth? Do your own research and studies, not just copy the notes of someone else.

Answer 9

I am a Christian and use both logic and feelings. I look at things objectively as well as the next and then I raise my questions and will not let go til I get my answer. I do research, read etc til it makes sense to me. I am not one to go down a path just because that is the way the herd goes.

Answer 10

Most people, it seems, don't really know the difference between objective and subjective. Many, so- called, intellectuals will see your question as agreeing with the egotistical love of ones own mind. While, so- called, spiritual people will consider the pursuit of reason as being sacrilegious. See, the love of God is the beginning of reason, and to believe requires information. It is impossible make any sound decisions without reasoning and it is impossible to walk with God without reason.

Answer 11

I'm a believer. :)

I think that I follow my reason much more often than my feelings, except I try not to do that too much b/c I think you do need to use both to make good choices and to find truth. Many things cannot be understood by reason alone, and also we may get into trouble if we are only guided by our feelings. I also find intuition to be a great tool, which is an example of when I let my feelings guide me,