Questions on Faith

So I guess I have two current questions running through my mind.

1) What is “faith”?

and once we have established what faith is:

2) How does one come by or gain a faith?

here is how Merriam-Webster defines it:

Main Entry: ¹faith

Pronunciation: \ˈfāth\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural faiths \ˈfāths, sometimes ˈfāthz\

Etymology: Middle English feith, from Anglo-French feid, fei, from Latin fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust — more at bide

Date: 13th century

1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1) : fidelity to one’s promises (2) :sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs <the Protestant faith>

synonyms see belief

— on faith : without question <took everything he said on faith>

I guess I think when I am asking about faith I am asking in general terms, most closely to definition 2b(1) above.

Belief without proof.

Then, how does one get belief without proof? I know humans are irrational. We can hold beliefs without proof, but why and how do we come by those beliefs? Is it because we want that belief to be true (even without evidence or proof?) or because we are told by some external authority that it is so? What do you think? Where do beliefs based on “faith” come from?

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UPDATE

And please comment. Let’s have a discussion.

My thoughts on the game: CellCraft

CellCraft is a new Flash based game created by Anthony Pecorella. He is the principal designer and director of CellCraft. It focuses on the inner workings and machinery of the cell and how it mimics a “city” with its many different structures with different functions. The creation in CellCraft was supported with a grant from the MacArthur Foundation’s Young Innovators Award. This award is given to projects that help generate learning tools with digital media. See a press release here.

I played the game. It is fun and educational. It has been blogged by various groups, which is how it came to my attention. Skepchick as well as Pharyngula I even participated in the comments which lead me to blog about this news on my own.

If you read through the comments you will find Anthony defending his game at least regarding the science facts used. It seemed to be a consensus that they are mostly correct, although various people seem concerned by the lack of evolution. These concerns are valid and the funding award focuses on creating material for learning while the games site itself, as well as Anthony’s comments stress their desire for it to be used in the classroom.

I have no real concerns about the game itself. I think Anthony made a fine product. It reached the goals set by the design team and he seems to be happy with the overall results, as per his blog on the CellCraft website. Good job Anthony.

However, as my Pharyngula post reveals, my concern is the “scientific advisers” of the game. Or as the press release and Anthony’s own comments reveal. He was approached by one of the advisers, Dr. Jed Macosko, to create such a game that would be educational for students to understand all the things that go on in a cell. This is a good goal, but I have to question Jed’s motivations. PZ Myers and Amanda at Skepchick both noted that the “science advisers” both have close ties to the Discovery Institute.  It turns out that these advisers initial idea guys are well-known creationists. Just read the faculty page for David Dewitt. A google search on the two, didn’t make me feel better about it.

Anthony claims he had final design and control,  which seems to be the case, having read the pre-production blogs at the CellCraft site. This is all well and good and as I have previously stated he made a quality product. I question the motivations of the advisers/idea guys, my gut feeling is that Jed Macosko decided that since Intelligent Design, is not allowed in schools (see the results of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. This court case is covered well in the PBS special “Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on Trial.” I HIGHLY recommend it.) they can get their theory of Irreducible Complexity in via an educational science game.

By creating a game which focuses on the complexity of the cell (and it IS complex, just not for the reason they think it is/want it to be) they are then able to stress this approach and while I have yet to look at the “teaching resources” that will be provided for use in the classroom, I am guessing it will be styled in such away as to benefit or at least keep the door open for the Intelligent Design idea of Irreducible Complexity (IC).

Again the “Judgement Day” special destroys this argument and approach, pending any new evidence (which they have yet to produce). The main issue is that once you have IC then you can try to explain how such structures came to be. (Insert same old ID argument.)

I will be following along for any new developments for the CellCraft’s use in the classroom as well as its creators/advisers. Hopefully it turns out to be just a good educational science game about the wonderful world of the cell.

But I REALLY REALLY doubt it.

9 July 2010

SimCity for the Intracellular World
William Dembski

Check out this video game called CellCraft:

www.kongregate.com/games/CellCraft/cellcraft

This will do much to get people to see the irreducible complexity inside a cell and the obstacle it poses to conventional evolutionary theory.

Thanks Bill.

More thoughts on this to come.

The Airport

Delta sucks. I think I have more thoughts on large corporations and capitalism and business to follow but I would like to reiterate my position that: DELTA SUCKS!!!

The Sandwich

Tagging along on a lunch trip with co-workers to a local sandwich shop. Very good stuff. It is a busy little place just ramping up for the lunchtime rush. The smells are amazing and the food is fresh and flavorful. I could buy a diet Mt. Dew but I won’t. Enjoying the techno groove going on.

Life, Humans and Creation

I was thinking about creativity. One of the gifts of our brain is the ability for abstract thought. It amazes me what humans have created and the creative capacity of the human species. We are inherently creative. Children’s imaginations and play grow into the feats and wonders of tomorrow. But, really all of life creates something, even at a minimal level, just waste.

The Ship Has Gone Down

Day one of a new blog. I am still figuring out all the administrative things. I will update the appearance shortly. Welcome.

I anticipate writing on a variety of topics. They will most likely include some or all of the following:

Life, love, science, philosophy, logic, reason, critical thinking, music, movies, food and anything else I think of. Oh, and probably pirates too.