Can faith substitute for critical thinking?

Question

What might the potential drawbacks be?

Answer 1

Just like a peg substitutes a leg

Answer 2

Absolutely, faith is by definition believing withour thinking or credible evidence. Critical thinking involves the prescense of a rational thought process, followed by the logical conclusion. These are very much at odds with one another, as one can either arrive at something to believe after having thought about it, or he/she can believe by being told with no supporting factors. The drawbacks are not only potential, but also real: fascism (basically what I consider to be when the state thinks for the people, hence the capability for mass atrocities.) Furthermore other potential drawbacks can be a terribly misinformed public because if many people believe something it is far easier to follow the masses than to think about the subject yourself. Also the consequence has manifested itself, most importantly in the form of organized religion. Cleverly constructed religious texts are very persuasive, as the claim inherent human lackings, while at the same time providing a way to fix them; also scaring readers into thinking that without this magical fixture, the reader will suffer eternal damnation. Peace.

Answer 3

I have faith in beer. No critical thinking required.

Drawback, the next morning.

Answer 4

No but becoming a machine with no Heart and no Soul Is too cold and sad. There has to be a balance there has to be faith. Science is Great. However with all the inventions of science The Spear, The arrow, getting the mixture of Napalm to stick to Babies. There has to be a balance. There has to be faith, Critical thinking invents some pretty amazing things, without faith however we are in a great deal of trouble

On the other hand Faith without Science we would be in caves.

Answer 5

I would omitt the word critical only. Thinking and faith should coexist. We have to educate our faith through knowledge and reseaarch and study. Faith shouldn´t be blind. We were given a brain to think. But critizise our faith, can go against our own beliefs. It has a negative connotation. Lets critics do the critical.
The answer is of course no. One or the other.

Answer 6

i'm confused...can a person with faith (in whatever) not critically think?
BUT, if what you are saying is if a person totally relies on their faith, and doesn't use their brain, then yeah, i'd say there are some drawbacks---like being a moron. don't get me wrong, i DO have faith a lot of times when i probably *should* (according to the world) use my brain, but i believe God gave me that brain for a reason, and i try (my best, anyway lol!) to use it.

Answer 7

You seem to be asking two questions.

"Can faith be an acceptable substitute for critical thinking?" No, absolutely not.

"Is faith used as a substitute for critical thinking?" All the time.

Drawbacks include: Ignorance, hate, holy wars, and arrogance.

Answer 8

No . Faith by it's definition (to believe) is too far from any thought let alone critical thought that they have a hard time being in the same sentence.
If you allow critical thinking into faith, faith disappears and logic takes it's place

Answer 9

No, it is a short circuiting of critical thought. The potential drawbacks are more one way flights into skyscrapers.

Answer 10

Half the faithful on this forum couldnt fight their way out of a wet paper bag called "Critical Thinking". That is why the myths persist...and why the lies and "proofs" such as irreducible complexity, lies concerning Darwin and others continue to be passed from person to person. Because people allow others to tell them what to think or how to believe, and they lose their own ability to look at things rationally.