NationStates Jolt Archive

If faith is such a great virtue by itself, that transcends reason and Science, why is there a need for criminal investigations? Or any investigation?

Why waste time rooting through trash or bloody remains or picking up pieces of hair or making boot prints, or interviewing eyewitnesses... that long and arduous process that sometimes lead nowhere? Why have to suffer heartache and lack of closure when insufficient evidence in an "open verdict" ?

If the suspect says she/he is not guilty...why not just believe?

If faith is such a great virtue by itself, that transcends reason and Science, why is there a need for criminal investigations? Or any investigation?

Why waste time rooting through trash or bloody remains or picking up pieces of hair or making boot prints, or interviewing eyewitnesses... that long and arduous process that sometimes lead nowhere? Why have to suffer heartache and lack of closure when insufficient evidence in an "open verdict" ?

If the suspect says she/he is not guilty...why not just believe?

Why not indeed? It'd be a hell of a lot easier on us all to just believe whatever the hell we want.

I belive I can fly!

*Jumps off cliff*

*Splat*

Nope, faith doesn't work like that.

because it is not healthy to live ones life in such a way.

Belief is what makes persuing evidence possible. Without the persuit, the belief is worthless.

No no no, not faith in what the suspect says! The police should have pray to god and then arrest whoever they have faith in being guilty.

POLICE CHEIF: Are you sure the guy who was hitting on your wife last week is responsible for a string of murders up and down the west coast?

POLICE OFFICER: Yes, sir. My faith is very strong.

POLICE CHEIF: Good enough for me. And while your at it, arrest the dog that crapped on my lawn yesterday for arson.

No no no, not faith in what the suspect says! The police should have pray to god and then arrest whoever they have faith in being guilty.

POLICE CHEIF: Are you sure the guy who was hitting on your wife last week is responsible for a string of murders up and down the west coast?

POLICE OFFICER: Yes, sir. My faith is very strong.

POLICE CHEIF: Good enough for me. And while your at it, arrest the dog that crapped on my lawn yesterday for arson.
Exactly. Look at all the criminals throughout history who claimed to be innocent. If we just believed them, what would the world be like with all those monsters out too rome free just because we believed them.

Exactly. Look at all the criminals throughout history who claimed to be innocent. If we just believed them, what would the world be like with all those monsters out too rome free just because we believed them.


I agree

I belive I can fly!

*Jumps off cliff*

*Splat*

Nope, faith doesn't work like that.

I'm curious as to why you think it failed in the example you cited.

No no no, not faith in what the suspect says! The police should have pray to god and then arrest whoever they have faith in being guilty.

POLICE CHEIF: Are you sure the guy who was hitting on your wife last week is responsible for a string of murders up and down the west coast?

POLICE OFFICER: Yes, sir. My faith is very strong.

POLICE CHEIF: Good enough for me. And while your at it, arrest the dog that crapped on my lawn yesterday for arson.

That was hilarious. :p lol

Thank you sir. *bows*

I would like to stress that I don't understand how people can completely delink faith from evidence as some higher transcendental virtue, while expecting others to agree just because they "believe". Just like I don't understand how people can completely delink the concept of soul from mind.

I agree

Indeed.

I want to raise this point. If sometimes you cannot even believe your fellow human being, whom you can see, touch and talk to, how can you believe anyone who claims himself or herself as God? Without a shred of supporting evidence? Faith alone?

If a superior alien species comes to Earth and breeds us for spare parts (apologies to a popular Japanese cartoon), using a holy book to convince us that brain extraction makes us go to heaven, do we "believe"?

If faith is such a great virtue by itself, that transcends reason and Science, why is there a need for criminal investigations? Or any investigation?

Why waste time rooting through trash or bloody remains or picking up pieces of hair or making boot prints, or interviewing eyewitnesses... that long and arduous process that sometimes lead nowhere? Why have to suffer heartache and lack of closure when insufficient evidence in an "open verdict" ?

If the suspect says she/he is not guilty...why not just believe?

Xisla, is this the real Xisla, the one that makes all the polls?

Anyhow, faith, lowercase 'f,' a well grounded faith, is in fact a virtue in itself.

If this is the real Xisla, can you tell me your country and if your in university?

Indeed.

I want to raise this point. If sometimes you cannot even believe your fellow human being, whom you can see, touch and talk to, how can you believe anyone who claims himself or herself as God? Without a shred of supporting evidence? Faith alone?

If a superior alien species comes to Earth and breeds us for spare parts (apologies to a popular Japanese cartoon), using a holy book to convince us that brain extraction makes us go to heaven, do we "believe"?

belief can only go so far. It's like that story The Boy Who Cried Wolf. If you're not familiar with it:

There once was a mischievious little boy who loved to pull pranks. So one day, he decided that he would scare the townspeople by making them think there was a wolf. So he rang the bell in the town, yelling "Wolf! Wolf!" As his plan worked, and the people were scared, as the boy laughed, and the villagers looked dissapointed.

Some time later, things went back to normal, the boy did it again, as he pulled the bell, yelling "Wolf! Wolf!" As the townspeople came out again, scared out of their wits, as they then looked at the boy, who was laughing again. The villagers of course were dissapointed, as they went back to what they were doing.

But then, a wolf walked up, growling and showing it's fangs at the boy, as he looked petrified. He ran over and rang the bell, yelling "Wolf! Wolf!" But there was no reaction this time. He rang it louder, "WOLF!!! WOLF!!" He shouted, scared out of his wits, but nothing happened. The wolf then ate the boy, and left, as the villagers wondered what had happened to the Boy who Cried Wolf.

So that's not the entire version, but you get it. The boy represents the people we see who claim "I'm innocent!" or something like that, even though more than half of the time in criminal cases, it is usually only a false statement so they can save their skins. And the villagers represent the rest, who can only take so much at first, and try to help that person...but in the end, there's that time where that person will actually BE innocent of something, but since they lied about it before and decieved people, those same people will ignore them.

Just as the villagers didn't believe the boy when the wolf actually came for him...

Belief only goes so far. If we could read minds, it would be somewhat easier, but we can't. We can only see what is in front of us, and sometimes, even that isn't enough to believe.