Rock, paper, scissors

My friend Ludie over at Ludieman's Blog has begun a series of blogs regarding the three words above. Reading them has caused me to think. I'm not usually keen on thinking, preferring instead to get my opinions from television; especially detective shows and Science Fiction, but sometimes, in spite of myself, I think about things on my own. I have my friends (and you know who you are) to thank for this. Sometimes I even write about those thoughts. This is one of those times. Thanks a bunch Ludie!

Here is my take on things.

A fact is a piece of information that exists. It is neither true nor untrue, it simply is. As such, a fact is not subject to debate and need not be agreed upon nor disputed. I see a relationship between fact and belief and theory. A theory is a (hopefully) coherent set of possibilities based on available facts. Belief is like theory, except it does not have to rely entirely upon facts. Belief may refer to fact and may, in part, be based on available facts, but it is largely based on emotional constructs. It seems to me that an inability to resolve the differences between fact, theory and belief has caused no end of human misery and suffering throughout our existence. The attempts to resolve those differences have also caused a great deal of advancement in human thought and ethics. I hope that will continue, but I'd just as soon let the misery be at an end.

I don't see this as a problem. I see it as part of what makes us human. We're animals, but we're animals who can think. Did God make us this way or did we just get this way on our own? Personally, I think God made us and let us get this way on our own. I prefer the theory of Evolution over the belief in Creative Design over the belief that God created man of earth and woman of man's rib after five very, very busy days. But since I wasn't there at the time, I don't know for sure and that doesn't really bother me. However, if someone else doesn't feel that way, I'm not likely to stomp them for it. It is hard enough making ends meet without having to stomp somebody for what they believe or be stomped for what I believe. Let it go. There's no way to know for sure in this life, so why bother about it? I believe in God. I find merit in the theory of evolution. Was God behind all of what has been created? Maybe. I hope to (and believe I will) find out when I die. Until then, I'm good with all that man has discovered about himself and his surroundings.

Let us keep thinking and debating over facts and theories.
Let us discuss our beliefs. Let us no more go to war over things we cannot know.

I'm too simple minded sometimes, I guess.

Thoughts?

Pax,
Nelson