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In a message dated 10/10/2002 2:02:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
louisam1@... writes:


> I can respect that a person stretches their belief system to cover areas
> they have not investigated but it's not fair to imply that those who
> stretch with a different cloth are unreasonable.


What's wrong with "I don't know"?
I don't stretch to pretend to know or believe what I don't know or believe.
There's no good reason to.

If someone's "stretch" involves faith, then that is NOT "reason," by
definition.

If people bypass or overcome the definition of "reason" and base their
beliefs or actions on faith or teachings or traditions instead of "reason,"
then theys should find other ways to discuss that than telling people around
them not to consider them "unreasonable."

I'd avoid any word with the root of "reason" in such discussions, if I were
trying to justify a faith-based premise.

Sandra






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

> > I can respect that a person stretches their belief system to
> cover areas
> > they have not investigated but it's not fair to imply that those
> who
> > stretch with a different cloth are unreasonable.
>
>
> What's wrong with "I don't know"?
> I don't stretch to pretend to know or believe what I don't know or
> believe.
> There's no good reason to.

There's nothing wrong with "I don't know". To look at the evidence and
conclude that creation is not valid is a stretch as well, there is not
enough evidence for this. Of course, it is my opinion, just as it is the
opinion of others that the evidence points to a "big bang" type of
evolution.

> If someone's "stretch" involves faith, then that is NOT "reason," by
>
> definition.
>
> If people bypass or overcome the definition of "reason" and base
> their
> beliefs or actions on faith or teachings or traditions instead of
> "reason,"
> then theys should find other ways to discuss that than telling
> people around
> them not to consider them "unreasonable."
>
> I'd avoid any word with the root of "reason" in such discussions, if
> I were
> trying to justify a faith-based premise.
>
> Sandra

1rea�son \"rez-en\ n [ME resoun, fr. OF raison, fr. L ration-, ratio
reason, computation] 1 : a statement offered in explanation or
justification 2 : ground, cause 3 : the power to think : intellect 4 : a
sane or sound mind 5 : due exercise of the faculty of logical thought
(c)2000 Zane Publishing, Inc. and Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. All
rights reserved.

If a person says to me, "If you believe in God and/or creation just admit
that you have no good reason to do so. Admit that "faith" is based
purely on emotion and that you have no right to see reason in any of it,
then I'll accept and respect you.", I cannot accommodate them. If I
truly believed that there was no evidence for my belief in God and the
validity/authority of the Bible then I could admit that faith is a blind
adherence to propaganda but I don't.

Kris

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