If you believe in something then it would seem you have the issue encapsulated, whereas if you have an idea it allows you room to grow. Isn't it better to grow? I feel that with a belief you would become stagnet. Or am I missing something about having beliefs?
2006-10-23 12:54:10 · 6 answers · asked by -skrowzdm- 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The best chance you have is: To have a good idea
2006-10-23 12:56:15 · answer #1 · answered by WithLoveMaura 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great question!
Better to grow? Yes, not only better but necesssary.
Is belief stagnanting? Only for the stagnant.
Your last question is the key. It is my belief that just about everybody is missing something about belief. Go to Webster's and you will find that belief and faith are the same thing. Belief being a conviction that something is true and faith being an unquestioning belief that your own conviction is true! That is about as redundant as one can get. So belief is unquestioning faith and faith is unquestioning belief? So much for Webster.
Try Wikipedia and one is met again with belief as conviction and then we are plunged into psychology, religion, espistemology and psychoanalysis. Belief is defined as propositional attitude. This has merit but is a very technical definition.
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A belief is nothing but an idea. I see no difference between a belief and an idea and I think one has just as much freedom with belief as with any other idea. To postulate a thing is to believe it or to have an idea/belief about it.
The problem comes in confusing belief with faith. This mistake is made by the religious and non-religious and is compounded by lexicographers. They have destroyed any workable difference in the definition of these two words.
My own definition is: "Mental assent or agreement with an idea." As such belief is simply an idea which has been accepted for long term retention or further cognitive action.
Belief also has a capacity to give direction and position to life situations. Thomas Edison believed that a light could be produced. He had many many failures before he hit the right combination. He was asked by a reporter. "Mr. Edison, what was it that you knew just before you invented this light." Edison replied. "I knew 7,000 things that wouldn't work."
When it comes to belief I am a pragmatist. I hold to the crass street definition. In short, if it doesn't work dump it, even if it means dumping 7,000.
God requires faith. That's another problem. Faith isn't in the dictionary either, except for one synonym -- trust.
2006-10-24 02:09:06 · answer #2 · answered by Tommy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word "belief" is used in an ambiguous way. It is sometimes used to mean what you call "idea", and sometimes used to mean "faith". Basically, you can have beliefs that are supported by evidence, and beliefs for which there is little or no evidence, and you can even have beliefs that are in conflict with evidence.
Here are examples of each:
1. I believe the universe started with a Big Bang about 14 billion years ago.
2. I believe the Big Bang was initiated by a supreme being who exists outside of our space and time
3. I believe the Earth was created in six days about 10000 years ago by the God of Abraham.
The first belief is supported by measurements of red shift and by the cosmic microwave background radiation. The second belief has no physical evidence supporting it, but has been believed for 2500 years or more and many people believe it as a matter of faith. There is no evidence that contradicts it. The third belief is not consistent with geologic and other data, but many people believe it anyway because they think Genesis is the literal word of God.
The first kind of belief is useful. The last kind of belief is harmful. The 2nd kind of belief may be useful, and is only harmful if it prevents beliefs of the first kind, or results in beliefs of the last kind.
2006-10-23 20:23:19 · answer #3 · answered by Jim L 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world
- Albert Einstein
I am a dreamer .. i love imagination and ideas xxxx
2006-10-23 19:59:19 · answer #4 · answered by Peace 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's not either or, they are interdependant on eachother. Ideas are your foundation and beliefs are what you are building
2006-10-23 19:58:47 · answer #5 · answered by night_fox51 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why can't you have both?
2006-10-23 19:58:33 · answer #6 · answered by Eddie C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋