Faith and Doubt

[Bravus]

This discussion started in the 'Original Thoughts' forum but some are finding the unique strictures of that forum too restrictive, and I think it's an interesting enough discussion to pursue.

Kinda hope we can do it civilly, assuming the best of others.

[Bravus]

I see this as a completely separate discussion on a related topic... and one of the things it will do is let your discussion get back toward your original intentions for it. I'll make sure to keep posting in that discussion too.

[Gary K]

Bravus,

I would like to start by setting the parameters of how we define the words in question. Is that OK with you?

[fccool]

I do think that faith and doubt are exactly same things actually . It's just a different perspective.

Faith in atheist is doubt of God, faith in God is doubt of atheism. The perspectives are flipped. We can certainly think about the in context of valid evidence, but in this case the evidence is inconclusive and incomplete, hence it's left up to faith, otherwise we would not need faith at all. I hope you're following.

faith does not equal knowledge.

faith equals trust that certain theory is true... perhaps based on certain evidence for these theories.

An atheist can't absolutely prove that there is no God. Theist can't absolutely proof that there is God. Both rely of certain reasoning and set of evidence which we dub faith.

In this context, faith and doubt is exactly the same thing and may or may not reflect the knowledge, which by epistemological definition has to be true in order to be knowledge (otherwise it's just an assumption). I.E. epistemologically speaking, knowledge and truth are the same, but unfortunately we tend to use these in different contexts in our society, and that's where I believe much of our problems and disagreements stem from.

I.E. , if I say to you that my desktop background is yellow... you can believe me based on faith, but you can also doubt it... likewise based on faith assumption. You'll never KNOW unless you get here and see for yourself. So it's with God and Biblical or Historical accounts. I think it's more honest to say I don't know, but I have a good reason to believe it... rather than say WE KNOW! For one to truly know... one has to be there, otherwise it's faith. Faith that historians are not spinning certain facts, and that that they are not making a mistake.

But, my premise stands. Based on respective and standard definitions:

faith = trust

doubt = distrust

These are the same event from two different perspectives of that event.