Doug Pensinger wrote: > > Let me try and elaborate - I believe in God because I like > the idea of > > someone having all the answers to all my questions. While > that can be > > defined as having faith that my fellow humans wouldn't be > able to help > > me out with that one, it could also be called a lack of faith in > > humankind. Personally, I think that is just realism. > > But who answers her questions? 8^) Belief in a god (or gods) > may deflect > questions as an umbrella deflects rain, but the questions > don't go away.
I think you misunderstood my position. I never said the questions go away or that they are deflected. Just that I like the notion of having Her answer the questions which remained unanswered during my lifetime. :) And if She needs answers to Her questions, that is Her problem, not mine. :) > Someone said something similar to me - that people that say > they don't > believe in a god are always using his name in vain, so that > they really > _do_ believe or something like that. But its just a figure > of speech. > Something you get into the habit of saying because many > others around you > use the expression. I see no commitment or hypocrisy there. I tend to be careful with my words and try to refrain from saying things I don't mean. I really don't care if others find it hypocritical or not, I only know what *I* felt like. :) > To me, that _is_ faith in humanity because humanity produces > those ideas > and individuals. I don't believe that every single human > will contribute > to our advancement; that would be ludicrous. Rather, I believe that > collectively we will continue to improve the human condition, > and continue > to learn and understand more about the universe we live in. Ah, but I don't have that faith in inevitable progress either. I the chances of us messing up the situation seriously are the same, if not slightly better, than the chances of continuous improvement. So, I will not claim a faith in humanity but only in certain humans and certain ideas. :) Ritu _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
