Originally posted by SuzianneSo what is faith built on, if not evidence?
Head of the class.
Faith renders even the barest evidence quite sufficient.
As an atheist, the nearest i can get to faith is 'trust' and even then that trust is based on something solid. - For example i trust my friend Bob not to steal my gold lighter when i go into the kitchen to deshell a lobster. I trust him however because he has 'proven' to me in the past that he is a good friend. In other words, my trust in Bob is justified. Can one say the same about 'faith' in God?
*Footnote. - I do not have a friend called Bob, nor do i own a gold lighter. - Heck, i've not had lobster since 1987 and that unfortunate incident in Barnstable.
The biggest problem I see with the whole question of the thread is that even if I was convinced that there was sufficient evidence to believe in a supernatural entity reasonably called 'God', it wouldn't necessarily follow that everything someone else tells me about said entity is true.
I have seen this issue before in a non-religious setting. There was a poster on this forum who had witnessed a UFO. He took this as good evidence that there were aliens visiting earth. He then proceeded to believe just about any claims about aliens anyone had ever made - or at least give them significant credence. All this based on witnessing something that he did not understand nor was able to study in detail.
The same seems to frequently apply to theists. They experience something 'spiritual' and then proceed to accept as fact whatever they hear from other 'believers' or read in a 'holy book', as well as passing on as fact whatever they hear.
A more rational approach would never proceed in that way. First, you determine that it seems probable that a supernatural entity exists. Then, before jumping to any hasty conclusions about said supernatural entity, one would want to try and investigate what properties that entity has. Again, for each and every property, evidence is required.
On that note I often find it interesting how many theists readily accept the claim that God must be omniscient and omnipotent despite the Bible itself strongly suggesting otherwise, and no evidence that suggests either that to be the case.
The post that was quoted here has been removed
Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin "
(Mark 3:28-29 NASB)
Believe in God in 5 Minutes (Scientific Proof)
Amazing Evidence For God
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The post that was quoted here has been removedLike Sam Harris?
Not at all suggesting they're intellectual equals, mind you, but that Harris is very often thought of as one of the leading "new atheists", and yet he's incredibly interested in the spiritual experiences we can have as beings with brains.
By the way, what does it mean to be dogmatically critical about something, as opposed to just critical?
Originally posted by RJHindsWhy did you butt in? She was talking to Suzianne.....Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin "
(Mark 3:28-29 NASB)
Believe in God in 5 Minutes (Scientific Proof)
[youtube]eQVm8RokoBA[/youtube]
Amazing Evidence For God
[youtube]JiMqzN_YSXU[/youtube]