Why Faith is a necessity...?

[amicus]

Excerpt from an episode of "Deadliest Catch", a Discovery Channel Series that has been going for several seasons.

The background is that the crew of seven or eight, are some 350 miles out in the Bering Sea, fishing for Crab, when a radio-phone call comes in for one of the crew members, a young man in his early twenties is informed his younger sister, about seven years old, had 'passed', after suffering a lifetime of pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The film crew aboard the Fishing Vessel exercised tact but was permitted to film him talking to his mother over the radio phone.

It was a very emotional scene, with tears and facial expressions and his words, as I paraphrase: "She is in a better place now, Mom, she will be beautiful and won't hurt any more and will be able to run and jump like all the other kids...."

This scene begs the answer to how to deal with tragedy and emotional pain and distress, without Faith in an 'afterlife' and all the paraphernalia of formal Religion and social interaction that is part and parcel of 'sharing' the loss and pain.

In our, 'modern' age, more and more have rejected formal religion and for many reasons. How then, does one, without a guiding faith, deal with such things?

We have dug up the bones of our ancestors and fossil records are confirmed by scientific method, dating the earliest beginnings of life on the planet. We have explored the Solar system with the technology of man and with the aid of telescopes have looked back to the beginning of time and...there is no omnipotent being in evidence...which...to the rational mind, indicates that, 'lacking evidence, it does not exist.'

Amicus

 

[sereneone4u]

Excerpt from an episode of "Deadliest Catch", a Discovery Channel Series that has been going for several seasons.

The background is that the crew of seven or eight, are some 350 miles out in the Bering Sea, fishing for Crab, when a radio-phone call comes in for one of the crew members, a young man in his early twenties is informed his younger sister, about seven years old, had 'passed', after suffering a lifetime of pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The film crew aboard the Fishing Vessel exercised tact but was permitted to film him talking to his mother over the radio phone.

It was a very emotional scene, with tears and facial expressions and his words, as I paraphrase: "She is in a better place now, Mom, she will be beautiful and won't hurt any more and will be able to run and jump like all the other kids...."

This scene begs the answer to how to deal with tragedy and emotional pain and distress, without Faith in an 'afterlife' and all the paraphernalia of formal Religion and social interaction that is part and parcel of 'sharing' the loss and pain.

In our, 'modern' age, more and more have rejected formal religion and for many reasons. How then, does one, without a guiding faith, deal with such things?

We have dug up the bones of our ancestors and fossil records are confirmed by scientific method, dating the earliest beginnings of life on the planet. We have explored the Solar system with the technology of man and with the aid of telescopes have looked back to the beginning of time and...there is no omnipotent being in evidence...which...to the rational mind, indicates that, 'lacking evidence, it does not exist.'

Amicus

Good question, Amicus. My daughter died five years ago and knowing she is in a better place and that I will see her again makes the loss barely tolerable. It would be interesting to see what those who do not have faith, have to say.

 

[amicus]

Thank you...I have been most fortunate that none of my eight children and twenty some grandchildren have all survived thus far.

I regret your loss and applaud your faith and ability to withstand tragedy with such grace.

Amicus

 

[sereneone4u]

Thank you...I have been most fortunate that none of my eight children and twenty some grandchildren have all survived thus far.

I regret your loss and applaud your faith and ability to withstand tragedy with such grace.

Amicus

Honestly, if it was not for my other children I would not be here. It broke me...seeing death in your child's eyes is not a thing anyone should ever have to see...I will never be the same...I will never heal...I will always be mortally wounded.

Anyways, this thread is not about my issues. It will be interesting to read the replies that others make.

 

[Trudy_Antone]

Oh pul-eeease!

With no disrespect intended to sereneone who has obviously suffered a tragic loss, I am sensing a Bible Belt christian attitude that smacks of bigotry and arrogance. (This from the same man who only finds young girls sexually attractive!)

Aren't you really asking how the plebs cope with loss when they don't have your God to turn to? How do the uneducated masses cope when they don't have formal religion and 'faith' to back them up?

I'll tell you how...it's called one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, keep going, get through it, harden up. Some people have coping mechanisms, others don't. It's an inherent part of personal make-up, nothing whatsoever to do with faith or religion. Yes, some people use religion as the crutch, but faith doesn't automatically imply vastly superior coping mechanisms.

Why do some people survive brutal rape and come out fighting whilst others experience light molestation and never recover? It's called resilience. It's an individual trait and can't be quantified until it's tested.

 

[penandpaper]

Good question, Amicus. My daughter died five years ago and knowing she is in a better place and that I will see her again makes the loss barely tolerable. It would be interesting to see what those who do not have faith, have to say.

I'm sorry to hear sereneone. I truly am. I work with a mother who has lost three sons, (she's 71) and it's all I can do to keep from crying when she brings me leftovers because she says I should grow up strong (I'm almost 40.). I cannot imagine, and you have my deepest sympathy.

But, as for the original question, all I can say is ask someone from an impoverished nation. Haiti? South Africa? India? Anyone read Nine Hills to Nambonkaha? There's a very poignient passage about a mother losing her son in there. It's loss. It may not affect her as outwardly as say a Eastern European mother or a Muslim Mother, but nonetheless, it has its affects. I think how one deals with it is cultural, and unfortunately, genetically. Look at the Hemmingways.

 

[slyc_willie]

I knew a very devout Christian once who spent several hours every Wednesday sitting on a bus stop bench, 'witnessing.' He would observe all manner of things like arguing couples, welfare moms and her four kids, blue-collar workers, etc. as they came and went. By 'witnessing' such things, he saw signs of God's work. They ranged from the arguing couple suddenly finding a compromise and hugging one another, to the welfare mother's kids sitting down and behaving. As far as he was concerned, such events indicated the working hand of Jesus.

The point is, faith in the existence of something like God cannot be proven, and it need not be. Faith cannot be qualified. The presence of belief is anathema to empirical proof. That's the entire point of faith. Can you be sure a longtime friend won't stab you in the back? Of course not; you can't control them. But you have faith that they won't betray you.

God (or gods) is a different thing to different people. But the essence of faith in a higher power all boils down to the same, singular belief in an omnipotent being connected to all things. It could be that such faith is a self-delusion, crafted through centuries and millennia of codification and subversion of the masses. Myself, I don't think so. I know, as well as I know that I will wake up tomorrow, that there is a god.

But I can't empirically know that I will wake up tomorrow until I actually do.

 

[amicus]

Thanks, Slyc & PenandPaper...I knew that posting this would put me between the proverbial rock and a hard place as I am an atheist and have always been and will always be...much too stubborn, at this late stage, to even consider changing.

Intellectually, it is a curious dilemma for me, in that I know fully half the population of the entire world is simply mentally incapable of existing without faith; on the other hand, many highly intellectual sorts that I have run across over the years, profess a faith of sorts, in one form or another.

It has long been my opinion that in a thousand years or so into the future, religion would be read about in history books as footnotes on early man. I am forced to question that assessment now and I think that program keyed it for me.

The young man was so distraught and so sincere in his belief that it seemed perfectly natural that he should have a faith to turn to.

If I had a third hand, I would say on the other hand...the upcoming Christian Vs Muslim War, is once again a Religious war and History is filled with them and the devastation they bring about.

"Defenders of the Faith", seems always to have been and is a 'call to arms', and I think mankind cannot survive that ongoing conflict, that it must be resolved.

We are a curious species...paraphrasing a line from the movie, "Contact", and as time passes and I learn more and more about the Universe and the requirements for life similar to ours, the chances seem greater and greater that we are the only sentient lifeform.

As always...appreciate your comments...

Ami

 

[slyc_willie]

Let's turn the coin over. Let's say, for argument's sake, that a scientist, somewhere, was able to empirically prove the existence of God. Test after test, the proof endures and God itself appears before all of humanity and demonstrates its omnipotence.

Would the whole of humanity suddenly accept God, completely and without recourse?

Of course not.

The absence of faith is a faith all its own. Just as there is a museum (in Utah, I think) that demonstratively 'proves' the world was created in 4004 BC, there would be those to contest, on every level, the supposed 'real' existence of God.

Faith and belief exist because it is part of humanity to challenge what is known, or even simply supposed. Without the constant conflict of belief versus reality, there would never be the inspiration to continue and evolve.

 

[Trudy_Antone]

Nice snub Amicus!

With or without the existence of God (who I happen to believe in) if we take faith out of the context of religion then the only faith left is faith in one's self.

Faith in our own judgement to fill our lives with people who deserve our trust.
Faith to follow our own path.
Faith that you (I) can get through whatever life throws at us.

 

[amicus]

Let's turn the coin over. Let's say, for argument's sake, that a scientist, somewhere, was able to empirically prove the existence of God. Test after test, the proof endures and God itself appears before all of humanity and demonstrates its omnipotence.

Would the whole of humanity suddenly accept God, completely and without recourse?

Of course not.

The absence of faith is a faith all its own. Just as there is a museum (in Utah, I think) that demonstratively 'proves' the world was created in 4004 BC, there would be those to contest, on every level, the supposed 'real' existence of God.

Faith and belief exist because it is part of humanity to challenge what is known, or even simply supposed. Without the constant conflict of belief versus reality, there would never be the inspiration to continue and evolve.

~~~

Wow, ouch and Oivey, Slyc...guess thas why I find the forum entertaining with you being the latest....

I don't even know where or how to begin...

The entire range of 'knowledge' acquired by man, rests on incontrovertible, non contradictory evidence provided by 'reality' being the arbiter of truth and fact.

Knowing you have expressed a faith, I am aware of the necessity to carefully word my comments.

There is an 'order' in and to the Universe, much of which man is just beginning to understand. For there to be a 'God', it would necessitate rejecting all objective knowledge gained from reality. Such a omnipotent being would, at one time, be the cause and effect of all events, good or bad and would reject reality and existence as meaningless.

"...Faith and belief exist because it is part of humanity to challenge what is known, or even simply supposed. Without the constant conflict of belief versus reality, there would never be the inspiration to continue and evolve..."

That is an intriguing paragraph, Slyc, one which I am compelled to agree with but with the singular exception that 'reality' is the arbiter of the conflict between faith and reality.

So many detest my insistence that reality is an 'either/or situation, it cannot be and not be simultaneously.

It would also relegate this 'sentient' species to the category of dog and Master and I find that untenable.

Carl Sagan, in a line from the book/film, Contact, wrote, "After searching for billions of years, seeking a reason and purpose to the Universe, all we found was each other..." (I paraphrase, but the content is accurate)

The inherent problem in discussing this issue with a person of belief, is that the reason and logic supporting reality over faith, is so overwhelming that the 'believer', usually shy's away as if a Demon had entered the room.

I hope that is not your response.

Ami

 

[amicus]

With no disrespect intended to sereneone who has obviously suffered a tragic loss, I am sensing a Bible Belt christian attitude that smacks of bigotry and arrogance. (This from the same man who only finds young girls sexually attractive!)

Aren't you really asking how the plebs cope with loss when they don't have your God to turn to? How do the uneducated masses cope when they don't have formal religion and 'faith' to back them up?

I'll tell you how...it's called one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, keep going, get through it, harden up. Some people have coping mechanisms, others don't. It's an inherent part of personal make-up, nothing whatsoever to do with faith or religion. Yes, some people use religion as the crutch, but faith doesn't automatically imply vastly superior coping mechanisms.

Why do some people survive brutal rape and come out fighting whilst others experience light molestation and never recover? It's called resilience. It's an individual trait and can't be quantified until it's tested.

~~~

Yes, Truant, it was a 'snub' for the following reasons: "... I am sensing a Bible Belt christian attitude that smacks of bigotry and arrogance. (This from the same man who only finds young girls sexually attractive!)

I found the tone of your post and the personal affront unworthy of reply.

Until you offer an apology; I still do.

Amicus

 

[penandpaper]

Let's turn the coin over. Let's say, for argument's sake, that a scientist, somewhere, was able to empirically prove the existence of God. Test after test, the proof endures and God itself appears before all of humanity and demonstrates its omnipotence.

Would the whole of humanity suddenly accept God, completely and without recourse?

Of course not.

The absence of faith is a faith all its own. Just as there is a museum (in Utah, I think) that demonstratively 'proves' the world was created in 4004 BC, there would be those to contest, on every level, the supposed 'real' existence of God.

Faith and belief exist because it is part of humanity to challenge what is known, or even simply supposed. Without the constant conflict of belief versus reality, there would never be the inspiration to continue and evolve.

Slyc,

Great question to pose.

Also, i believe the Creationist Museum is in Kentucky? I think. The one where dinosaurs and Neanderthal, and spacemen all occupy the same space and time. Of course, according to String Theory that may be true.

 

[slyc_willie]

Slyc,

Great question to pose.

Also, i believe the Creationist Museum is in Kentucky? I think. The one where dinosaurs and Neanderthal, and spacemen all occupy the same space and time. Of course, according to String Theory that may be true.

String Theory still has a lot of holes to fill.

But you're right. The Creationist Museum is in Petersburg, Kentucky.

The inherent problem in discussing this issue with a person of belief, is that the reason and logic supporting reality over faith, is so overwhelming that the 'believer', usually shy's away as if a Demon had entered the room.

I hope that is not your response.

Ami

Not in the least.

Anyone who has faith accepts the possibility that their beliefs may be unproven. Those who claim that their belief is the absolute truth are weakened in their faith. The essence of faith, the definition of it, is that one maintains belief in the face of all contrary views.

So, you may be right. There may be no God. But, to quote from one of your favorite movies:

"Did you love your father?"

"Of course."

"Prove it."

There's the rub, my friend. Some things simply cannot be proven. They exist only as a product of faith.

 

[amicus]

I would guess "Contact" is also a favorite of yours, to recall that scene.

Sagan certainly did portray the nexus of knowledge and faith, did he not?

He also padded his concept of, 'billions and billions' of life-forms in the Universe, with, "Be an awful waste of space if we are all alone", which I found amusing.

Anyone who has faith accepts the possibility that their beliefs may be unproven. Those who claim that their belief is the absolute truth are weakened in their faith. The essence of faith, the definition of it, is that one maintains belief in the face of all contrary views.

I sense a contradiction within that paragraph, Slyc, not to be picky, but...

It is because the many religions hold their belief as, 'absolute', that so many wars have been fought and are still.

I also postulate that the human mind, the way it is wired, cannot accept that the means by which they decide every action, may be in error or unproven.

The human brain evolved by comprehending reality, the real world, and dealing with it in ways that enabled him to survive. He knew that the Sabre-toothed Tiger would eat him if given an opportunity and he acted in his own self interest to avoid the beast.

There is another, deeper, psychological effect of depending upon faith instead of knowledge. This is perhaps exposing the 'ego' in my personal being, but I bow down to no man, no King and no God. That sense of self dependence, total independence, permits me to view existence through as clear a vision as I can endeavor to reach without the veil of faith, belief or obedience to anything but my perception of reality.

Doesn't make me all bad...today I gave away six nice sized Zuchini's and the first handful of cherry tomato's from my garden to a family with kids that eat the tomato's like candy.

This ole atheist has a heart, regardless of what others may say.

Amicus

 

[slyc_willie]

I would guess "Contact" is also a favorite of yours, to recall that scene.

Sagan certainly did portray the nexus of knowledge and faith, did he not?

He also padded his concept of, 'billions and billions' of life-forms in the Universe, with, "Be an awful waste of space if we are all alone", which I found amusing.


I sense a contradiction within that paragraph, Slyc, not to be picky, but...

It is because the many religions hold their belief as, 'absolute', that so many wars have been fought and are still.

I also postulate that the human mind, the way it is wired, cannot accept that the means by which they decide every action, may be in error or unproven.

The human brain evolved by comprehending reality, the real world, and dealing with it in ways that enabled him to survive. He knew that the Sabre-toothed Tiger would eat him if given an opportunity and he acted in his own self interest to avoid the beast.

There is another, deeper, psychological effect of depending upon faith instead of knowledge. This is perhaps exposing the 'ego' in my personal being, but I bow down to no man, no King and no God. That sense of self dependence, total independence, permits me to view existence through as clear a vision as I can endeavor to reach without the veil of faith, belief or obedience to anything but my perception of reality.

Doesn't make me all bad...today I gave away six nice sized Zuchini's and the first handful of cherry tomato's from my garden to a family with kids that eat the tomato's like candy.

This ole atheist has a heart, regardless of what others may say.

Amicus

Oh, I knew you had a heart, Ami

Responding to what I bolded above:

That's part of my point about faith. The ones who think, beyond any doubt, that they are right are the ones whose faith is in the most jeopardy. Absolutism is a sign of weakness. When I say that I 'know' God exists, I still hold that I may be proven wrong. I accept that others may be right. I don't believe that, of course, but I at least accept the possibility.

Yet still I believe. And that's the point of faith. It's not about evidence, it's about belief.

 

[amicus]

I am always a night-owl, up late, but I feel I am keeping you from sleep, so I thank you for another pleasant exchange of thoughts and wish you a good evening.

Ami

 

[slyc_willie]

I am always a night-owl, up late, but I feel I am keeping you from sleep, so I thank you for another pleasant exchange of thoughts and wish you a good evening.

Ami

It is time for me, as well.

Good night, Amicus. Let's continue this at a later time.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

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[Vail_Indigo]

Couple of things...
1. I am an atheist. Do I know god doesn't exist? No, of course not. Has anyone shown me any evidence at all that makes a compelling case for god? No. It always boils down to "we can't answer these questions so god must exist".

2. Someone asked "how do people without faith go on when they lose someone?" (or something to that effect). We go on the way everyone goes on. What choice do we have? To me, I feel like I'm doubly obligated to be a good person and to love the people in my life as much as possible because this is all there is. I don't get a chance at being forgiven when I die, I don't get to see my lost loves when I die. I have to make the most of this, this right here.

3. Lack of faith is NOT a faith in and of itself. I don't believe that superman exists, but thats hardly faith. I don't believe in a pink gorilla living in my closet, but thats hardly faith. One might say that I have faith in science being able to answer most questions, though I'm not certain I believe that. Further, science and reason have a history of answering questions once thought impossible. Is that faith, then? Maybe, but then, I suppose, I have faith that, regardless of how my perceptions my view it, time dilates at high speeds an length contracts. Or, more simply, that the ball will fall when I drop it (when in a gravity well, at least).

I do not begrudge people their faith.
Thats completely a personal matter.
What I do hold them accountable for is when policy is made based on that faith.
For example, I work with a guy who is very religious. I don't talk to him about it, he doesn't talk to me about it, we go on about our day. Even when he makes a stray remark like "I think god put me here to do something" I let it go. Ain't none of my business.
If, however, he came to me one day and said he was voting for X because the Bible says to do so, well, then he is making policy decisions that could potentially affect me. At that point, I might engage him in debate over the rules his god laid down. Is it his right to vote that way? Completely.
But it is then my right to take issue with it.

Ugh...I'm rambling.
Sorry.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

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[wife2hotblk]

I spent this past weekend assisting a family who lost their 2nd daughter at 25 weeks of pregnancy to a fatal genetic disorder. They made the 'choice' to terminate.

After that hard 'choice' (what choice does anyone really have in these situations), the birth itself was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. It was beautifully bitter-sweet as her father caught his tiny daughter with tears running down his face before the midwives arrived. They spent hours holding her and talking to her. They tried valiantly to pack a lifetime of love and memories into those brief hours with that tiny cold body.

The only time I almost 'lost the plot' as my Brit countrymen say was when the Roman Catholic preist came to bless her. Her mother and I are both...without faith...would be the best description. Her father, while not practicing, is Catholic; so this was important to him. Now my own youngest child suffers with epilepsy, so I rarely turn off my mobile even when working these days. I was embarrassed and a tad angry when my husband called me to ask a silly question in the middle of the ceremony. But then I realised it was a good thing. Those two minutes in the hall when I stepped out to answer the phone allowed me to compose myself and keep it together for something that meant a great deal to the dad. We buried her tiny lifeless body yesterday. I sewed her clothes from a pattern meant for the smallest dolls...and still had to use ribbons rather than elastic so we could tie it to fit her.

For some background, I was raised Christian and have been Methodist, Baptist and Catholic. I was 'saved' at ten. I also spent a decade married to an evangelical pastor. I am the way I am as a result of that experience.

You asked...how do you cope without faith?

I ask what f'ing kind of god...

Allows his servants (i.e. pastors) to emotionally and sometimes physically abuse their families?

Has churches full of back-biting, mean and hateful gossipers (I have always found better friends in bars than churches)?

Allows tiny babies with their whole lives ahead to have a trans-located gene, which mean they would never have a single moment of their short lives without tubes, monitors and pain?

Would then condemn their parents to eternal damnation for making a merciful 'choice'?

Allows evil, greedy men to cheat, lie and steal from hard working people all their lives...and run our economies into the ground in the process?

How are we getting through? Tears...and laughter...and hugs. We talk about the beauty of her birth in one moment and become angry that there was no perfect baby to take home afterwards in the next breathe. Would empty words of god's will take any of that away?

 

[braided]

Back in college a math perfesser gave me a problem he couldnt solve. I've played with it for over 30 years and cant solve it either. Its a geometry problem that demonstrates how to get something from nothing. And you end up with more than you started with. Its demonstrable but defies explanation for now.

My hero Richard Feynman was an atheist who explained faith this way: He said that when he discovered things he was also aware that what he discovered existed apart from his awareness of it; that its reality wasnt dependent on his conscious awareness or understanding. It was there before he found it. He trusted that more answers exist but he couldnt lead you to them, because the path to each discovery is different. But he had faith that more answers awaited discovery. He said that these answers made him feel uneasy about his atheism, less confident that he knew enough to hold the conviction.

......................

I only know that I know nothing. And scientists like Richard Feynman (I love his book "Six not-so- easy pieces") and many others also don't. Now, with all the science of psychology, the suffering of human beings can be relieved. But,psychoanalysts like Yoram Yovell are still using biblical phrases as "Even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, would not fear because YOU are with me..". Faith is something that we feel, and..who knows...is a blessing from God...

 

[amicus]

Back in college a math perfesser gave me a problem he couldnt solve. I've played with it for over 30 years and cant solve it either. Its a geometry problem that demonstrates how to get something from nothing. And you end up with more than you started with. Its demonstrable but defies explanation for now.

My hero Richard Feynman was an atheist who explained faith this way: He said that when he discovered things he was also aware that what he discovered existed apart from his awareness of it; that its reality wasnt dependent on his conscious awareness or understanding. It was there before he found it. He trusted that more answers exist but he couldnt lead you to them, because the path to each discovery is different. But he had faith that more answers awaited discovery. He said that these answers made him feel uneasy about his atheism, less confident that he knew enough to hold the conviction.

~~~

Not to quibble with my meager exploration into analytic geometry more than your 30 years ago, JBJ, but 'theorems' have to be logically proven before they become solid. The presumption of 'something for nothing', contradicts both the nature of reality and mathematics and also the physics concept of action/reaction.

I have never before accused you of posting a 'silly' proposition, but your second paragraph, second point, borders on just that. It is not' faith', that more answers exist than any one mind can conceive at any given time, it is fact and combinations and permutations to use another math concept.

Further, your assertion completely ignores the cognitive function of the mind to conceptualize and abstract. The 'answers', or the direction to find those illusive answers are most often created by the mind, where, 'if this, then that', continues to function, even as you sleep.

The terrible downside of 'faith' is that it destroys any possibility of discovering those new facts, the 'truth' of of seeking non contradictory knowledge.

Amicus

 

[Stella_Omega]

Let's turn the coin over. Let's say, for argument's sake, that a scientist, somewhere, was able to empirically prove the existence of God. Test after test, the proof endures and God itself appears before all of humanity and demonstrates its omnipotence.

Would the whole of humanity suddenly accept God, completely and without recourse?

Of course not.

nice supposition there! Do you have faith in this theory of yours? [/QUOTE]

The absence of faith is a faith all its own. Just as there is a museum (in Utah, I think) that demonstratively 'proves' the world was created in 4004 BC, there would be those to contest, on every level, the supposed 'real' existence of God.[/QUOTE]as long as that existance is only "supposed," yes. And it's that supposition that fuels the creator of that mueseum.

Faith and belief exist because it is part of humanity to challenge what is known, or even simply supposed. Without the constant conflict of belief versus reality, there would never be the inspiration to continue and evolve.

You have two things conflated here.

Faith is a confidence in an idea that is bolstered by experience. I have faith that the sun will rise every morning, because it always has thus far. That's a pragmatic faith. It's supported by empirical fact.

I have faith that the IRS won't audit me this year, because they never have-- a far less well-founded faith! That's faith based on a blind belief, and it could be shattered at any time. You have faith in God because nothing has happened to shatter your belief. Indeed nothing can happen to prove you wrong, because of the way you've set up your belief in your God-- be it ill, be it well, it's All God's Will.

Belief exist because homo sapiens cannot be comfortable in a world that challenges us with so many uncontrollable factors. We need something to satisfy our need for knowledge-- if we can't acquire that knowledge, we stick a belief in there instead. We know, now, that grass is green because it produces chlorophyll which it then converts into simple sugars-- back when we didn't know that, we believed that grass was green because... um... God told it to be green, yeah!

Our biggest problem is that beliefs are so damn satisfying. It's very difficult to get them replaced with the facts that they were placeholders for.

Belief, my friend, can be as deleterious to the human spirit-- as stultifying, as flattening-- as it can be impelling.