I have faith because I must ... do you agree?

[T3l Ca7]

Ok, I was browsing some philosophy forums (while sipping some cocktail) and I stumbled upon an article about faith. Then I remembered I read a newspapre article describing how Stephen hawkin once asked a question:

In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?

The last paragraph of the best answer chosen by the asker was:

Why do I place this faith in humanity? Because I must. Without the belief that we will continue to grow and overcome the pains of social chaos as we mature as a species, we might as well not have any faith at all. I'm not talking religion (although that may or may not be a part in its current forms), but simply the same belief that we will survive just as much as the sun will rise the next day.

'I have faith because I must' ... what heck does that mean?? it seems that cheating oneself is allowed if you had no other alternative.

It bothers me.

I mean logically if there is nothing you can do and the best you could do is hoping, then having false hope is better having nothing.

But it still bothers me.

Should we just face the truth instead of running away hoping that miracles truly exist?

(I have written this in a hurry so misspells are expected).

[Zerzera]

Read 'Fear and Trembling' by Kierkegaard. Or dig into Albert Camus' work.

Basically the best thing you can do to keep yourself from being depressed is to be religious.
As long as we aren't bright enough to understand we are better off fooling ourselves and look how far we get from there.

You could use religion as a placeholder for things you don't understand, you can still look for some answers but there is no pressure and you could be totally happy without answers.

[Ephemeral]

Faith and hope are closely related (and I do not mean the TV show). if you do not have any faith at all (faith in yourself and faith in others) then you do not have any hope in yourself or others. Therefore, unless you are manic depressive, 'I have faith because I must'.

[Jerome Scuggs]

I think this is why I embraced Objectivism after I lost my faith in religion. Though I'm not so much Objectivist anymore (Ayn Rand is a fucking loon), I still have an individualist faith in humanity, a belief that Mankind can and will progress and do better.

[T3l Ca7]

Faith and hope are closely related (and I do not mean the TV show). if you do not have any faith at all (faith in yourself and faith in others) then you do not have any hope in yourself or others. Therefore, unless you are manic depressive, 'I have faith because I must'.

Are you telling me it is okey to know something yet have faith in a totally different outcome and if you had to choose between happiness and truth you would choose happiness over truth?

[SEAL]

aaaaaaaaaaaactually, I don't want to get involved in this. at all.

[Edify]

Ok, I was browsing some philosophy forums (while sipping some cocktail) and I stumbled upon an article about faith.

Rollin down the street, smokin indo, sippin on gin and juice
Laid back [with my mind on my money and my money on my mind]

[DoTheFandango]

(while sipping some cock)

nt-jstfu

[Ephemeral]

Are you telling me it is okey to know something yet have faith in a totally different outcome and if you had to choose between happiness and truth you would choose happiness over truth?

Huh?
I did not say anything regarding 'knowing something yet having faith in a different outcome'. Faith and knowledge is a different subject. Nor did I say anything about happiness and truth. I simply posted what I thought he was talking about.

[Zerzera]

Are you telling me it is okey to know something yet have faith in a totally different outcome and if you had to choose between happiness and truth you would choose happiness over truth?

It's more about what you don't know, and realizing how much that is.
I do believe that the evolution theory is what happened, but that's only because I decided that it's a logical explanation. It's not because I know it's true. And even if I accept it as total truth, I still don't know what came before that, and where that came from.

You can accept truths for yourself, but only if you find it logical in some way. It's easy to act like you grasp it all and that everyone who doesn't accept, is retarded.

Religion does nothing less, but it's easier because you don't have to explain anything anymore. There is no end and this life is only a test, you have to pass and then everything will be good.

Jeffrey Goines: You know what crazy is? Crazy is majority rules. Take germs, for example.
James Cole: Germs?
Jeffrey Goines: Uh-huh. In the eighteenth century, no such thing, nada, nothing. No one ever imagined such a thing. No sane person, anyway. Ah! Ah! Along comes this doctor, uh, uh, uh, Semmelweis, Semmelweis. Semmelweis comes along. He's trying to convince people, well, other doctors mainly, that's there's these teeny tiny invisible bad things called germs that get into your body and make you sick. Ah? He's trying to get doctors to wash their hands. What is this guy? Crazy? Teeny, tiny, invisible? What do you call it? Uh-uh, germs? Huh? What? Now, cut to the 20th century. Last week, as a matter of fact, before I got dragged into this hellhole. I go in to order a burger in this fast food joint, and the guy drops it on the floor. Jim, he picks it up, he wipes it off, he hands it to me like it's all OK. "What about the germs?" I say. He says, "I don't believe in germs. Germs is just a plot they made up so they can sell you disinfectants and soaps." Now he's crazy, right? See? Ah! Ah! There's no right, there's no wrong, there's only popular opinion.