[extropy-chat] Atheism in Decline

[Olga Bourlin]

From: "Technotranscendence" <neptune at superlink.net>
> On Saturday, March 05, 2005 7:02 PM Damien Broderick

>> Leaving that aside, I am struck by this quaint
>> phrase "the faithful", in this forum of all places,
>> as a synonym for "theist". The contrary of an
>> atheist, by definition, is a theist. The contrary
>> of someone who is faithful is someone who
>> is faith*less*, and hence by implication
>> untrustworthy, devious, two-faced and
>> generally not nice to have around.
>
> Well, you're playing on the variant meanings of faith.  I believe most
> people ordinarily use it in non-religious contexts to mean "trust" or
> "confidence."  E.g., if Joe says he has faith in Fred to complete the
> job properly, he means he confidence Fred will do it properly.
> Typically, such faith is based on actual experience.  I mean Joe
> wouldn't say it if he knew Fred was a slacker and incompetent.  Then he
> might tell us he had faith that Fred would not do the job properly -- 
> or, more likely, that he lacked faith in Fred.

Aah, but Mike didn't use the term "faith" - but "persons of faith" and "the 
faithful."  The word "faith" imputed in those instances is more like ... an 
admission that there is no evidence.  (In other words, what does faith 
actually mean but an admission that there is no evidence?)

The variant use of faith (denoting "trust") in your example (i.e., "actual 
experience") is the opposite of "faith," if, indeed, that trust is based on 
[some] evidence or experience.

> Of course, many theists like to equivocate with both meanings of the
> term.  The "faithful" as a euphemism for "theist" pays off in this
> respect: it allows those using it to sneak in the religious aspects with
> a general feeling that the faithful are better than the irreligious.

Theists are good at equivocating, that's for sure. They dualist that all the 
time.

Olga