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malfeanatwork t1_j6tlafh wrote

Reply to comment by fostertheatom in How to be a sceptic | We have an ethical responsibility to adopt a sceptical attitude to everything from philosophy and science to economics and history in the pursuit of a good life for ourselves and others. by IAI_Admin

Faith is just what's at the other end of the spectrum from skepticism, has nothing to do with religion. You have faith in currency, in doctors, airplane pilots, etc.

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fostertheatom t1_j6tmt9c wrote

No, I watch the DOW, I research my doctors before choosing one. I expect my airplane pilots to have proper certifications and I research the weather on my route beforehand. I do not just throw myself into situations "on faith".

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mosesteawesome t1_j6ttc1x wrote

But you use the DOW or your research etc. to then act on faith. Good faith is built on previous experience or information to believe something. Pilots can make mistakes, even with certifications, but you have faith that they won't. Even switching on a light requires faith that the switch will continue to work as it has in your previous experience. You don't know that it will, but can have a strong faith it will.

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fostertheatom t1_j6uf3ij wrote

That's literally not how it works though. That's not faith, that is called research and making assumptions. Assumptions and Faith may be similar at a glance but they are definitely different.

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WaveCore t1_j6vznlf wrote

Could you explain why they’re different. It’s worthless to just aggressively insist they are without any reasoning

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fostertheatom t1_j6w493b wrote

Sure.

Faith is by definition having "complete trust or confidence in someone or something."

Assumption is... "a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof."

Yeah I used the wrong term and have been using it for a while. I realized that as I was getting definitions for this reply and I'm just going to leave my misplaced confidence there. I deserve to be humiliated a bit for that. Assumption was very much the wrong word for what I was going for. I was going for something closer to "Hoping everything goes okay because I have to do this but knowing things could go wrong".

With that admitted to, my point still stands (although strike the assumption bit from it). I do not have any form of "Faith" in my Doctor, Pilots, Light Switches, etc. I do not have the "Assumption" that they are going to work or everything is always going to be fine. I make preparations to get the best outcome using the best of my abilities and I roll the dice. Can't control it so I just have to try to find someone good and hope for the best. It's just how life is.

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