What is more important for the future well-being of humankind: Faith or Reason?

[PolyHedral]

"Our future depends powerfully on how well we understand this cosmos." -Carl Sagan.

I've yet to see faith deliver a theory of everything.

 

[bobhikes]

Reason is to slow
Reason requires faith anyway
Reason will tell you that you can't do yet with faith you will be able to do it.

The basis of reason is flawed and all people use the same flawed reason.
Faith is individual no two people have exactly the same faith.

I would go with faith my only change would be in calling it belief.

 

[Midnight Pete]

What is more important to the future of a human being: breathing in or breathing out?

Choosing bewteen Faith & Reason is like me choosing between my kidneys or my heart. Which do I keep? Which do I reject? :cover:

 

[Magic Man]

Reason requires faith anyway

No, it doesn't.

Reason will tell you that you can't do yet with faith you will be able to do it.

Huh?

The basis of reason is flawed and all people use the same flawed reason.

Reason is based on using evidence to come to conclusions. That's not flawed.

Faith is individual no two people have exactly the same faith.

I think you're using a different definition of faith than the OP. Faith, as used in the OP, means "belief without evidence". Anyone using faith in that sense is using the same faith.

I would go with faith my only change would be in calling it belief.

Well, then it wouldn't be faith; it would be belief. They are two very different things.

 

[Magic Man]

What is more important to the future of a human being: breathing in or breathing out?

Choosing bewteen Faith & Reason is like me choosing between my kidneys or my heart. Which do I keep? Which do I reject? :cover:

Well, if you had to choose, I'd suggest choosing the unnecessary one. With that in mind, can you explain to me why faith is necessary to you?

 

[Smoke]

Reason is far more important than faith -- faith does more harm than good -- but compassion is even more important than reason.

 

[Magic Man]

Reason is far more important than faith, but compassion is even more important than reason.

I disagree. I'd say compassion is important, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd still go with reason. But then again, you have compassion while using reason. You can't have faith while using reason.

 

[Meow Mix]

Reason is to slow
Reason requires faith anyway
Reason will tell you that you can't do yet with faith you will be able to do it.

The basis of reason is flawed and all people use the same flawed reason.
Faith is individual no two people have exactly the same faith.

I would go with faith my only change would be in calling it belief.

Then why did you type this through a product of reason?

Wouldn't it have been more prudent for you not to get on the computer and to have just wished we'd get your message or something?

 

[Smoke]

I disagree. I'd say compassion is important, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd still go with reason.

It's hard to say whether it would be worse to want to do the right thing and not have the tools to do it, or to have the tools but not the will.

So I'll accept your correction to a point, and say that reason and compassion are both indispensable.

On the other hand faith, at least of the dogmatic kind, is counter-productive.

 

[bobhikes]

No, it doesn't.



Huh?



Reason is based on using evidence to come to conclusions. That's not flawed.



I think you're using a different definition of faith than the OP. Faith, as used in the OP, means "belief without evidence". Anyone using faith in that sense is using the same faith.



Well, then it wouldn't be faith; it would be belief. They are two very different things.

Like you said Huh!

 

[Twilight Hue]

Reason is to slow
Reason requires faith anyway
Reason will tell you that you can't do yet with faith you will be able to do it.

The basis of reason is flawed and all people use the same flawed reason.
Faith is individual no two people have exactly the same faith.

I would go with faith my only change would be in calling it belief.

Bollocks. Faith is strictly a reasonless gamble. An odds game of chances based on
assumption that it works, could work, and is the contrast to reason.

 

[Magic Man]

Like you said Huh!

So, does this mean you're not going to respond to the other parts?

Faith is belief without evidence. It's used in situations where you specifically don't have any real reason to believe. Belief can be unsupported or supported by evidence. They are not interchangeable words.

 

[Magic Man]

It's hard to say whether it would be worse to want to do the right thing and not have the tools to do it, or to have the tools but not the will.

So I'll accept your correction to a point, and say that reason and compassion are both indispensable.

Well, I wouldn't say I was trying to correct you; just give a different perspective. Again, I disagree to a point, though. I don't think compassion is indispensable like reason is.

For instance, even if I'm not a compassionate person, there are still reasonable reasons for me to help others and not just think of myself all the time. It just makes sense logically.

EDIT: And yes, I'm just bored right now, or else I wouldn't be nitpicking.

On the other hand faith, at least of the dogmatic kind, is counter-productive.

Indeed.

 

[bobhikes]

So, does this mean you're not going to respond to the other parts?

Faith is belief without evidence. It's used in situations where you specifically don't have any real reason to believe. Belief can be unsupported or supported by evidence. They are not interchangeable words.

I know you so well I can post both sides of our debate so other than trying to be unsuccessfully funny there is no point.

 

[bobhikes]

Bollocks. Faith is strictly a reasonless gamble. An odds game of chances based on
assumption that it works, could work, and is the contrast to reason.

The odds come up in your favor quite a bit.

To reason one must at least have faith in him/her self. You can't reason faith in ones self.

 

[Walkntune]

I disagree. I'd say compassion is important, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd still go with reason. But then again, you have compassion while using reason. You can't have faith while using reason.

Only if we are speaking of intuitive reasoning and not intellectual reasoning which is also the reasoning faith and compassion is found in. We just can't get away from the heart can we?

 

[Midnight Pete]

Only if we are speaking of intuitive reasoning and not intellectual reasoning which is also the reasoning faith and compassion is found in. We just can't get away from the heart can we?

Faith, Reason, Compassion, Belief ... aren't these things all bound up in each other within the human psyche?

 

[Riverwolf]

But what does that have to do with Islam?

...it's not obvious?

Muslims at the time were obviously doing something right with their faith along with reason that equally faithful Europe wasn't doing at the same time.

I think it's a perfect indication that Islam does (or at least is supposed to)encourage reason.

 

[Walkntune]

Faith, Reason, Compassion, Belief ... aren't these things all bound up in each other within the human psyche?

OK. I would say we process it on the right instead of on the left side of our brain.
So basically this whole argument is should we use reasoning from the right or left side of our brain.

 

[Riverwolf]

I disagree. I'd say compassion is important, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd still go with reason. But then again, you have compassion while using reason. You can't have faith while using reason.

Why not?

And I disagree to a point; compassion is paramount to survival through cooperation. So, I'd say it should come before reason.