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To: MacDorcha

Interesting line of reasoning, but the problem with all reasoning is that it cannot bootstrap itself.

So, by asserting that “we have mastered all other streams of thought...” presupposes that we could know what those are. Either way, you come up against the notions of infinity and the absolute. These are the key concepts to be pondered, I would assert. We are finite beings in and of ourselves. The question is whether we can cross the divide from the finite to the infinite. This is where faith comes in, IMHO. If there is an Absolute, an Infinite, then that would be God, and we should look to determine whether God has revealed Himself to us. Note that such revelation, by necessity, cannot be limited to the finite. Thus it would defy empirical scientific “capture”. It would instead work through an entirely separate mechanism. That is what I believe to be faith. Faith is actually a manifestation of the Inifinite, of The God. This is because faith comes from God as a means to help us mortals apprehend the reality of that which is beyond the 4 W’s + H that leads to the 5th W=why.

Faith is not the sort of belief in the finite, like “I believe the sun will rise tomorrow”. This will be true or not and we shall know tomorrow if it will be true.

The faith I refer to is that which, by means of a mechanism associated with the Supreme Being, we are brought to a knowledge, a conviction, of His existence, and of the corollary knowledge that “true” reality, “real” reality encompasses so much more than we can perceive merely through our temporal mortal senses.

By using the temporal mortal sense to deny the Infinite Immortal Being, is certainly within the bounds of logic, but not necessarily within the bounds of Reality. Reality is perceived through this meechanism outside of the senses - faith. Call it whatever you liike, but there must be a way to perceive that there is a fuller Reality if such exists. Such perception is necessarily denied by reliance on the finite and mortal.

Not sure this methaphor works, but it is something like the following:

If you are blind, you cannot see. At least recognize that you may be blind. That is a possibility after all. Atheists, IMHO, attempt to say that because they cannot see, blindness is all there is.


51 posted on 07/16/2007 6:48:28 AM PDT by sleepy_hollow
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To: sleepy_hollow

Just FYI- I was simply a stream of thought I had to get out.

Coming across as an atheist would be my LAST intention, as personally, I believe in God. My thought simply lead me to ask “what precedence do I have to make such an assertion?”

‘Twas merely a pondering I was hoping to entertain. You did well, but I think it’s something that would work better in a discussion.


85 posted on 07/16/2007 9:24:10 AM PDT by MacDorcha ("Slogans are Silly.")
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