I thought it was interesting the extreme views of most on philosophy websites. Often I see those with great faith debating Atheists. Why do you think that is? Why no gray area or middle ground? My Grandfather was a POW in WWII, he once told me "In the trenchs, you either go one way or the other." What experiences have made you go one way or the other?
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God?27% Voted for by Chained Hawk, wolfencopter, josh86.
Does God exist? It is the ultimate question, yet the most pointless to ask. The answer is simple. There is no answer. We simply cannot know. If God revealed himself we would exist knowing the purpose of our existence. Once known, we would live for that purpose. God's purpose. To live for a purpose not our own is not living. It is simply existing. And existence itself cannot stand alone as a purpose to create the reality we live in from any reasonable perspective, worldly or not.
That's where I stand. I don't believe. I don't not believe. I don't know. Like every other person to ever walk the Earth. If you have an intellegent, indepth discussion with any person of any faith on God. You will ALWAYS end up stuck at faith. What is Faith? It's "knowing God exists." "talking to God." Knowing for sure.... Without really knowing for sure.
Faith is nothing more than ignorance induced hope in my opinion. And that's not to say that God doesn't exist. Just that they have no more information than you or I.
But I still ask the question. And i may have some hope. And every once in a while I'll replace that word with faith. Just to see where it gets me.. Nowhere yet...
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a defense of the middle ground18% Voted for by Morrison Miller, ScooterTheWise.
Agnosticism is not a choice for those who are too afraid to take a stand. It is a place for those who are too logical to believe and yet not so quick to explain away the unexplainable. True agnostics are trying to take a stand, actively searching for answers and coming to small conclusions all the time. Agnosticism is for those who just can't bring themselves to settle on one side or the other just yet because they've checked the facts time and time again on BOTH sides of the argument and see no true, definitive answer. I am an agnostic, and will remain so until someone can give me a reason not to be. The truth is, no one really KNOWS if there is a God or there isn't. No one has seen evidence of one, and yet no one can say they haven't had an experience or two that may suggest the existence of a higher deity. Push "faith" in my face all you want, or try to tell me that it can't be. If you look beyond the propaganda of religion, and choose to search for your own answers rather than just give up and say there's nothing, you may find yourself in the agnostic camp after all. I welcome you to the journey.
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Not just escape from skepticism, but also life giving and relational, purpose driven faithVoted for by TeChNoWC.
My history with skepticism, along with my deep seated desire and craving for benevolence, as well as my history of solipistic thought and such angst brought about by the presence of infinite impossibility, as well as my defiance to trust in 'the little things'; this has led me to a rather battered state, in which liberation came through my revelation of faith, and the test provided for me through God.
With my initial defiance of all things, I found trust itself as the only notion that can cure one of such defiance; that is, that belief is self-justified. This does not mean that a belief makes itself true, but, belief in God allows for axiomatical knowledge, and so therefore 'promises' that such inner torments for axiomatical proofs will one day be answered.
So, belief in God being more justified (as justified belief) than scientific theories, through such realisations, is, for me, a starting point for faith, particularly with the overwhelming experiences that are attributed to such beliefs. This is also coupled with hope, instilled by promise, which requires trust, and ultimately faith, to adhere to. Keirkegaard and Pascal's philosophies gave me the insight I needed to see this rather fideistic alternative.
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SoVoted for by Dwn.
You think you can just take what pleases you and make up a God from it? that seems to be the onley middle ground available.
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take it or leave it......Voted for by painter-of-words.
To believe or not believe? why do you need a middle ground? A middle ground would be nothing but an excuse for not knowing what you really think. Or making an excuse for something you dont' like when in all acuallity when it comes down to it the little things you don't like dont' matter sometimes you just gotta go with it. ALSO! what else is their really? to believe or not to believe? unless you wanna say i believe kinda i believe this but not this. "oh it's ok i'll tell people about God and tell them how to act but idk, idk if i wanna do it myself that aint right..." what's not right is being picky you either believe with all your heart and soul or you don't believe with any of you heart and soul. their aint no room for picken and choosen take it or leave it buddies, that's how it gotta be. Gotta believe in something, that middle ground is nothing a deep black pool for people dround in.
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middle groundVoted for by Stepherz804.
I tend to be in the middle ground. I take aspects of whatever the extremes are ending up creating my own new one which causes some confliction. I cant think of any situation in which I was totally one way or another.
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November 8, 2006
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Amen!
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