[MD] Faith

[david buchanan]

Stephen Hannon said:
Is there any evidence that there is an afterlife once we die?  No. However, 
people still believe in one.  It may even be beneficial to express such a 
hope as it gives meaning, perspective to life.

dmb says:
Yikes. This is exactly the sort of thing I find so objectionable. If there 
is no evidence for the afterlife, then we have no good reason to believe in 
it. I think we have to question the value of the meaning and perspective on 
life provided to us by holding beliefs for which there is no evidence. If 
that sense of meaning and perspective is predicated on a false belief, then 
what good is it? Wouldn't that sort of belief simply constitute of form of 
self deception? Maybe that feeling of meaninglessness should be cured with 
something that is more intellectually respectable. Or maybe its something we 
have to live with. Or maybe it just disappears when you live right. Even if 
its not as comforting emotionally as thought of pearlly gates and streets 
paved with yellow bricks of gold. Negative quality is informative too. Or 
maybe the quest for meaning is itself the problem. Maybe there's a good 
reason we don't live forever and our wish to defy the reality of death is 
kinda infantile and neurotic. Its also completely understandable and normal. 
But still. Isn't there somthing, like, existentially disingenuous about 
believing that we can cheat death through a supernatural reality for which 
there is no evidence? And then there is the problem of this belief being a 
distorted misunderstanding of the real heaven, which  is "this world rightly 
seen". As William Blake put it, If the doors of perception were cleansed 
everything would appear to man as it truly is; infinite. That's heaven. No 
an everlasting life after this one, but the realization of infinity in the 
here and now. I mean, Blake and others are refering to a state of 
consciousness achieved in this life and in this reality. Heaven is an 
experience and not a place.

Again, the difference between faith and experience is important in religious 
matters and distinguishes theism from philosophical mysticism or 
non-theistic mysticism.

Stephan H continued:
...Is there any evidence that our life has a meaning in the first place? No. 
However, people still believe in a meaning to life.  This is also beneficial 
because people have more self-esteem, motivation, etc... when their life has 
a meaning.  This makes religion, beliefs, etc... a personal issue.  They 
should not affect public policy at all.  Beliefs would deal with questions 
like: Why am I here?  What is the purpose of my life?  When will I achieve 
this purpose?  Where will I go to achieve this purpose?  Who will help me?  
The MOQ deals with questions such as this:  What is the moral way to achieve 
my purpose in life? How shall I make moral decisons?

dmb says:
See, I think its no good to believe in something just because it seems to 
meet some emotional need. That simply isn't a respectable way to measure the 
validity of a belief. In fact, that can be quite dangerous. I mean, asking 
these questions is one thing, but accepting answers on the basis of how 
motivating or self-esteem inducing they are will only lead one to become a 
cult member or even (gasp) a FOX NEWS viewer.

SH also said:
Beliefs are personal, they ....attempt to explain the things we don't know.

dmb says:
I don't see how its possible to "explain the things we don't know". If we 
don't know, then we are not really explaining at all. We're just making 
stuff up. If we don't know, I "believe" I shall call it a mystery and simply 
admit that I don't know. Wouldn't that be more honest and more truthful, 
even if its not very comforting? And for something to be genuinely 
meaningful, wouldn't pretty much have to be true or real in some sense? 
Maybe the absence of handy prescriptions for a meaningful life is part of 
what it means to be free. Maybe having to create meaning and purpose in your 
own life is difficult and courageous and that's just what 21st century 
adults are supposed to do.

_________________________________________________________________
Don’t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! 
http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/