You can define any surface with a mathematical formula.
I am talking about cardinal necessity of faith in any reasoning about the future, not about issues with precision...in the Christian belief system the whole rig is going to poof, stop, while in most scientific belief systems it keeps turning forever
What you call "faith" in any reasoning about the future -- it is not blind faith as you have faith in God; it is an expression of calculated confidence based on observed phenomena.
As for the scientific "belief" that the systems will keep on turning forever, that is incorrect. The Big Bang theory certainly predicts that "the whole rig is going to poof, stop," but the reason is different from that given by +Aquinas.
The Church simply surmised a spiritual truth that all that is created ans rendered corrupt with our fall must itself fall (all that has a beginning has an end). The scientists have evidence that a cataclysmic set of events will destroy not only our earth but the whole solar system, and billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars; that all of this is going to collapse onto itself only to be resurrected from its own ashes.
"...it is not blind faith as you have faith in God; it is an expression of calculated confidence based on observed phenomena..."
Which brings us back to the original point at issue. I would submit that our faith in God is not blind at all. A combination of direct experience, observed phenomena, and the historical record of God's revelation of himself to man throughout history leads us to a "calculated confidence" of a different kind.
St. Paul did not say "blind faith in things not seen," but rather that "faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."
Christ did not disappear into thin air and expect his disciples to figure out some spiritual principles. He appeared to them, had them put their fingers in his hands and sides, and ate with them. He took the time "beginning at Moses and all the prophets" to expound "unto them in all the scriptures concerning himself."
They left their record of that, and told us that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
And with that gentlemen, I have been with this thread for nearly 2000 posts. Quite enough for me, and more than enough given that this is Great Lent. I will join my friend jo kus in taking a break, and will give Kosta the last word.
Kosta, this has nearly nothing to do with the rest of the discussion, but no, you cannot. Since there is a finite alphabet of symbols that go in formulas, the set of formulas is enumerable, f1, f2, ..., etc. A surface z(x,y) not defined with any f1, f2, ... is built by this diagonal process: z(x,y) is f1(x,y) except
z(0,1) = f1(0,1)+1
z(0,2) = f2(0,2)+1
...
As you can see, surface z differs from any enumerated formula in at least one point. Since only discrete points were used to build the differences, z can be made contiguous as well.
I feel like I am back in school.
it is not blind faith as you have faith in God; it is an expression of calculated confidence based on observed phenomena
What Agrarian said in 4389.
The Big Bang theory certainly predicts ...
It is fine to compare several theories and find one better than the others. Yet they all are based on some axiomatic principles taken on faith. It is either Christian faith or faith in the scientific method, or some combination of the two. I am, of course, not calling to abandon the scientific method, but merely pointing out its dependence on faith.