Faith Definition

Faith Definition

There are many debates about science versus religion. There are a number of such debates on Squidoo alone. In particular, evolution versus creationism is a hot topic.

The religious or creationism argument relies completely on faith. Faith that God exists, when his existence cannot be proven.

The evolution arguments is based on scientific fact. Ideally a set of theories with a large amount of observational or experimental evidence to be accepted as fact.

Debates on science versus religion often become mere name calling. One side or the other will rapidly become closed minded. Communication breaks down and insults begin.

However, if you dig dig into what is faith, you may find some common ground.

Defintion of Faith

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief, trust.
3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.
4. often Faith Christianity The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.
5. The body of dogma of a religion: the Muslim faith.
6. A set of principles or beliefs.

thefreedictionary.com

Evolution versus Creationism

This argument is a bit flawed. These two are not discussing the same topic.

Evolution has a great deal of evidence to back it up. This includes relatively new evidence from the modern era. For example, the peppered moth in England was light colored as it often rested on the light color bark of trees. this provided camouflage from predatory birds. During the industrial revolution, pollution darkened the tree bark. As a result the genetic anomaly for dark colored moths became advantageous since it now provided better camouflage. The predominant coloring for the peppered moth is now dark

Wikipedia of the peppered moth

But, evolution is describes how existing life forms change and adapt. It does not describe the origins or life. Creationism is the religious belief that God is responsible for the origin of life.

Berkeley describes misconception

The scientific equivalent of creationism is a field of study called Abiogenesis. This is the study of how life originated from inorganic matter.



Furthermore, the concept of Panspermia says that the original organic molecules had Extraterrestrial origins. Such materials could have been deposited on Earth by fragments of rock from other bodies in or solar system. Panspermia is merely a concept, and there is not a great deal of evidence. Still, it is one of the best scientific explanations for Abiogensis.



So now the evolution versus creationism argument becomes aliens or God. Do you have "faith" in the concept of alien origins of life? Is one of these answers more satisfying than the other?

Does science require faith

Abiogensis and Panspermia do require faith. The second definition of faith states "belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence". We do not have the evidence for Abiogensis and Panspermia, so much so that neither can be compared to Evolution where is an abundance of evidence. But, they are among the top theories for the origins of life, and someone who believes in a scientific explanation for the origins of life must have faith in the current popular concepts.

The point I'm trying to make is that science requires faith. In fact, most everything requires faith. You be taking much more for granted (or on faith) than you think.

Faith in math

Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell in Principia Mathematica offer the longest proof that 1 + 1 = 2. It takes some 360 to 370 pages to scientifically prove 1 + 1 = 2. There are shorter proofs, to be sure. However, there are none I can fully understand. I simply do not have the mathematical education to comprehend the proof.

Therefore, I am forced to take it on faith that 1 + 1 = 2. Again, definition of faith is believe in something I cannot prove. Since I cannot prove 1 + 1 = 2, nor can I comprehend the proofs others have offered, I must accept it by faith.

The fundamental concept of all math is 1 + 1 = 2. All other math is based on it. So, if I take 1 + 1 = 2 on faith, then am I really taking all math on faith? Furthermore, math is language of science in general. So, I'm really taking all of science on faith.

Magic

Arthur C. Clarke famously said "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.".

Can any one human being recreate all the experiments throughout history in order to arrive a modern scientific understanding of the universe? For example, let's take Stephen Hawking who probably has the intelligence to comprehend all the current scientific theories. Is there enough time in the average human lifespan where he could personally verify all the current scientific theories? Let's assume he could accomplish that, would he be inclined to do so?

If the answer is no, he would not pursue recreating all scientific theories, then he must accept some scientific theories on faith. Faith that the information he learned from textbooks or other scientists is both true and accurate.

Imagine a catastrophe that wipes out modern civilization, but leaves human survivors. These survivors by necessity become simple farmers. Furthermore, without a functioning system of education, future generations lose the technology we rely on today. This is a familiar concept from many science fiction stories. At what point does technology become magic? At what point do those who can wield that technology become mystics, shamans or religious figures?

School textbook versus the bible

Do you have faith in a school textbook or in the bible?

I've said that you must take on faith that the information in textbook is true and accurate. So, now the question is do you have faith in the textbook or in the bible?

There is more than one textbook on math. But there are also more religious texts than just the bible. There are the Tora and Koran for example. Beyond that you have a great number of books that study or explain the main religious texts.

Textbooks have the modern educational system behind them. The religious texts have priests, rabbis and churches behind them. Those figures believe in the religious texts as much as educators believe in textbooks.

Modern society on the whole believes in textbooks, which is faith by a sort of conformity. Similarly, there are a great number of people who believe in the bible or religions.

What is my point?

I hope that I have made it clear that the average person needs to faith. Either faith in science or faith in religion, whichever he believes. If we can realize there is common ground, maybe we can more tolerant of another persons beliefs even when we disagree with them.