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Is there Absolute Certainty

  • Yes

    Votes: 17 47.2%
  • No

    Votes: 12 33.3%
  • Possible

    Votes: 3 8.3%
  • It is only Relative

    Votes: 4 11.1%
  • Other - Explain

    Votes: 6 16.7%

  • Total voters
    36

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
I know a Master who was known for telling "Love my uncertainty"
Does this mean He was uncertain, or we should love His unpredictability or both?
Ahhh. I think we was referring to his actions that might not at first make sense to us and for the followers to not be disconcerted by them.
 
As fallen and imperfect creatures, can we be certain of anything. I think we are all starting the discussion in the wrong place. When you build a house, we must start with a firm and sure foundation. In the same way, when we have a discussion, we must start with what is our authority for everything we say, otherwise what we say will be blown about by whichever way the wind is blowing. In my case, my certainty is authority is the God’s Word. God has revealed Himself to His people for thousands of years as recorded in the Old Testament, and His people have written down their experiences. When Christ came, He confirmed the Word already written down and quoted from that written Word a number of times. Since that time the Word of God has been used powerfully by God, where thousands of people have been convicted and converted through the powerful preaching of that Word. Certainty for eternity.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
I am absolutely certain that I know less than some others.
I am absolutely certain that I believe I make mistakes.
 

McBell

Unbound
This is a discussion about Absolute Certainty.

First I will give what I see are Absolute Certainty.

100% Certain of God - Unknowable.
100% God sends Messengers.
100% Certain those Messengers are all we can know of God.
100% Certain that if you believe in one of those Messengers, one has found a source of Truth.
100% Certain that we are in true form, we are Spirit.
100% Certain that creation is a Relative Certainty.
100% Certain that all people have this knowledge within.
100% Certain, that we will mess up that Certainty.

Well that is a good start.

What about you, what are your Absolute Certainties?

Do your Certainties find any agreement in Mine?

Do you think we can have Absolute Certainty?

Regards Tony
Being absolutely certain about something has absolutely no bearing on the validity of said something.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
This is a discussion about Absolute Certainty.

First I will give what I see are Absolute Certainty.

100% Certain of God - Unknowable.
100% God sends Messengers.
100% Certain those Messengers are all we can know of God.
100% Certain that if you believe in one of those Messengers, one has found a source of Truth.
100% Certain that we are in true form, we are Spirit.
100% Certain that creation is a Relative Certainty.
100% Certain that all people have this knowledge within.
100% Certain, that we will mess up that Certainty.

Well that is a good start.

What about you, what are your Absolute Certainties?

Do your Certainties find any agreement in Mine?

Do you think we can have Absolute Certainty?

Regards Tony

In my faith (Baha’i) I believe all truth is relative and not absolute:

The fundamental principle enunciated by Baha’u’llah, the followers of His Faith firmly believe, is that Religious truth is not absolute but relative ....

No Faith is Final - Religious Claims to Absolute Truth

So of the certainties you list, I agree with the last one. Whatever certainty we believe we are certain of, we are certain to mess it up.:D
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
This is a discussion about Absolute Certainty.

First I will give what I see are Absolute Certainty.

100% Certain of God - Unknowable.
100% God sends Messengers.
100% Certain those Messengers are all we can know of God.
100% Certain that if you believe in one of those Messengers, one has found a source of Truth.
100% Certain that we are in true form, we are Spirit.
100% Certain that creation is a Relative Certainty.
100% Certain that all people have this knowledge within.
100% Certain, that we will mess up that Certainty.

Well that is a good start.

What about you, what are your Absolute Certainties?

Do your Certainties find any agreement in Mine?

Do you think we can have Absolute Certainty?

Regards Tony
The only absolute certainty is that outside this sentence, nothing can be known with absolute certainty.

As for your list, you appear to equate propositions believed on faith with absolute certainties. Ahm, isn't that the same thing as saying, "This is absolutely certain because I like to think it is"?

Yet wouldn't it be the case that if that proposition were indeed absolutely certain, that proposition, and its quality of being absolutely certain, would be absolutely certain to anyone who encountered it?

If not, in what sense would the certainty be "absolute"?
 

TransmutingSoul

One Planet, One People, Please!
Premium Member
In my faith (Baha’i) I believe all truth is relative and not absolute:

The fundamental principle enunciated by Baha’u’llah, the followers of His Faith firmly believe, is that Religious truth is not absolute but relative ....

No Faith is Final - Religious Claims to Absolute Truth

So of the certainties you list, I agree with the last one. Whatever certainty we believe we are certain of, we are certain to mess it up.:D

In my Relative Certainty, I am Absolute Certain ha ha. :D;)

Regards Tony
 

TransmutingSoul

One Planet, One People, Please!
Premium Member
Being absolutely certain about something has absolutely no bearing on the validity of said something.

Could be, may not be, I am certain of that :D

Lets say there there is a God. My certainty that there is, is in no way needed by God and if this is so, it may be any certainty is just a gift, as God has made God known to me.

Regards Tony
 

Stanyon

WWMRD?
I am %100 certain all of us will die someday

I am %100 certain I will have to pay taxes in one form or another until that time.
 

TransmutingSoul

One Planet, One People, Please!
Premium Member
The only absolute certainty is that outside this sentence, nothing can be known with absolute certainty.

As for your list, you appear to equate propositions believed on faith with absolute certainties. Ahm, isn't that the same thing as saying, "This is absolutely certain because I like to think it is"?

Yet wouldn't it be the case that if that proposition were indeed absolutely certain, that proposition, and its quality of being absolutely certain, would be absolutely certain to anyone who encountered it?

If not, in what sense would the certainty be "absolute"?

I do not think absolute certainty can come from a finite creature, one that will die to this word. So if I have absolute certainty, where does it come from? It was suggested above that it is only a fool that has certainty. Then on the other hand, many people with many great inventions they were sure that they could figure out and make it work, that is what motivates people to continue and progress. All this happens in a world, where what is certain, is that all things come into being, grow, flourish, decline, die and disperse.

So absolute certainty I see is built upon the idea that knowledge does not perish, it is outside of our relative certainty. I see we can have glimmerings of an Absolute Certainty, all the while not being able to fully define it, in our relative state of mind.

Regards Tony
 

Bird123

Well-Known Member
This is a discussion about Absolute Certainty.

First I will give what I see are Absolute Certainty.

100% Certain of God - Unknowable.
100% God sends Messengers.
100% Certain those Messengers are all we can know of God.
100% Certain that if you believe in one of those Messengers, one has found a source of Truth.
100% Certain that we are in true form, we are Spirit.
100% Certain that creation is a Relative Certainty.
100% Certain that all people have this knowledge within.
100% Certain, that we will mess up that Certainty.

Well that is a good start.

What about you, what are your Absolute Certainties?

Do your Certainties find any agreement in Mine?

Do you think we can have Absolute Certainty?

Regards Tony





When one claims Absolute Certainty, one no longer Questions.

THIS IS A BIG MISTAKE.

To Question is the start on the journey to Discovery.

One day you are going to Discover, regardless of your choices, your Absolute Certainty has been based upon your Beliefs and Feelings. More than you realize is not the Truth. It is not true Reality.

Further, be very careful when you might tell someone you are absolute certain you are not going to do something. You might Discover that is exactly what you will do.

This is what I am seeing. It's very clear.
 

TransmutingSoul

One Planet, One People, Please!
Premium Member
I am %100 certain all of us will die someday

I am %100 certain I will have to pay taxes in one form or another until that time.

That a bit of a spanner in the works certainty. What part of us dies? ;)

Do you have to pay taxes? Is it not a choice to obey that law, all the while many do not, as they use the law to get around it, go figure it usually the richest and more well off that do that. :D

Regards Tony
 

TransmutingSoul

One Planet, One People, Please!
Premium Member
When one claims Absolute Certainty, one no longer Questions.

THIS IS A BIG MISTAKE.

To Question is the start on the journey to Discovery.

One day you are going to Discover, regardless of your choices, your Absolute Certainty has been based upon your Beliefs and Feelings. More than you realize is not the Truth. It is not true Reality.

Further, be very careful when you might tell someone you are absolute certain you are not going to do something. You might Discover that is exactly what you will do.

This is what I am seeing. It's very clear.

Ha ha, it is as all clear as mud some days :D

I am Absolutely Certain that my Absolute Certainties do not stop one from asking questions. As I see I can not possibly fully define what is Absolute Certainty. It is just a given certainty above any possible doubt, that is defined by my current Relative Certainty.

Regards Tony
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Do your Certainties find any agreement in Mine?
I think you are making it up as usual and not telling what you really believe.
As for me, I have this uncertainty: Whether the universe is eternal? If so, why? Or whether it arises from "absolute nothing" (Ex-nihilo). If so, then how? Was space always there? Or that too arose from "absolute nothing". I am sure that the answers will not be available in my life-time - Max. 10 years.
What part of us dies? ;)
Actually nothing dies. The atoms that make our body get hooked by a million other things. The body is recycled.
 
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TransmutingSoul

One Planet, One People, Please!
Premium Member
I think you are making it up as usual and not telling what you really believe.
As for me, I have this uncertainty: Whether the universe is eternal? If so, why? Or whether it arises from "absolute nothing" (Ex-nihilo). If so, then how? Was space always there? Or that too arose from "absolute nothing". I am sure that the answers will not be available in my life-time - Max. 10 years.

I have answers, it is sometimes certainly not wise to share them. :D;)

I can say if there is a creator, then that in itself suggests there was always a creation.

Regards Tony
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I do not think absolute certainty can come from a finite creature, one that will die to this word. So if I have absolute certainty, where does it come from? It was suggested above that it is only a fool that has certainty. Then on the other hand, many people with many great inventions they were sure that they could figure out and make it work, that is what motivates people to continue and progress. All this happens in a world, where what is certain, is that all things come into being, grow, flourish, decline, die and disperse.

So absolute certainty I see is built upon the idea that knowledge does not perish, it is outside of our relative certainty. I see we can have glimmerings of an Absolute Certainty, all the while not being able to fully define it, in our relative state of mind.

Regards Tony
Thanks for the clarification.

If 'absolute certainty' is a state of mind rather than a matter of fact, then indeed I think you're right. But to the onlooker, that may make it look more like a symptom than a statement about reality, no? After all, for every inventor (&c) who thought he or she was absolutely right, the number who turned out to have invented a real perpetual motion machine is remarkably small.
 
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