A Commentary by Barry Le Roux
Exactly what is faith?
Erich Fromm says there are two kinds of faith: One is blind faith (religious faith) which is an irrational faith and the other faith, a rational one, and which is based on productive experience and knowledge. For example; if you live in a flood plain you will sooner or later discover that you are going to experience a flood destroying your house. You will then acquire productive (working) knowledge resulting in faith, based on experience, to avoid similar future mishaps. Religious faith is acquired from external influences which are destined to make you believe in the impossible (and at times the possible). You may for example pray to god that a family member, suffering an illness, be cured. The outcome may be positive or may be negative. But if you consider the odds you will discover that praying to a god has no advantage above statistical tendencies. But by now your believe has become second nature and you simply do not want to see or come to realize that your faith is a false, unreliable, and ineffective. And then there is always the apology being offered that it is god's will, or that god works in mysterious ways = theodicy.
Religious experiences, in contrast to productive experiences, are irrational emotional experiences which have very little practical application but could be of therapeutical value. Similar experiences could also be obtained by other means such as from certain psychological procedures and non-god religions' meditations.
So, to summarize: yes, faith in yourself is very important! This faith should be based on fact, such as your productive experience, and the productive experience of others, knowledge, your potential and abilities, and importantly also your limitations.
Exactly what is faith?
Erich Fromm says there are two kinds of faith: One is blind faith (religious faith) which is an irrational faith and the other faith, a rational one, and which is based on productive experience and knowledge. For example; if you live in a flood plain you will sooner or later discover that you are going to experience a flood destroying your house. You will then acquire productive (working) knowledge resulting in faith, based on experience, to avoid similar future mishaps. Religious faith is acquired from external influences which are destined to make you believe in the impossible (and at times the possible). You may for example pray to god that a family member, suffering an illness, be cured. The outcome may be positive or may be negative. But if you consider the odds you will discover that praying to a god has no advantage above statistical tendencies. But by now your believe has become second nature and you simply do not want to see or come to realize that your faith is a false, unreliable, and ineffective. And then there is always the apology being offered that it is god's will, or that god works in mysterious ways = theodicy.
Religious experiences, in contrast to productive experiences, are irrational emotional experiences which have very little practical application but could be of therapeutical value. Similar experiences could also be obtained by other means such as from certain psychological procedures and non-god religions' meditations.
So, to summarize: yes, faith in yourself is very important! This faith should be based on fact, such as your productive experience, and the productive experience of others, knowledge, your potential and abilities, and importantly also your limitations.
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