Ok: I'm baffled. How does one have an Intelligent Designer WITHOUT having a 'god' of some type doing the Designing???
I never said there wasn't a god of some type. If you believe in an Intelligent Designer/s (as I do), then naturally there is a god of some type. I said I don't think the Designer is the same God as the one in the Bible. That's why I said "non-Biblical believer in the theory of Intelligent Design".
Also, one of the main aspects of belief or faith is that it doesn't need reason or facts or any evidence whatsoever to back it up. You simply choose to believe or not to believe.
Maybe in YOUR world, but in MY case there are many links in the chain leading to the point where I must have faith.
Not only in MY world, but in the dictionary:
Dictionary definition of "belief":
1. a) a person's religion; religious conviction (has no belief).
b) a firm opinion (my belief is that he did it).
c) an acceptance (of a thing, fact, statement, etc.) (belief in the afterlife).
2. (usu. foll. by in) trust or confidence.
Dictionary definition of "faith":
1. complete trust or confidence.
2. firm belief, esp. without logical proof.
3. a) a system of religious belief (the Christian faith).
b) belief in religious doctrines.
c) spiritual apprehension of divine truth apart from proof.
d) things believed or to be believed.
4. duty or commitment to fulfil a trust, promise, etc.; obligation, allegiance (keep faith).
The fact that you have "many links in the chain leading to the point where [you] must have faith" is good. It's easy to believe in something when you have evidence. I don't have the same evidence that you do. Or else, I have it, but I don't accept it or believe it.
Even E's have 'faith' that the C's gaps are bridgable; things that have no 'proof' are the way it COULD have happened.
Exactly. And that's why the theory of evolution is just a theory: 1 supposition or system of ideas explaining something, esp. one based on general principles independent of the particular things to be explained (atomic theory; theory of evolution). 2 speculative (esp. fanciful) view (one of my pet theories). 3 abstract knowledge or speculative thought (all very well in theory). 4 exposition of the principles of a science etc. (the theory of music). 5 collection of propositions to illustrate the principles of a mathematical subject (probability theory).
Sorry to be so heavy on the dictionary definitions. It's just that you said MY world, as if I invented the definition of "belief" or "faith" for my own specific purpose.
Also, one of the main aspects of belief or faith is that it doesn't need reason or facts or any evidence whatsoever to back it up. You simply choose to believe or not to believe.Sorry to be so heavy on the dictionary definitions. It's just that you said MY world, as if I invented the definition of "belief" or "faith" for my own specific purpose.
"I believe green fish with red stripes live on the surface of the Sun", is not rational.
"I believe green fish with red stripes live in the Pee Dee River", is.