[Arny Krueger]

"Howard Ferstler" wrote in message
news:45184d00@kcnews01...


Seventh question: is there a danger with having faith-based ethical
systems?

The seventeenth century philosopher Benedict Spinoza, like the later
philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and John S. Mill (and even, shudder, Karl
Marx), felt that religion helps to keep confused and/or weak people in
line.

A critical logical flaw - Ferstler can't distinguish between faith and
religion.

I tried to explain it to you Howard, but it obviously flew right over your
head.

Try starting out with a dictionary Howard - faith and religion get different
entries and have different definitions. If you think about it long enough,
you might figure out that they are different things.

I'll get you started on your much-needed education in this matter Howard, by
posting the M-W defintions for the two words:

Main Entry: faith
Pronunciation: 'fAth
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural faiths /'fAths, sometimes 'fA[th]z/
Etymology: Middle English feith, from Anglo-French feid, fei, from Latin
fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust -- more at BIDE
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
synonym see BELIEF
- on faith : without question took everything he said on faith

Main Entry: re·li·gion
Pronunciation: ri-'li-j&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin
religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice,
perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back -- more at RELY
1 a : the state of a religious a nun in her 20th year of religion b (1) :
the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or
devotion to religious faith or observance
2 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes,
beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : CONSCIENTIOUSNESS