Re: new to list

From: Loree Thomas (loreetg@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Aug 26 2001 - 11:25:44 MDT


--- "David G. McDivitt" <dmcdivitt@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Remove
> whatever faith in facts, and you remove truth
> supported by those facts.
> Knowledge is therefore faith based and choice based
> only.

I wouldn't agree with that at all.

Reality isn't consensus based.

The acceleration due to gravity on this planet existed
before there was any individual to believe in it...
and didn't change with changing beliefs as our
understanding evolved. Even if we come to a radically
new understanding of what gravity is, it won't change
the fact that the acceleration due to gravity on this
planet is 9.8 m/s/s.

It's fun to play with "what if" scenarios where
reality isn't fixed... that it depends on viewpoint...
but that is all it is... play. If you try to live
your life like that you end up a Scientologist... or
worse.

Real knowledge is based on real facts... ones that
don't depend on faith... that are always the same no
matter who investigates them.

Pseudo knowledge (much psychiatry, much sociology, all
religion) is based on beliefs. Don't let the
adherents of those dubious bodies of "knowledge" fool
you with terminology, they don't have facts but
beliefs. And when you stop believing, that
"knowledge" does fall apart.

The ability to distinguish between reality based facts
and belief based "facts" is something that our current
educational system fails to teach to most students.

Loree

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