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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (222524)	3/5/2007 11:15:09 AM
From: neolib	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

My understanding of the meaning of "leap of faith" is a belief in something without empirical evidence. If you read the defining NT passage on faith, Hebrews 11, you will see that faith is belief in something despite contrary evidence. It is a very important distinction. Western Christianity has largely tried to negate faith in religion and replace it with rational reason. Eastern religions seem much less preoccupied with this.

To: Ilaine who wrote (222524)	3/5/2007 11:28:44 AM
From: Sun Tzu	Respond to of 281500

What is lost on most people is that we are constantly acting on faith because we never ever have sufficient empirical evidence for our conclusions. For example, a scientist who is analyzing Earth's tectonic plates and sifts through hundreds of thousands of seismic data to predict earthquakes, has made an implicit leap of faith that the phase of the moon has no bearing on earthquakes. Which is to say he has made a leap of faith that he has all the relevant info he needs to come to his conclusions. However, most people are unaware of how much of their decisions is based on faith rather than reason. This acting on faith feels more like "leap", we become painfully aware of the inadequacies of our "empirical" evidence. It is even more so when the stakes are high. ST PS You and I may be much closer than I thought :) Anyone who marries and has kids has give hostages to fate and fortune and so has made a leap of faith. PPS You may be interested that Darwinism may provide evidence for the existence of God. See nytimes.com