Re: virus: Why people cling to faith

Eric Boyd (6ceb3@qlink.queensu.ca)
Thu, 28 Jan 1999 14:08:44 -0500

Hi,

Richard Brodie <richard@brodietech.com>: <<
As far I can tell, your (Bill Roh's) faith that logic is behind all the workings of the universe is as irrational and devoid of evidence as the belief that God is behind them.
>>

I don't know what world you live in, Brodie, but in my world logic underpins everything -- the success of mathematics and science in describing and predicting the world is evidence of that. There may be areas of the universe without "logic", but I have never encountered them; indeed I am unsure that I am *capable* of encountering them, as my life processes themselves are dependent on the functioning of many complicated systems, all of which would break down in the absence of logic (e.g. if this then that..., or the law of identity.) Have you even one example of a "working of the universe" where logic is NOT present?

(and no... Alice in Wonderland does not count!)

As to God, his existence is unlikely, even unnecessary, but only impossible in certain special cases.

ERiC
... or course, I agree in a sense. If Bill actually has "faith" in the logic of the universe, that would be irrational... why have faith when evidence abounds?