Create a New Forum Admin Login Member Login Contribute to Voyager Search VoyForums Help Desk VoyForums Exchange VoyForums Directory/Categories VoyForums Homepage VoyForums News FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ]

Subject: Faith is Arbitrary Choice Author: Liberal [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 03:26:41 04/13/05 Wed There is an argument that there are something we cannot know and we need "faith" to determine to accept or reject them. To describe such an activity more clearly, I will use the term Arbitrary Choice in place of "faith." The Choice is Arbitrary because while there are plenty of "evidences" supporing the Choice, opposite "evidences" of comparable amount and strength exist (otherwise, "faith" will not be needed, e.g., faith is not needed to accept existence of an outbreak of fatal pneumonia in Hong Kong in 2003). Some people accept that the Being/Ultimate Being/Other/Most High/Ground of Being/etc is "personal" by Arbitrary Choice, some don't. Some people accept that the "personal" Being/etc "reveals" to the human race, some don't. Some people accept that the "revelation" is in the form of an ancient book, some don't. Some people accept that the "personal" Being/etc became a particular person in history, some don't. The list of examples can go on infinitely. In the examples given above, those who make Arbitrary Choices to accept the propositions are not making better or worse choices than those who make Arbitrary Choices to reject, so their Choices are Arbitrary. Arbitrary Choices have the benefit of producing psychological comfort (sense of certainty) by providing "answers" to uncertain issues. But the number of Arbitrary Choices should be kept to a minimum because an Arbitrary Choice discourages and erects restriction(s) on continual exploration of the true answer. Historically, Arbitrary Choices ("faith") from the Church have jeopardised science for centuries and caused execution countless scientists. Fortunately, Physics and Biology are being done without religious Arbitrary Choices ("faith") today. Human beings are seekers of true answers and minimizing Arbitrary Choices facilitates the search. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Subject Author Date Re: Faith is Arbitrary Choice Clement LO 03:45:45 04/13/05 Wed Re: Faith is Arbitrary Choice -- Bystander, 04:25:19 04/13/05 Wed Re: Faith is Arbitrary Choice -- Clement LO, 10:37:59 04/13/05 Wed Good point -- Liberal, 10:34:38 04/13/05 Wed Re: Good point -- »Z¥Í, 11:00:10 04/13/05 Wed Re: Origen -- Clement LO, 11:55:19 04/13/05 Wed Re: «X§Q®Ú¡G¤W«Ò¡B¦t©z©M¤H -- Clement LO, 11:57:09 04/13/05 Wed Re: Multiple Ages, Metempsychosis, and the Restoration of All -- Clement LO, 12:02:00 04/13/05 Wed Re: Multiple Ages, Metempsychosis, and the Restoration of All -- »Z¥Í, 17:28:38 04/13/05 Wed Re: Multiple Ages, Metempsychosis, and the Restoration of All -- ºû°O, 17:36:29 04/13/05 Wed ½ü°j»P¸t¸g; near-death experience -- Liberal, 11:07:14 04/19/05 Tue Responses Liberal 23:52:35 04/13/05 Wed More questions from ±i°ê´É -- Liberal, 13:06:37 04/16/05 Sat Readings recommended by ±i°ê´É Liberal 15:00:50 04/14/05 Thu sorry, ÃD¥~¸Ü: ³o¨à±o8­¶¶Ü?? ¥H§Q¹F 17:00:35 04/14/05 Thu Re: sorry, ÃD¥~¸Ü: ³o¨à±o8­¶¶Ü?? -- Clement LO, 17:24:29 04/14/05 Thu ¹ï¸Ü¦¡ªººô¯¸ -- Liberal, 18:29:33 04/14/05 Thu ¤j®aºÉ¶q±N¬Û¦ü¥DÃD group ®I¤@»ô¥X,­ø¦n¥X¤Ó¦h·s¥DÃD!!! -- Liberal, 18:22:47 04/14/05 Thu Re: Faith is Arbitrary Choice Bystander 13:24:26 04/15/05 Fri Knowledge Selection Criteria -- Liberal, 02:09:02 04/16/05 Sat Re: Knowledge Selection Criteria -- Bystander, 04:42:13 04/16/05 Sat Agree -- Liberal, 12:14:56 04/16/05 Sat Arguments for and against the Existence of God -- Liberal, 01:19:38 04/17/05 Sun Re: Arguments for and against the Existence of God -- Bystander, 02:37:39 04/17/05 Sun Orange better or apple better? -- Liberal, 02:46:16 04/18/05 Mon Flat or Round Earth? -- Liberal for Bystander, 11:40:00 04/18/05 Mon Response to "God and Evil" by ±i°ê´É -- Liberal, 02:04:20 04/18/05 Mon What Is Epistemology? A Brief Introduction to the Topic Liberal 20:24:11 04/15/05 Fri