Is "faith" the ultimate human expression of egocentric interest?

Answer 1

Faith is faith. Some have faith and it is the ultimate expression of egocentic interest. ie " In all of the infinitness of the universe there is a being that is all powerful, knows all, created everything and is personally concerned about ME."

Faith is also selflessness and a giving of oneself wholly to an idea or belief, ie the belief that we are part of something and that what we do is important as it affects the whole, such as the "butterfly effect." We are now entering the tipping point of the world's acceptance of mankind's responsibility for global warming. There are people who have been derided for years for their views on this and many other ecological stances. But these people had faith and devoted themselves to their cause. Lee Iaccoa, the former head of Chrysler now believes that something should be done about car emissions. That is quite a testimony to the perseverence and faith of these folks.

Faith can also be used to justify a person's abdication of their responsibity to think and act for themselves. We have all heard of "blind faith" and this, perhaps, is the most frightening faith of all.

Faith can also be an expression of one's need to explain the unknown such as the myth of Apollo's chariot crossing the sky every day in the form of the sun or Demeter bringing winter to the earth because she is in mourning for her daughter's forced stay in Hades 6 months of the year.

Each society has created explainations that have taken the form of religion, superstition and even mythic history to help the population "understand" their world and their society. These "tools of understanding" have sometimes been used by the ruling class of priests or government to control the general population. If the general population believes and has faith that you are a god, such as in ancient Egypt, you are going tho have an easier time enslaving them and have them spend their entire lives building a monument to you.

Faith, to me, is not the the ultimate human expression of egocentric interest, but WAR might be or something like slavery. The idea that anyone has the right and duty to impose their view upon another group of people through war or aggression. Or the idea that someone is inherently inferior, because they do not believe what you believe or has a culture that is the same as yours.

I would have to think a bit more on this. Sorry for rambling so much.

Answer 2

I don't think all people who practice religion have an egocentric interest in keeping their faith. Some honestly believe that their existence is a part of a larger plan and they are a rational actor following the plan as laid out in their religious doctrine.

Answer 3

In my understanding (in my opinion):

Solipsism, I think, would have to be the ultimate expression of egocentric interest, since it eliminates anything outside the cogito or the self.

And since faith is attributing to an "other", (and ultimately, to a divine being) it can't possibly be the ultimate human expression of egocentric interest.

BTW, faith is NONrational... (cannot be explained in terms of rational-irrational human understanding).

Answer 4

Well, what I DO know about faith is that it is belief without needing fully logical proof. Essentially, it's gullibility with a different name. Now, what that DOESN'T mean is that I am an atheist. I simply made my own religion because of the many incompatibilities the established religions had with my own beliefs. Anyway, I try to believe what is adequately proven to me, so I don't make the mistake of being gullible.

Answer 5

True Faith has nothing to do with egoism, it has to do with certainty and precision beyond reason and Self. I'm not talking about learning, nor instinct, nor belief, not even intuition, I'm talking about knowledge. This is real faith, when "you" Know something for sure. How can this happen? Well, that's another question!0!

Good luck!

Answer 6

You mean, for example, the kind of faith characterized by someone like Mother Teresa, or Ghandi, or Martin Luther king Jr.?

Answer 7

the certainty that human beings be able of speech, reasoning, and souls are a number of the flaws that seperate them right into a different classification than animals. As a bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ, i think that God gave us dominion over the animals. This, to me, potential that we are in charge earlier God to guard them and cope with them in a deferential and humane way. I do consume animals that are seen to be nutrients animals which includes chickens, pigs, fish and cows. i do no longer placed on leather-based or fur and don't help the "sport" of killing animals for trophies. I do help attempting to locate nutrients purposes in elementary terms. If animals which includes deer, squirrels and rabbits have been allowed to reproduce and looking out became into disallowed, they could almost immediately be without habitat in our city worldwide and that they does no longer have adequate nutrients components to maintain existence. i think that starvation is plenty crueler than looking. i do no longer help stand looking, use of spotlights, baiting animals, use of calling instruments or activity ranches. Such issues do no longer supply the animals honest benefit. Survival of the fittest has continuously been nature's way and in charge looking practices help that. i think of it is the accountability of each and every man or woman to paintings in direction of retaining flora and fauna and their habitats. i'm a proud member of the previous due Steve Irwin's flora and fauna Warriors. He became right into an excellent guy with an excellent creative and prescient. He did plenty to enhance understanding of the ought to guard all animals, in spite of no count if or no longer they have been lovable and cuddly. His beginning place has given a furnish to a flora and fauna shelter close to my abode and that they save alligators. Scientists are at present reading them because of the fact alligators in no way get infections. they are hoping to locate something by way of reading their blood that should probably help therapy AIDS and maximum cancers. i'm hoping I spoke back your question and that i'm hoping you have a sturdy day.

Answer 8

Faith is irrational. It is a choice to be irrational. It is a choice to believe things that cannot be demonstrated through clear thinking and evidence.