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Can faith broaden reason?

Can faith broaden reason in its capacity to know reality?

Are there certain conditions in which faith is indeed a method of knowledge?

Yes, but only if it the faith is a friend of full disclosure. Dogmatic faith is never a friend of reason.

If the person's faith hangs on lies or untruths that are reported as truth then no, faith destroys reason. With dogmatic faiths, typically the faithful are told to turn away such things as "facts", "reason" and "logic" if they are contrary to the belief. So if a member of some faith feel that questioning their faith's dogma is a sin and should never be brought out or talked in anything other than, "It must be thus", faith is reason's worst enemy.

On the spire of the Salt Lake Temple is an engraved image of the Big Dipper.

Sailors lost at sea used to use the Big Dipper to locate the North Star so that they can find their way home.

The knowledge the temple provides has this same effect. It lets you know where you stand, and what you need to do to return home again.

Gazelam wrote:On the spire of the Salt Lake Temple is an engraved image of the Big Dipper.

Sailors lost at sea used to use the Big Dipper to locate the North Star so that they can find their way home.

The knowledge the temple provides has this same effect. It lets you know where you stand, and what you need to do to return home again.

I see nothing of REASON in your post.

I see faith but there is no "REASON" of the mind nor reason to believe that your version of a god or of heaven exists.

I recently listened to a sunstone podcast ("Innoculating the Saints") in which a physicist at the end of the podcast talked about how even in the rational world of physics not everything adds up, and many "laws" and "theories" cannot be fully harmonized with other "laws" and "theories".

This physicist suggested that it may be important to remind ourselves that what we observe is not all that there is. If there is a realm of matter that our present state of mortality does not allow us to percieve, then yes faith certainly does inform reason. It wasn't until 1933 that dark matter was discovered, and even now we struggle to understand it, even though it is believed to constitute the vast majority of observable matter in the universe. What else is out there?


Sargon

Sargon wrote:I recently listened to a sunstone podcast ("Innoculating the Saints") in which a physicist at the end of the podcast talked about how even in the rational world of physics not everything adds up, and many "laws" and "theories" cannot be fully harmonized with other "laws" and "theories".

This physicist suggested that it may be important to remind ourselves that what we observe is not all that there is. If there is a realm of matter that our present state of mortality does not allow us to percieve, then yes faith certainly does inform reason. It wasn't until 1933 that dark matter was discovered, and even now we struggle to understand it, even though it is believed to constitute the vast majority of observable matter in the universe. What else is out there?


Sargon

There is another thing to say and think about, our knowledge is incomplete. There has been much humanity "will never know" and now we do. For a "physicist" to throw their arms up and declare, "I don't know so it is impossible" makes for a poor scientist. One sure thing I do knoe is that we know very little. Our "laws" and "theories" are approximations that get refinded. They are not the end all and for the "physicist" to say such a thing means nothing.

The more we learn, the more any god or gods are pushed into the cracks and gaps in our knowledge. I can hardly wait for the last gap to be filled and the need to use a diety to expalin anything will be for children's stories.

LCD2you,

rea·son (rē'zən)
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[Middle English, from Old French raison, from Latin ratiō, ratiōn-, from ratus past participle of rērī, to consider, think.]

noun
1. The basis or motive for an action, decision, or conviction. See Usage Note at: because See Usage Note at: why
2. A declaration made to explain or justify action, decision, or conviction: inquired about her reason for leaving.
3. An underlying fact or cause that provides logical sense for a premise or occurrence: There is reason to believe that the accused did not commit this crime.
4. The capacity for logical, rational, and analytic thought; intelligence.
5. Good judgment; sound sense.
6. A normal mental state; sanity: He has lost his reason.
7. Logic A premise, usually the minor premise, of an argument.



So reasoning is taking your understanding of things and applying to what you are trying to understand that is new to you. As I stated in my above post, The teachings of the Temple gives a person a foundation of understanding so that they may better reason and work out the trials they face in their life.

moksha wrote:Can faith broaden reason?

Can faith broaden reason in its capacity to know reality?

Are there certain conditions in which faith is indeed a method of knowledge?

Interesting questions absent any definitions for “faith” or “reason.”

Can faith broaden reason?

Not likely, but reason can minimize faith (whatever that is).

Can faith broaden reason in its capacity to know reality?

Faith (depending upon that definition as yet unstated) is irrelevant to reason. At worst, it is an impediment to reason.

Are there certain conditions in which faith is indeed a method of knowledge?

Do you have an example? If so, let’s see it. I am skeptical on the face of the question.

JAK

liz3564 wrote:Moderator Note-

There were several comments that were moved to a thread in Telestial. The Celestial Forum has a very strict form of moderating. As Shades has stated many times, arguing here is like arguing with your grandmother. This is one area where Church members should feel comfortable starting threads and not having their faith out and out insulted. Scholarly debate is allowed here, so I understand that the area is gray. I had a complaint from the thread originator on the comment I moved. If anyone has a problem with the my judgment call on this, PM me. Again, the comments were NOT deleted, but they were moved to a new thread in Telestial. Liz

Then please remove Gazelum's post from a dictionary.

If this is going to be fair, then essentially calling someone a moron (what else is meant by using dictionary terms?) is also not for this forum, correct?