Faith and logic

[PoetPhilosopher]

It's often not that hard to make the case that in every day life, if living a comfortable life, that logic can quite often be more useful than faith in solving your problems, whether something as simple as mathematics, or more complex problem-solving. It's easy to downplay faith in those instances as simply not that useful to those who don't rely on it anyway.

There comes a time when I find faith useful, though. You can make all the right decisions using logic, but things can still go wrong in life. For example, let's say you got sick. Good decision-making may have told you where to go, what hospital to go to for example, what to do to get there. But as you sit there in good hands, requiring strength, and realize that it's not really up to you the outcome of things afterwards, sometimes one can find use in not only relying on faith, but relying on faith for strength.

Lately I've been feeling like logic is the canvas, and faith is the paints, and you need both. You can live with one or the other to some extent, but it can kind of lead to either dullness or extremes, for some.

I also think that introducing God into things with a whole bunch of assertions, and right away, sometimes complicates things further. Sure, one can find strength from God. They can also find strength in thinking about things like an afterlife, a universal presence, etc.

Or perhaps some really don't want additional lifes after this life going on, just an eternal sleep that was kind of like before they were born (if you will). I don't really understand that much better than I understand a few Japanese concepts of "more peaceful without existence" that I've seen while studying Japanese culture. But I do acknowledge that some people are kind of like that, too. In which case, maybe not relying on faith in an afterlife might be best for them, and I do accept that.

Another time where logic can either work or not work is in human relationships, especially more dedicated and complex ones. Logic will probably tell you that fairness can be achieved by even 50-50. But it doesn't always work like that, in my experience. One week it could be 70-30, the next 30-70.

 

[sun rise]

Lately I've been feeling like logic is the canvas, and faith is the paints, and you need both.

I've read it expressed in different terms but I agree. I've read it as mind and heart in balance, each performing a needed function and ideally working together in harmony.

 

[lukethethird]

Faith and logic
Don't even try it.

 

[Lain]

It's often not that hard to make the case that in every day life, if living a comfortable life, that logic can quite often be more useful than faith in solving your problems, whether something as simple as mathematics, or more complex problem-solving. It's easy to downplay faith in those instances as simply not that useful to those who don't rely on it anyway.

There comes a time when I find faith useful, though. You can make all the right decisions using logic, but things can still go wrong in life. For example, let's say you got sick. Good decision-making may have told you where to go, what hospital to go to for example, what to do to get there. But as you sit there in good hands, requiring strength, and realize that it's not really up to you the outcome of things afterwards, sometimes one can find use in not only relying on faith, but relying on faith for strength.

Lately I've been feeling like logic is the canvas, and faith is the paints, and you need both. You can live with one or the other to some extent, but it can kind of lead to either dullness or extremes, for some.

I also think that introducing God into things with a whole bunch of assertions, and right away, sometimes complicates things further. Sure, one can find strength from God. They can also find strength in thinking about things like an afterlife, a universal presence, etc.

Or perhaps some really don't want additional lifes after this life going on, just an eternal sleep that was kind of like before they were born (if you will). I don't really understand that much better than I understand a few Japanese concepts of "more peaceful without existence" that I've seen while studying Japanese culture. But I do acknowledge that some people are kind of like that, too. In which case, maybe not relying on faith in an afterlife might be best for them, and I do accept that.

Another time where logic can either work or not work is in human relationships, especially more dedicated and complex ones. Logic will probably tell you that fairness can be achieved by even 50-50. But it doesn't always work like that, in my experience. One week it could be 70-30, the next 30-70.

How do you define faith?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

How do you define faith?

Trust and/or confidence in someone, a concept, an action or something. Though the more narrow definition I use would be that in which the trust/confidence helps you and/or eases your mind.

 

[PureX]

The thing we often don't notice, though, is that even logical reasoning requires that we trust in it even though we can't be sure of it's accuracy. And that's an act of faith. Faith is trusting that what we think and hope to be true, will turn out to be true when we act on it.

In the end, faith is what we engage in when surety is not available. And for we humans, surety is a very rare condition. So we have to live by faith most of the time, even as we want to deny it. Because we really like to imagine that we "know what's going on". That we got it all "under control". That we are in charge of our own destinies.

But the truth is that we are not in control a lot of the time, and we are not in charge of our own destinies. Even though we expend a great deal of energy convincing ourselves and each other that we are. And driving ourselves and everyone else to distraction and frustration trying to make it so.

I really like the idea of just trusting in God whatever God even is. I don't know, and I don't have to know. Whatever God is, it isn't me. So I like the idea of letting God deal with the fear and the mad scramble for more control. I'll just relax, instead. I mean, I'll do whatever I can see in front of me that needs doing, but then I'm going to trust the rest to the great mystery "God". The supposed source, sustenance, and purpose of all that is.

"In pursuit of knowledge,
every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone."

"True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering."
- from the Tao Te Ching​

 

[blü 2]

It's often not that hard to make the case that in every day life, if living a comfortable life, that logic can quite often be more useful than faith in solving your problems, whether something as simple as mathematics, or more complex problem-solving. It's easy to downplay faith in those instances as simply not that useful to those who don't rely on it anyway.

There comes a time when I find faith useful, though. You can make all the right decisions using logic, but things can still go wrong in life. For example, let's say you got sick. Good decision-making may have told you where to go, what hospital to go to for example, what to do to get there. But as you sit there in good hands, requiring strength, and realize that it's not really up to you the outcome of things afterwards, sometimes one can find use in not only relying on faith, but relying on faith for strength.

Lately I've been feeling like logic is the canvas, and faith is the paints, and you need both. You can live with one or the other to some extent, but it can kind of lead to either dullness or extremes, for some.

I also think that introducing God into things with a whole bunch of assertions, and right away, sometimes complicates things further. Sure, one can find strength from God. They can also find strength in thinking about things like an afterlife, a universal presence, etc.

Or perhaps some really don't want additional lifes after this life going on, just an eternal sleep that was kind of like before they were born (if you will). I don't really understand that much better than I understand a few Japanese concepts of "more peaceful without existence" that I've seen while studying Japanese culture. But I do acknowledge that some people are kind of like that, too. In which case, maybe not relying on faith in an afterlife might be best for them, and I do accept that.

Another time where logic can either work or not work is in human relationships, especially more dedicated and complex ones. Logic will probably tell you that fairness can be achieved by even 50-50. But it doesn't always work like that, in my experience. One week it could be 70-30, the next 30-70.

A neat meditation.

I don't want eternal life for a variety of reasons ─ the observation that it interferes with evolution, the observation that it's not supported by any coherent hypothesis as to how it might work, an overwhelming sense of pointlessness to 'living forever' ─ as Woody Allen is said to have said, 'Eternity is very long, especially towards the end.'

But if other people like the idea (and aren't using it to encourage terrorism), well, that's a matter for them, I'd say. And I'd add that the important thing is ─ while we still can ─ to treat other people with decency, respect and inclusion.

 

[The Hammer]

Faith and logic
Don't even try it.

That's the only way to live.

 

[osgart]

I have faith in values, virtues, qualities of being, love, and forgiveness. Inside my faith I find those things to be very logical.

The definition of faith I use is to have trust and confidence toward a knowable thing, person, qualities of being, principles of being and action.

My faith comes by way of logic, and reveals an inner world I find to be true.

In reality not everything is knowable though. So for those things I try to be logical. Logic alone is not going to get anyone far. You got to be able to learn and know some things.

There is a type of knowledge in my faith. Nothing about humans is ideal, we all have shortcomings.

Without knowing I find faith impossible. Anything a person thinks they know, they are going to apply logic to it.

Anyways a person has to prove and test things out for themself. I hate seeing people talk about values, and virtues as if there is nothing factual about them.

Do we now live in a world of cold, hard reason, and logic? Or can we express values and virtues as facts about how to live?

 

[rational experiences]

I have faith in the wisdom that I always owned two human parents to be a human.

I owned faith that logic told it's own truth.

So when science just a human choice warned itself. I had faith that science knew its choice by a human was wrong.

As science told itself logically it was wrong. That no man meaning a scientist was God.

As men believe they own anything by their command or say so.

And are just a human.

So when science warned science that earths increased carbon accumulating heavens could activate an electricity attack I believed them. They know what they are talking about.

No they said I don't have any faith in my logic. I know I am wrong.

So as an innocent who never knew science I was taught to tell them... have faith that your theist designer just a man is wrong. But what God is doing and causing is correct.

As it is God that destroys you in the end.