Is faith ever justified?
Posted on: May 12, 2007 - 2:10pm
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Is faith ever justified?
I am not being the devil's advocate here, but I am floating this question because theists will come at us with it sooner or later, and I'd like to know how you would answer them. In Euclidian geometry there are a number of propositions called axioms, which themselves are not capable of proof, but without which notheing else in this system of mathematics works. How do you answer a theist who throws Euclid in your face and says he has exactly the same reason for "faith" in god that you have for accepting the axioms?
I'm not very mathematical myself, and I don't have a good enough handle on any of the mathematical sciences to provide a convincing answer. But on the face of it, it is a good question. What say you?
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Well. I'm not very knowledgeable of axioms, but I can tell you the two are not comparable. If my understanding of an axiom is correct, it is more of a concept than anything. To the faithful, God is not a concept, he is a being, a physical being. You can not compare the two, when axioms are merely used to help solve equations whereas God is used in reference to a physical being.
"Why would God send his only son to die an agonizing death to redeem an insignificant bit of carbon?"-Victor J. Stenger.
I think one has to ask oneself if any emotionally motivated action is justified. I cannot answer for religious faith because I do not hold that belief, however I have done incredibly stupid things in the name of love, friendship, personal taste and others because I felt they were the right things to do.
I cannot say these actions were justified, I can only say I felt they were right.
Freedom of religious belief is an inalienable right. Stuffing that belief down other people's throats is not.