Well, that is a highly coloured definition of faith, and just one of the senses offered by Wiktionary.
It's late in the day to be adding to this discussion, but what I really wanted to get at is this: that though you may like that definition of the word, it's not the one your creationist friend has in mind when he says that it is "faith" that leads him to the conclusion that Darwinian evolution is wrong.
For what it's worth, I think creationists are mistaken in their conclusion that Christian belief is inconsistent with evolution. This must be due to a false premiss or faulty reasoning, but we must avoid in turn the worse error of supposing that all religious premisses are false or all religious reasoning faulty: that's absurd.
-- Mike
PS. I read some of the Origin a couple of years ago, and I must say I was bowled over by the richness of Darwin's perception of the ecological complexity of nature. It is beautifully subtle and yet completely accessible.
... the whole point of science is to try and explain things on the basis of available evidence rather than just taking someones' word for it (which is essentially what "faith" means)
Your words, not those of Prof. Reiss, I take it. And a common theme among the disciples of Dawkins. But that is not essentially what faith means, and I don't see how someone who says so can even have begun to engage with religious thought in any significant way.
Yes, but it considered particularly rude and offensive to do so.
Yes, that is sort-of the point.
If it were not rude, It wouldn't echo so loudly.
And that is often the only way to make yourself heard.
The problem with this strategy is that, although candidates for knighthoods are, as is well known, chosen by Downing Street, the knighthood is conferred by the Queen, and either returning the knighthood or refusing it publicly is disrespectful to her. Whatever you think of the actions of the government, e.g. in managing science funding, many people would not wish to show disrespect to a head of state who is above politics.
Slashdot Mirror
... Intel inside.
If you can't remove the sticker, try adding one of your own.
Why is it that Americans pronounce the word "solder" as if it were spelled "sodder"?
Computer or no computer, if I climbed under your car in the parking lot, I could cut the brake lines.
Well, that is a highly coloured definition of faith, and just one of the senses offered by Wiktionary.
It's late in the day to be adding to this discussion, but what I really wanted to get at is this: that though you may like that definition of the word, it's not the one your creationist friend has in mind when he says that it is "faith" that leads him to the conclusion that Darwinian evolution is wrong.
For what it's worth, I think creationists are mistaken in their conclusion that Christian belief is inconsistent with evolution. This must be due to a false premiss or faulty reasoning, but we must avoid in turn the worse error of supposing that all religious premisses are false or all religious reasoning faulty: that's absurd.
-- Mike
PS. I read some of the Origin a couple of years ago, and I must say I was bowled over by the richness of Darwin's perception of the ecological complexity of nature. It is beautifully subtle and yet completely accessible.
... the whole point of science is to try and explain things on the basis of available evidence rather than just taking someones' word for it (which is essentially what "faith" means)
Your words, not those of Prof. Reiss, I take it. And a common theme among the disciples of Dawkins. But that is not essentially what faith means, and I don't see how someone who says so can even have begun to engage with religious thought in any significant way.
Yes, but it considered particularly rude and offensive to do so.
Yes, that is sort-of the point.
If it were not rude, It wouldn't echo so loudly.
And that is often the only way to make yourself heard.
The problem with this strategy is that, although candidates for knighthoods are, as is well known, chosen by Downing Street, the knighthood is conferred by the Queen, and either returning the knighthood or refusing it publicly is disrespectful to her. Whatever you think of the actions of the government, e.g. in managing science funding, many people would not wish to show disrespect to a head of state who is above politics.