@That Guy
First, I want to apologize if you interpreted my words as condescending, but at the same time I think it brings up a good point. Why do you interpret my words as condescending? What do words ultimately mean? It actually goes back to Social Darwinism. We are defined by information. When someone asks you a question, you respond in a certain manner.
Now, when others try change your response, whos information that defines you, that's when your darwinian instinct kicks in.
If the information that defines you changes, then who are you in respect to the changes? You, as you are now, would cease to exist if the information changes. You would be someone else. That's why you struggle to keep the information the same. Information wants to survive.
Perhaps to bring the idea home, I ask you, what would V say? Wouldn't he say that it isn't the person behind the mask, but the idea that matters? What if the idea behind V changed? Would it still be V or something else?
Secondly, you're confusing faith and trust.
trust
-n
1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
2. confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit
I can have all the trust in the world. I can trust my wife. I can trust my bank. I can trust anybody I want. But as soon as I see deception or stuff not making sense, I back my bags and run.
Faith, by definition, ignores logic and reasoning. If your wife told you one day that she was pregnant and 9 months later there was still no signs of pregnancy, but she insists that you have faith that she did get pregnant, a person of faith would accept what she said. A logical and rational person would say she was lying.
Lastly,
"I'd still say stuff like genetically engineering ourselves and weeding out "undesireables" is pretty dark. That's just my opinion. You start explaining off some things and its a pretty harsh way to describe people and phenomena (i.e. a statement like "there are more black atheletes because their ancestors were once slaves and were bred to be stronger and faster", etc. etc.). Maybe its just me, but I don't like describing people like that."
Your trying to protect yourself again and that's why you have such an emotional response. People like to romanticize things because it makes them feel special. And I think this is where culture and community should come into play. I'm a huge music, art, theater fan. But at the same time I think we need to have firm feet on the ground and use logic and reasoning when seeking understanding.
@z64dan
It's hard to deny the role science and logic have played in our lives, however you want to define it. Right now it is the best tool we have in gaining some form of objective understanding of the world. Yes, we don't know everything, but that's what makes living so exciting. If everything was known, what would we be doing?
@moe nl
Despair means there is no hope.
