Reason & Faith

Reason and Faith If we are to be honest, we must admit that faith is based upon what works for us. So, for one, it might be a purely Jewish path of belief. These beliefs may help us navigate the uncertainties and fears of life, they may help us be "better" people by being more kind, or more thoughtful. Perhaps these beliefs help us get through hardships. In all cases they are what works. For some of us, these beliefs are based upon what was handed to us by those that went before. For others, faith comes from deep, deep contemplation of our experiences, internal and external. This faith is not based so much on beliefs as on what we have learned from experience. Religion is not necessary for faith. What exist, if anything does actually exist, exists with or without religion. Reply

Fsith Judaism fuses the intellect with spirituality; Judaism knows you cannot have one without the other. Judaism is not based upon a blind faith without logic and reasoning. I believe G-d expects all of us to even question the very existence of G-d. For faith without question is not truly faith at all. By the way I must admit that I am an avid admirer of Thomas Jefferson if you didn't notice. Reply

Reason and Faith Which must rule - reason or faith? And where does faith come from without reason? Reply

Faith Surely it is a greater leap of faith to believe that "all of this" was created by random chance rather than the work of The Holy One. Reply

You have spoken truly here, Rabbi: It is impossible to escape faith, and, indeed, many things that are thought of as science are actually articles of faith.

Examples: Evolution, 'global warming', psychology, many others.

I don't know if economics can be called a science, but that too is actually an act of faith oftentimes.

If they actually had a fair polling of the people who professed to believe in evolution, 'global warming', psychology, whatever brand of economics their politics decrees, it would be established that the vast majority have not much knowledge in these matters.

They believe what they believe on faith.

Remember though, Rabbi Freeman, that a Jew is a Jew is a Jew (not to be confused with Gertrude Stein and a rose) whether he or she chooses to deny faith in any part or altogether.

G-d has His reasons for that (right?).

Science is based on 'exploding paradigms'; a progression of false, 'exploded', theories; a 'heritage of falseness' (Rambam).

Science is only a tool, nothing more. Reply

reason leads to faith faith is the ends to a line of reason. only through reason can one reach faith. in that sense more reason can lead to more faith. Reply

Faith = Reason? Is faith then an underlying assumption of some truth? Then what is a leap of faith? Doesn't one have to jump over the chasm of an assumptionless nothing to reach faith? Not that I've ever achieved this. But I thought it was along the lines of the message the Rebbe was trying to articulate in his explanations. Back to the drawing board? Reply

Axioms and scratches on a jail cell Please excuse me for not getting it but I don't-It reminds me in part of this paragraph I read from a book of Elie Wiesel's something about being in a jail cell with the devil and every time the devil kills off a Jew he scratches off a knotch on the side of the cell and because of your rationale and your refusal to believe in G-d's love as being irrational based you sit in that jail cell and watch the devil. You sort of got to trust yourself and your own ability to know that love has nothing to do with logic-I'm sorry it is possible I don't have this one at-all this is going to take a while for me-so far this is it Reply

faith A Truth indeed. Reply