I just asked a question concerning God and faith. I asked must one have faith to believe in God. Overwhelmegly theist and Atheist alike said Yes, of course, and duh.
And I agree. Which brings me to my next question. Is faith the result of circular reasoning. If I handed you an essay and the first line said "My essay is without error because I say so in my essay." Would you believe me? Maybe....Maybe not. But if you do it is because of faith.
Taking faith from a theist is to totally shatter his belief in God. You can`t have one without the other. But I think there`s more to this story. Theist I have uncovered a truth, a mysterious secret in the Cosmos. You belief/faith in God comes from circular reasoning..... Agree?
2007-09-12 17:10:39 · 18 answers · asked by Future 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Crazy Iva ... You got it all wrong. You see they can tell how old fossils are by testing the decay of elements with the rocks. From this they can draw a timeline. Very sophistcated stuff, no circular mumbo jumbo at all.
2007-09-12 17:36:55 · update #1
Crazy Ivan ... You got it all wrong. You see they can tell how old fossils are by testing the decay of elements with the rocks. From this they can draw a timeline. Very sophistcated stuff, no circular mumbo jumbo at all.
2007-09-12 17:38:05 · update #2
Yes. And an image is worth a thousand words.
http://s167.photobucket.com/albums/u145/PAR1138/?action=view¤t=n18708009_31499580_2862.jpg
> Is "Faith" the result of circular reasoning?
2007-09-12 17:31:29 · answer #1 · answered by par1138 • FCD 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You don't have faith to believe, belief and faith are essentially the same thing. I mean, there is a sense in which you believe in things because your faculties give you good cause, and that good cause might be called faith, but in Christianity, faith is essentially trust. I have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow, and faith that I won't be burglarized during the night. I have faith that the plane I get on will land me safely at my destination. I have good reason to believe these things, and that constitutes faith. So, I go to bed, get on the plane, and set up my solar panels. Now, I might be wrong and the plane might crash, I might be burgled, or the sun might not come up, but I think I am in a better position to believe than not to in these cases, so I continue in the absense of compelling arguments to the contrary. It's not circular, it's quite linear, and its based on the scientific method: observation, experimentation, repetition, hypotheses (faith), observation, experimentation, repetion, theory (faith), etc. I conclude God exists by virtue of evidences both objective and subjective, and I believe based on history and the reliability of witnesses. I think I have more reasonable grounds to believe than not to, but I might be wrong. When do you admit you might be wrong and that the whole thing might be worth a second look? I was once where you are now.
2007-09-12 17:39:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
But see you still have to go back to what people feel is reasonable and right. For example, you say in your essay that it is right, but what does your teacher say about it, Does he think that you followed his guide lines and did the essay according to his instructions, or does he give you a lower grade then you think you deserve? You are the only one in your essay saying that your essay is without error. But the Bible was written by different people over a long period of time, and some of those being witnesses to what they actually wrote. And can you say your essay was inspired by God, like in the Bible? God is also not the only one in the Bible that says He is God. There are many instances where His people say You are truly God. Can you say that about your essay? Circular reasoning is reasonable to the person who believes it to be, just like my faith is reasonable to me.
2016-05-18 03:01:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would disagree. I think the disagreement would come from our definition of faith. And how that faith is acquired. I do not believe that faith is of necessity blind although I know many would like to disagree with me. I believe my faith rests in the very credible testimony of eye witnesses who displayed an ability to record and very accurately record the words and deeds of Jesus. See the book leading lawyers look at the resurrection by Ross Clifford. Then there is how to read the words of Jesus himself and walk away with one of three possibilities. Either he was a liar a lunitic or he was who he said he was. I always get the impression he was who he said he was. Finally how then do I account for people who I know have been physically healed. I realize no amount of proof will be acceptable to those who have chosen to believe this is impossible but I cannot choose to ignore the few cases of healings which I have seen medical record verification. I do know what your saying about circular reasoning and I think I see it as well sometimes when atheists try and hide behind science and refuse to consider any claims by Intelligent design theorists claiming it is religion not science. That means if God is real ( as I believe) nothing would be allowed to be considered as evidence including any physical manifestation or anything because it would still be religion. And we are told religion isn't science. Edit: If faith is circular reasoning then unbelief is the result of square reasoning. Enjoy.
2007-09-12 17:30:05 · answer #4 · answered by Edward J 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Definitely.
2007-09-12 22:36:28 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Bible says that faith is the result of hearing God's Word.
Pastor Art
2007-09-12 17:51:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Faith is not a matter of logic.
Faith is not a matter of logic.
Faith is not a matter of logic.
I've said it three times because I feel like I keep saying it over and over again anyway. Faith is belief in something without proof. That's how my dictionary defines it. It's a deliberate suspension of logic that permits one to outright ignore evidence to the contrary (or simply a complete and utter lack of evidence) of their beliefs. You can't engage in a rational manner with something that is by definition irrational.
2007-09-12 17:16:29 · answer #7 · answered by nobody important 5 · 6⤊ 2⤋
You can take my faith, but i have seen things, and i don't need faith, as i know. Also, how's this for circular reasoning, the fossil record.
How did they decide the order? Well, lets assume evolution is true, so, we'll build the fossil record along that line of thinking. Now we have a record for that, so, using this, we "prove" evolution is true, and because we "proved" evolution is true, then the fossil record can be built off it, and cause the fossil record 'proves" evolution . . .
and so on. Is that not circular reasoning too?
2007-09-12 17:20:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
Your essay's validity and the Bible's validity and time tested truth are two different things. The Bible does not just say...I'm true so believe me, it is a compilation of thousands of eyewitness accounts that were tested by contemporaries of the days in which it was written. It has stood the test for 2,000 years.
2007-09-12 17:15:53 · answer #9 · answered by Brian F 3 · 3⤊ 4⤋
If it's used as an explanation for a belief, then absolutely.
2007-09-12 17:15:22 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋