[Buddha-l] It is about belief

[Bill Kish]

Jim Peavler:
>
> I would be interested in a discussion on "belief"
> and "evidence", as was the original notion of the "belief"
> thread. How, for example,  does one examine one's own life 
> to root wrestle with those things  that one believes without
> evidence?

[ What does any of this have to do with metallurgy ???  Please,
Jim, try to stay on topic in the future. ]

        Before jumping straight into specific beliefs, wouldn't
it make sense to examine what role evidence should play in the
process of forming beliefs ?  Evidence has to be intepreted, and
is all too easily misinterpreted, thus giving rise to yet another
round of mistaken beliefs (e.g. through a lack of knowledge of
the context in which the evidence arises, through the influence
of existing mistaken beliefs, and so on).  How many people in 
the U.S. government on either side of the aisle believed there
was strong evidence for WMD's in Saddam's Iraq not so long
ago ?   Evidence is necessary but hardly sufficient in the
formation of what I informally dub a "well formed belief" (WFB).
It's not a trivial matter, however, to properly articulate what
else is required besides evidence, at least not in a way that
would facilitate a useful model of how WFBs arise.

        Another consideration to make before the first round 
of "root wrestling" is what advantages might there be in holding
beliefs that either lack evidence or perhaps even have strong
evidence against them.  Holding a belief without having evidence
for it doesn't necessarily make that belief a mistaken one, just
as having evidence for a belief doesn't guarantee its veracity.
Also, sometimes holding beliefs without proper evidence can
actually help one to heal or even save lives.  If based on all
the available evidence the finest oncologist in the world tells
you that you're in the last stages of terminal cancer and have 
a short time to live, will you live longer if you a) believe him
and passively accept your doctor's diagnosis, or b) irrationally
decide that you're going live and do everything in your power to
recover ?

        Anyway, good luck root-wrastlin, Jim.  Based on my ongoing
experience in such contests, there is strong evidence 
to suggest that my subconscious can be profitably compared to
a champion sumo wrestler; I barely get onto the mat and he
effortlessly pushes me out.  May you fare better with yours.

---------
Bill Kish     






		
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