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Religion has a vaccine for the Reason Virus


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On 3/17/2023 at 10:42 AM, Raf said:

You can't just declare it to be true and then invent some way of accounting for the natural man's inability to understand it! But that is precisely what Paul did.

While it might not always be that obvious or apparent or easy to identify, all logic and reason starts with and builds on a premise that is simply accepted and presumed to be true, regardless of whether it is properly identified, or how common and universally accepted that premise is (or isn't.)

I don't think this is missing from Paul's writings... but, perhaps it is not all that obvious.  I think parts of it show up in places like Romans 3:23.  Unless or until someone relates to that, there probably isn't going to be much sense in (or need for) a personal savior, much less any change in the already common and universally accepted basis for reality in their heart.

Where or how does any change start? Well, regardless of whatever words are spoken, even by the apostle Paul himself, it appears they are only attended to when the Lord opens someone's heart.  see Acts 16:14.

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Presumption is the only kind of reasoning which supplies new ideas, the only kind which is, in this sense, synthetic. Induction is justified as a method which must in the long run lead up to the truth, and that, by gradual modification of the actual conclusion. There is no such warrant for presumption. The hypothesis which it problematically concludes is frequently utterly wrong itself, and even the method need not ever lead to the truth; for it may be that the features of the phenomena which it aims to explain have no rational explanation at all. Its only justification is that its method is the only way in which there can be any hope of attaining a rational explanation.

— Charles S. Peirce

 

 

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3 hours ago, cman said:

that dictionary is wrong. lol

Would you provide a more fitting or personally agreeable definition? 

I realize the theological definition is more complicated than Brittanica’s. And it depends on which theologian or charlatan you ask. Victor wierwille certainly endeavored his own creative, ever-changing definitions.

In the context of spiritual matters, I usually define FAITH as a letting go, a complete openness, a complete trust, which is the opposite of white-knuckled, clenching, clinging BELIEF.

What definition works for you, cman?

 

 

 

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I believe what has been proven to me, also. Until, of course, a new, stronger, more convincing proof is presented.

But this is not the question. 
 

You said the Britannica definition of faith is laughably wrong. I knocked, asked and sought your insight. If you can’’t or won’t answer the question, fine. 

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On 11/30/2023 at 9:46 PM, Nathan_Jr said:

I believe what has been proven to me, also. Until, of course, a new, stronger, more convincing proof is presented.

But this is not the question. 
 

You said the Britannica definition of faith is laughably wrong. I knocked, asked and sought your insight. If you can’’t or won’t answer the question, fine. 

you just don't like the answer

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Another assumption.

I don't know if I like it or not because I don't know how you define faith, or, at best, I'm unsure how you define it. You said: Faith is believing what is proven. Is that correct?

If not, could you phrase it another way? If I got it right, fine. I accept your definition, and I neither like it nor dislike it.

STL provided a definition from Britannica and I provided my own very simple definition. I even contrasted faith with belief. Your definition makes three. Great!

Victor said faith is what you have and belief is what you do. This may tie in with the Pistis Christou debate -- objective or subjective genitive? (Gal 2:16, Gal 3:22, Rom 3:22...)

I imagine others posters might define faith differently, still.

 

 

Edited by Nathan_Jr
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Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

This is one reference of the word faith in the bible and clearly states that whatever is hoped for is not in existence at the present time. Whoever wants something to happen  knows it is not now happening.

Is Jesus Christ coming back sometime in the future? There is no “evidence” or “proof” that it will happen, only the word of some writers in the bible.

One has to line up, roll up their sleeve, and be vaccinated, to believe Jesus is coming back (did he really ascend into heaven in the first place.)

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