Arguing about seemingly irrelevant topics (like R&S) for everyday life may look futile, but is it really?

Question

One might say: "why do you waste your time over the existence of a god if it doesn´t impact your income or your love life or even your friendship circles".
I would tend to agree, if it wasn´t for this little detail of "buggy software".
You see, even if we seem to be made from the same mold, everything demonstrates that subtle changes can have disastrous effects. If we really were so similar, communication would be so perfect as to render most conversations (and especially arguments) useless.
As we are not, I think that stressing the foundations of one´s communication tools is paramount.
From my point of view, a computer Operating System (OS) is bug riddled if its assumptions do not match facts (Checksums) and twists the files to show what it wants (a puter couldn´t do that of course because it´s not analogous).
But humans can, and do. So for me a god-free frame of mind is important in a person because at least it tells me that one sees the world with facts, not wishful thinking.

It shows that this person is reliable at least on the subject of submitting to facts, not delusions. I know, and work with, a lot of evangelical christians and have had many conversations with them. As much as I like and appreciate them, I could never trust them to be objective and they aren´t. I can even tell you that paradoxically, many more hard things happen to them that one would think possible. I witnessed firsthand many health problems, sacrifices, children in pain or in trouble that are just too much for a normal case. While I don´t seek to explain why that is, I can´t but notice that those things don´t happen to more... moderate people in terms of faith. To go back to my argument, one may think that the god thing is of no consequence, but sanity, logic and objectivity (inasmuch as perfect objectivity is probably unattainable) is the reward for those who just want to shed their superstitions.

Answer 1

R & S are not irrelevant topics. They are VITAL topics because they are philosophical concepts that humans hold and from which they act. Bad ideas beget bad actions. Such is the essence of the value of philosophy.

The battleground is between Faith and Reason. Faith is just a sentiment and should not be used as a tool for building correct abstractions. Reason is our natural tool of cognition and it's the only instrument we have that can help us distinguish truth from falsehood, real from unreal, just from unjust, and moral from immoral.

Since Faith requires no mental effort, it spreads like a virus very easily among the ignorant, lazy and un-intellectual masses. Religions make giant strides where there is poverty and ignorance. Religions lose ground where living is more comfortable, people are free to improve their education, and scientific inquiry produces beneficial results in medicine and in the standard of living.

If we wish to live in a more rational world, in a world where justice, truth, reality and happiness are important values, Reason must take precedence over Faith. It's a matter of survival, because Faith can only breed madness.

For "pshdsa"

I can't help answering you because one who follows Reason or is scientific does not require only empirical experiences to make correct abstractions. I have never been to Russia is a sentence that does not have the same meaning as I have never been to Heaven! Heaven contradicts ALL that is real in the universe, including its laws of physics, chemistry and biology -- Russia does not contradict anything. This is where LOGIC is important. You do not need to physically go to Russia. Armenia, Iraq, India, to KNOW that they exist. The evidence of their existence is multi-faceted in literature, human travel, reports, news, films, geophysical explorations from satellites, people who speak different languages and have different cultures -- none of these events contradict one another, contradict history, geography, general public information and none contradict the laws of physics, chemistry or biology. Heaven, angels, God, the devil, etc contradict each other and everything that is real.

Answer 2

Both frames of reference, god-free or god-exist, mayl lead to same, different and sometimes competing conclusions. Yet, either position interprets facts differently and both may use some wishful thinking. The first questions and answers both may raise are about existence. The next questions and answers both may raise are about purpose. And another set of questions and answers may be about existence beyond this life. Non of these topics are irrelevant, since their answers lead to how all humans interact with each other. Without the ability to ask and answer these questions, humans would be little different from instincually programmed animals or flawlessly programmed robots.

Answer 3

OK, you like to be scientific in your analysis of life. That means you observe with one or more of your five senses. You accept only what you observe. The problem is that that limits your awareness of even physical realities. Truth is that you take many things by faith without observing whether they be true or not. Have you actually been to Russia? Then under your "logical" parameters, how do you prove it is really there? Well you have extensions on your sense of sight and look at pictures of Russia. But you are beginning to see that many things are taken by faith just because the majority of people are so confident in their assertion of the inference of it. The point is that the scientific method is limited because it can only be used in the physical world. It can't investigate spiritual realities because it takes spiritual eyes, spiritual ears and spiritual understanding to investigate that area. Jesus said, This people's heart has grown callous, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Answer 4

This is fertile ground for those who wish it, can discern knowledge and broaden their borders. The big picture is amazing. We really are all one. I wish everyone could see this. Beautiful.

Answer 5

Yep.....when nothing else to do I start around page 6 and work backwards.