[MD] The End of Faith - Spirituality

[Platt Holden]

Hi Steve,  
 
> Steve:
> What are the bad results of not believing in God?

National Socialism, Fascism, Communism.

> > Platt:
> > I don't quite follow. How can someone believe what she doubts?  
> > Those who
> > believe in God don't have doubts, do they?
> 
> Steve:
> It sounds absurd to me too, but religious people will often tell you  
> that faith requires doubt. If you didn't have doubt, no faith would  
> be needed, so doubt is viewed as a gift from God. It's an opportunity  to
> have faith. This is why I interpreted this sort of faith as  claiming that
> it is a virtue to believe that which is bad to believe.  This "faith
> requires doubt" idea is just dishonest.
 
Another view: God is the certainty behind the doubt of God's existence.  
 
> > Platt:
> >
> > Personally I like Pirsig's solution as to what to believe -- choose  what
> > for you has value like paintings in a gallery and leave the rest.
> 
> Steve:
> Faith in the paintings analogy is to claim that it is a virtue to say  you
> like the religious paintings even if you don't like them.

Nothing in the paintings analogy suggests it's good to lie about what you 
like.

> > Platt:
> > Good point. But if we don't agree what rights are "endowed by their
> > Creator," then it's a free-for-all where anything goes depending on  the
> > biggest mob or the group with the most potent weapons.
> 
> Steve:
> I guess that's the situation we are in until God tells us what our  
> rights are.
 
It seems to be the situation we are in with amoral SOM intellect.

Regards,
Platt