Faith

[Sara S]

Faith is a cop-out. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits. -Dan Barker, former preacher, musician (b. 1949)

[notsomuch]

Sure. Of course, sometimes there are no assertions in the first place, let alone anything to accept - but there is faith in some form, like trust in a friend.

From another former preacher, just not one who did it from any pulpit. No musical talent, although I have heard a lot of the same tunes I'm sure.

[JuliaB]

Faith happens everywhere, all the time. If you didn't have faith that you were going to be able to drive across town without getting killed, you'd stay at home

julia

Sure. Of course, sometimes there are no assertions in the first place, let alone anything to accept - but there is faith in some form, like trust in a friend.

From another former preacher, just not one who did it from any pulpit. No musical talent, although I have heard a lot of the same tunes I'm sure.

[notsomuch]

Yes. Of course this is different from the point of the original quote, which is about belief in an idea. Whether you accept or reject an idea it is all mental processes. Faith as you are pointing to has to do with actually relating to others in the world, not how you relate to thoughts and concepts about them. Faith in this sense is based on reality and is in fact all about the merit of a thing rather than, say, belief in the correctness in ones own view, even if it has a lot of experience and reason behind it. It is direct and more transparent, and has no use for a layer of conceptual overlay in its purest form.

Accepting things based on well thought out logical arguments may also ignore the true merit of things, if one was to focus on the rationalizations rather than the things which are actually involved. There may not be any fallacy to the reasoning, but there may very well be a failure to recognize the nature of the things involved.

Faith happens everywhere, all the time. If you didn't have faith that you were going to be able to drive across town without getting killed, you'd stay at home

[Clancy]

Faith and knowing are not mutually exclusive - they have different applications.

Here's a quote from one of my favorite scientists, who has room for both in her life...

"Studying biology also meant studying the foundations of biology, physics and chemistry. The moment I started learning about electromagnetism and atoms and cells I started seeing God. I saw God’s hand in energy waves, in electrons, in states of matter and rates of reaction, in the molecules and mechanisms of life. I saw God in the billions of years and manifold mysteries of the evolution of the universe, and in the billions of years and molecular miracles of the evolution of life on earth. Evolution! What an awesome glimpse at the mind and power of the Creator!"
Julie Simon Lakehomer: Science Writer - Wonder of the Moment

Faith is a cop-out. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits. -Dan Barker, former preacher, musician (b. 1949)