Cognition [comprises] the states and processes involved in knowing, which in their completeness include perception and judgment. Cognition includes all conscious and unconscious processes by which knowledge is accumulated, such as perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, and reasoning. ~ Britannica
Everyone's religious belief and lack of religious belief is rooted in their cognition and it is, therefore, a function of their consciousness. Even gut feelings and instincts and supposed supernatural events are perceived and processed and acted upon using the prism of our cognitive functions. ~ my contention
Thoughts?
The idea for this topic came from these questions/statements by a Christian on another thread:
[Talking about belief...]
Why do you think it has to do with cognition?
You said you were a Christian for, what was it 20 years?
Was that based purely on cognition?
Are all of your beliefs based on cognition?
I think you’re overstating the role of cognitive functions in a human being’s life.
@fmf saidTotally disagree.Cognition [comprises] the states and processes involved in knowing, which in their completeness include perception and judgment. Cognition includes all conscious and unconscious processes by which knowledge is accumulated, such as perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, and reasoning. ~ BritannicaEveryone's religious belief and lack of religious belief is roo ...[text shortened]... cessed and acted upon using the prism of our cognitive functions. ~ my contention
Thoughts?
Cognition can lead someone to consider the foundational beliefs of Christianity reasonable and even likely to be true, but fully believing them requires some degree of faith, and faith is not borne of cognition.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1)
Also…
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”
(Romans 8:16)
@pb1022 saidFaith is a product of cognition.
Cognition can lead someone to consider the foundational beliefs of Christianity reasonable and even likely to be true, but fully believing them requires some degree of faith, and faith is not borne of cognition.
"Faith" is simply a label we attach to a certain kind of thinking or a subset of thoughts/beliefs [certainly in the context of religious belief].
Faith is "strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof". [Oxford Dictionary]
"Faith is the assurance that the things revealed and promised in the Word are true, even though unseen, and gives the believer a conviction that what he expects in faith, will come to pass. ~ Biblical definition [wiki]
Feeling assurance, perceiving that something was revealed and promised, perceiving something is true, believing it, conviction, expectation, anticipation, aspiration... all things rooted in cognition.
If cognition is defined as "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses" [Oxford Dictionary], then clearly this encompasses faith.
