Imagine: A dialogue between two little known post-modern philosophers. We will call these two little known philosophers RiN (R) and Jason (J). Shall we listen in on their conversation?
RiN: Can things be known about a deity without faith?
Jason: I think so
R: why so??
J: Things can be known about a deity without having faith in them because you may have heard things about one that a friend believes in or there was some god that caught your eye and you were curious about it, but you don’t have to have faith in it to know about it. Just because you know about a deity doesn’t mean you follow it.
R: but...how can you know things about it...knowing something about it kind of implies that you believe it exists...you can't know about something if you don't think it exists.
J: yes you can, just because you don’t think it exists does not mean it doesn’t. Maybe to you it doesn’t, but to others it could. It’s their opinion wither they think it exists or not. Same as where you think it doesn’t. Just because you know about does not mean it exists, depends on your point of view
R: One can know what others "know" about the deity, but without believing in something you can't KNOW that about that deity. You can't KNOW something unless you believe it.
R: I can't KNOW that Christianity is the ONLY way to heaven, because I don't believe that.
J: Just because you know about the beliefs of one deity does not mean you believe in it. For example: I don’t think there is a God, but I know some things about God, but it does not mean I believe in it. I also know about a few deities, but I don’t believe in them either, just me knowing about them does not mean I have decided to start following them.
Unfortunately, our microphones died out at that point in the conversation, so allow me to elaborate on RiN’s points.
It is true that one can gain head knowledge about what the general population of a certain religion believes about it’s God or gods, but before knowledge must come belief. I can’t know anything about the United States unless I believe that it actually exists.
Therefore, without Faith in a deity, one cannot KNOW things about it. One can know things that others KNOW; one can know what others believe. One can even know the common belief of a religion about the deity. However, one cannot KNOW things without belief.
We are all taught things throughout our lives. The only way we can KNOW that they are true is if we believe that those who are teaching us are correct. The only ways we can know anything is by believing in the world around us. This is much more difficult to do with a deity, because in essence, this deity is unseen, unheard, and non-physical all together. The only way to believe in this deity is through Faith. Faith is a belief in something beyond reason. Faith is a belief in something non-physical. Though we cannot touch or see or hear this deity, we believe. That is Faith, and without believing in this way, we cannot know or even come to know things about this deity.
Hey! I think we got our live feed back from our microphones! Let’s listen into the last part of the conversation between RiN and Jason, shall we?
R: You know what the Christians or Jews believe about God, but how can you know anything about that God? You know what the general population believes and practices in response to that God, but how do you know GOD?
J: I know GOD because for twelve years or so I had to go to a catholic grade school because my parents said I had to. I was forced to learn about GOD for a while, and then when I was finally able to decide weather I believed in him or not, it was totally based on what I thought, I believed and what I knew.
R: I am currently in my fourteenth year of catholic school, and I don't KNOW that many of the things I was taught about God were true.
J: Same here. Most of the things I was taught about GOD didn’t seem true, but I really can’t say they aren’t true either, because I really don’t know
R: there's the point...you don't KNOW.
J: Yes I don’t know that they are true or that they aren’t, because I don’t have proof if GOD did them or not it is all based of word of mouth.
R: So you don't KNOW things about god. You only know that you have been taught things about God, and that those people think they are right.
J: Yes, I don’t know things about GOD because I cant really say he did the things that people say he did. It is based off what other people think around the time of when someone said Jesus was around.
R: Exactly you don’t know.
Have we converted another in a philosophical sense?? We may never know. The debate may never end.
