h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Too much faith is unhealthy.

And no faith at all is impossible.

Explain everything you can, and when you've finished you'll find that there's no explanation for why *this* is an explanation.

Noggin

"I think you'll find that BIG BANG is a joke term that stuck."

Not so much a joke as an attempted insult. Hoyle was trying to insult the idea "Show be a fossile of this "big bang".

Like carpetbagger and scalawag in the context of the US Reconstruction period.

"As to where the speck came from, that's a different matter. If God *is* to be found in the mere mechanics of the universe, that's where to look."

And if we find Her there, then thinking She exists isn't faith anymore, em's.

While doctrine and dogma may be the issue, I think they're the basis of faith. It's either that or make it up as you go along. Faith generally has one of two sources, neither of which is mentally healthy:

1.) Dogma. You believe it because others do or tell you to.

2.) Taking your imaginations seriously. Being creative is good, but if you start believing everything you can imagine, you are in for trouble.

If you think there's a god, faith is not the way to come to that conclusion.

"Too much faith is unhealthy."

"And no faith at all is impossible."

"Explain everything you can, and when you've finished you'll find that there's no explanation for why *this* is an explanation."

Then the best thing to do is to minimize faith. Look for the set of explanations that require the least faith--and if you can't find an explanation to cover something, consider leaving it unanswered instead of taking a leap of faith.

All hail Seldon, Jefferson, and Bowman!

A question for anyone
The kown universe is said to be expanding and cooling, Is it possible to leave our universe. Taking into account the laws of thermodynamics'.

Everyone should have faith? But what in? Do you mean religious faith? I suppose I have faith in people, of a sort, but I'm an atheist. Perhaps I have faith in science, and atoms and such.

Sorry, az. You are right, I got it wrong. Hey, that's what you do when you get something wrong - but don't worry about it.

toxx

I think many people need to have faith in something. Hence the decline of religious faith was accompanied by the rise of political "isms" that claimed to have all the answers. Personally I'm a socialist but I've given up expecting to solve all the worlds problems quickly. I suppose belief in scientific progress can fall into the same category of religious substitute.

I don't believe sciences has all the answers. It just has a better method for getting them than religion's "Cos the book says".

Always refreshing to meet a fellow red.

Noggin. You raise the problem of the infinite regress. The only way I know of stopping it is to appeal to something else. In the case of explanation, it might be a brute fact or basic belief.

Non-philosophers: those last two expressions are philosophical terms of art.

toxx

Jez, you're right, you did ask politely, and I'm sorry I used the word "demanded." If I'm going to fling the term semantics around, I probably should be more aware of my word choices.

That said, I thought the conversation about pedophila was actually quite polite. So I'm not sure what your issue there is....

For a lot of people, the idea that there isn't "something out there" is scary. The nebulousness of the belief actually makes it easier to shape it to one's own needs.

Whoah, helluva simulpost.

AD. In my view, it is logically possible to leave our universe and be in 'other space'. Hmmmm; another philosophical term of art!

toxx

Roadkill
Would agree scientific method is valuable but I feel that Western society (myself included) is somewhat obsessed with scientific progress and economic growth.

And I agree with you.

"No, that can't be right, 'cos science says" is almost as bad as "cos the bible says".

And these blind economic forces we're supposed to be catering to, what's that all about?

I spent 13 years in London because of economic forces . Much happier living in a place where people sometimes smile at you or say hello on the streets.

I like London. If all goes well I'll go to uni there. And I wouldn't be afraid to say hello in the street neither.

Montana

It's just that I've been around this thread long enough to know that however politely this topic begins, it ALWAYS ends up acrimoniously and people get upset with each other. I'd rather they did it somewhere else where I don't have to watch.

In the archives of this gargantuan thread, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of posts about paedophilia.

I was hoping it had all been said.

Jez

Ah, well then. I see where you're coming from.

Probably worth living there for a few years. After all theres so much nightlife, places to see and go etc. I enjoyed it for a few years, but I got fed up with the commuting, bad manners etc. Also I worked for lawyers at the time which is never good.