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Author Topic:   Omniscience, Omnipotence, the Fall & Logical Contradictions.
dogrelata
Member (Idle past 5338 days)
Posts: 201
From: Scotland
Joined: 08-04-2006


Message 225 of 354 (364537)
11-18-2006 10:39 AM
Reply to: Message 23 by iano
10-05-2006 10:48 AM


Special insight?
iano writes:
Nobody is reasoned into Christianity. It can only make sense from the perspective of having insights currently closed to you. The catch-22 of faith. "Faith is the evidence of things not seen" - but you don't get that faith (evidence) until you have faith (belief)
A little further on in another post we read:
iano writes:
Faith adds another dimension to single dimension reason. Reason it remains but it is expanded upon. Whereas standard reason views a plan view of a house and can take you so far, faith adds glimpses into the 3D solid model. Unless you see it yourself of course it will seem unreasonable. It is unreasonable from your perspective. You know that the bible talks constantly of this blindness (to this other dimension).
I think the idea of who has the greater insight, the believer or non-believer, is an interesting one. So I’d like to start with my own humble, faithless view of knowledge and understanding.
In very broad terms, it appears to me that knowledge falls into two categories - imparted knowledge and knowledge by experience. Imparted knowledge is gathered by reading, for example, or talking with friends or watching our favourite news channel, or any source we consider trustworthy.
Knowledge by experience is perhaps a more personal knowledge. For example, I guess most of us have stubbed our toe at some time or another, and those of us that have will have knowledge of what it is to have done so. Those who have been lucky enough never to do so do not have the knowledge of what it is to do so, but can gain a degree of knowledge and understanding of the experience by reading about it or talking to a friend - if they are so inclined
To these two categories, iano proposes the addition of a third - knowledge by faith or through faith. This third category is open only to those who choose to embrace faith, so it seems, which is why the insights it offers are beyond the likes of me I’m afraid
Which is probably why I come up with clumsy analogies like this one:
I assemble a number of people together in a darkened room with a beam of light being projected against one of the walls. I then place my hands in front of the light source and manipulate them in such a manner as to produce an image in shadow that looks just like a rabbit. I then ask everybody what he or she sees. They all reply that they see a rabbit. So I further ask if what they see is actually a rabbit or a shadow that just happens to look like a rabbit. Again they all reply that they see a shadow that looks like a rabbit - apart from one individual who says he actually sees a rabbit. When pressed to tell why he sees an actual rabbit as opposed to just a shadow on the wall, he replies that he has faith that this is actually a rabbit, and hence possesses the additional insight required to see what we cannot, using our ”single dimension reason’.
So who should I conclude has the greater insight, the individual who actually sees a rabbit, or those that don’t? iano says, ”You know that the bible talks constantly of this blindness (to this other dimension).’ So are we to give credence to every piece of knowledge or understanding that emanates from the ”greater insight’ offered by faith(s), or are those of us blundering around blindly with our ”single dimension reason’ entitled to employ just a smidgeon of scepticism when faced with any claim of this nature?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 23 by iano, posted 10-05-2006 10:48 AM iano has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 226 by RAZD, posted 11-18-2006 6:26 PM dogrelata has replied

  
dogrelata
Member (Idle past 5338 days)
Posts: 201
From: Scotland
Joined: 08-04-2006


Message 227 of 354 (364676)
11-19-2006 2:48 AM
Reply to: Message 226 by RAZD
11-18-2006 6:26 PM


Re: Special insight?
Thanks RAZD.
I'll check out the other topic and post any response to your post on that topic.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 226 by RAZD, posted 11-18-2006 6:26 PM RAZD has not replied

  
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