what type of religion is yours?

[Catwoman]

I used the word 'believe' for a reason.

If I didn't believe in water would that mean it didn't exist? If I believed in ghosts would that mean they existed?

Belief is not knowledge nor can it be substantiated. What you or I believe is irrelevent. It's what there is that matters. And while I may not be able to see it, it exists beyond my own limited conception.

Hence 'all I know is what I see'. I can only know what I see. If you 'believe' in something, you can't see it.

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by Catwoman

I used the word 'believe' for a reason.

If I didn't believe in water would that mean it didn't exist? If I believed in ghosts would that mean they existed?

Belief is not knowledge nor can it be substantiated. What you or I believe is irrelevent. It's what there is that matters. And while I may not be able to see it, it exists beyond my own limited conception.

Hence 'all I know is what I see'. I can only know what I see. If you 'believe' in something, you can't see it.

There are lines of thought related to quantum physics that disagree with these statements. The fact that we exist and are able to sense anything at all could influence what there is to perceive.

I think it would be kind of cool if belief in deity (or gravity, or atoms) actually did bring deity into existence...

[Fudge Armadillo]

Originally Posted by Catwoman

What you or I believe is irrelevent. It's what there is that matters.

I am often surprised by how few people realize this. Thank you, CW, you made my day.

[OnyxCougar]

Originally Posted by Catwoman

I used the word 'believe' for a reason.

If I didn't believe in water would that mean it didn't exist? If I believed in ghosts would that mean they existed?

Belief is not knowledge nor can it be substantiated. What you or I believe is irrelevent. It's what there is that matters. And while I may not be able to see it, it exists beyond my own limited conception.

Hence 'all I know is what I see'. I can only know what I see. If you 'believe' in something, you can't see it.

This is a bullshit answer.

I don't believe in anything, just what I can see.

Therefore, if you can't see it, you don't believe it exists.
Now, I agree that what you believe has nothing to to with whether it exists or not.

We know gravity works, but we can't see it. We know all things are made of atoms and smaller particles, but without equipment, we can't see it. So even though we can't see it, we know they are there.

So I'll ask again. Do you believe in atoms? Gravity? microbes? You can't see them, therefore by your definition, you can't know they are there. Also, since you can't see it, you can't beleive it either.

So you don't know and you don't believe.

[Catwoman]

I don't think you'll ever understand what I'm trying to say, be it because of your silliness or my inability to communicate. Ah well. Time to seek out the place with only open, intelligent, like-minded people I always promised myself I would visit..... doh!

[mrnoodle]

Originally Posted by Catwoman

I don't think you'll ever understand what I'm trying to say, be it because of your silliness or my inability to communicate. Ah well. Time to seek out the place with only open, intelligent, like-minded people I always promised myself I would visit..... doh!

If by "the place with only open, intelligent, like-minded people" you mean, "somewhere that no one will disagree with me", I wish you luck. Until you find it, you should stay here. The rest of us have to deal with people shooting down our beliefs and come up with a response - that's the whole fun of it.

I understand what you're trying to say. But

Well, belief is a form in itself, just as a thought, just as a tree. Therefore if you believe something, it is there, in a sense.

contradicts

What you or I believe is irrelevent. It's what there is that matters.

In practical application, you live as you "believe" more often than you live as you "know." You bring a coat with you on a sunny day if you believe the weatherman when he says it's going to rain later. You don't "know" it's going to rain, but your belief might save you getting wet.