I don’t think it’s a waste of time… I think it is important to have intellectual discussions regardless of if it takes a similar path… because the journey is always different.

Just thoughts…..I love talking about this stuff but sometimes I wonder if I’m wasting my time especially when the conversation seems to end in a similar timbre. Know what I mean? Of course, I always go back to it……just adore it!

Truth may be relative, and I get what you mean, but that’s why faith is SO important in ANY belief system. As Marci posed the question:How do we find our individual truth. (which I liked that she asked) Faith is one step that I think is REQUIRED for anyone. Nothing is sure in this life. No grantees. Not even science. They are learning more and more things every day to disprove theories that we thought were known as facts. I’m reminded of the quote “The only constant is change” . If things are constantly changing then what are we to believe is true? So yes.. truth is relative.

And yes doubt is extremely helpful in the decision making process because as the quotes states:If Christ plays with doubt then so must we.

That’s why faith is probably the biggest factor in belief. Faith is first pondering what you think to be “true”. and then being confident in your conclusion. I could list examples of how I’ve had faith myself and how my faith was confirmed, but that’s not going to convince you as you weren’t there to experience it. You have your own faith. But with faith… comes personal truth.

Also, I don’t see doubt as a philosophical platform as the author of the quote in Kira’s response assumes. Instead, I see doubt as a temporary catalyst/short-lived-tool that “shoots” us toward exploration and learning. So…..instead of the author’s stated platform of doubt (which he greatly dislikes) I would rather USE doubt within ANOTHER philosophical platform which I would describe like this: the consistent personal realization (and re-realization) that “I admit I don’t know everything but I want to learn and grow for as long as possible.”

Doubt leads to questions and questions leads to investigation. Doubt can be used in a positive manner as it is a starting point when looking for logical fallacies in beliefs, truths, and theories. Philosophy is often characterized as leading to skepticism. While to some degree I think this is true, it does not necessarily follow that you cannot gain enlightenment or knowledge through vigorous investigation from a skeptical paradigm. At some point however, you have to find the unyielding foundation from which you are going to build further knowledge from. There will be reconstruction when additional information or evidence is presented. The question is, what will your foundation be? If you take the standpoint of solipsism, the self is the all that can be known to exist (René Descartes famous “Je pense donc je suis, “Cogito ergo sum,” “I think, therefore I am”).

Then just as stated, to reflect, travel, read, discuss, and ultimately come to a conclusion. Whatever that may be.

While my parents raised me and I grew up in the LDS faith… I’d like to think I learned from my own personal life experiences. As very very briefly stated here: http://mormon.org/me/75K4/

I read a book and read this quote:“It is not atheists who get stuck in my craw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ then surely we are also permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation”

This quote is powerful to me. We ALL have individual worth and we ALL at some point in our life must find it… and I totally 100% agree that it must be sought out in a varies numbers of ways.

Discussions like these being one of them. We can’t be closed minded. We all are here to help each other and to learn.