From: speterson@fast.net
Date: Wed Oct 02 2002 - 15:15:16 BST
>From "speterson" <speterson@fast.net>
Sender: speterson@fast.net
From: "speterson" <speterson@fast.net>
Reply-to: speterson@fast.net
To: moq_discuss@moq.org
Subject: RE: MD faith
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Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002 09:23:57 -0500
Message-id: <3d9b017d.15c6.269167349@fast.net>
> I still don't really feel like I have to say I accept it
> on fact.
What I'm saying is that the idea of faith is applied in a
completely different way and under completely different
circumstances than factual belief. In fact, belief isn't
necessarily applied at all. A belief is a mental
construct--a yes or no with some level of probability. One
can't attach a probablity to faith. It isn't a matter of
reaching the x% threshold of belief. Faith is a decision to
live in a certain way and is applied by definition. A
particular statement of faith isn't something that is true
or false but something that either guides your actions or
not.
I believe that humans and monkeys have shared ancestors.
This isn't a statement of faith for me in that I don't
choose to live as though I am merely a biological entity. I
don't even know what it would mean to live as though
eveolution were true. Faith doesn't apply here.
Whether or not Jesus ever walked the streets of Jeruselem or
is a complete historical fiction also has nothing to do with
faith only factual belief and historical probability.
On the other hand, living as though Jesus taught how to live
a quality life is an issue of faith.
>Saying you accept it on faith seems to say
> you accept regardless of what you observe.
Faith in this sense is dynamic because based on our personal
experience we constantly reevaluate the quality of our
choice to live a certain way and what this "way" actually
is, not the truth of some set of facts.
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