Knowledge, belief & agnosticism (Agnosticism)

by Carl, Monday, July 21, 2008, 23:50 (5967 days ago) @ dhw

dhw asks how atheists can believe in abiogenesis without proof. I suspect it is through a process of elimination. God could not have created life because He doesn't exist. Therefore, it must be spontaneous. Some atheist look favorably on panspermia, since it does not require abiogenesis on earth or divine creation. - Most Christians I have talked to come to their inner conviction through a spiritual experience with a personal God. Having once established the validity of this knowledge, they then formulate logical arguments for their beliefs in discussions with others when argument from scripture is not accepted. - Another word for "gut" or "inner conviction" is "intuition". My definition of intuition is "beliefs arrived at without the process of conscious logic". We rely on intuition to get us through life, since we don't have the time to go through a conscious logic process for most of the decisions we make. Belief arrived at through intuition can be very strong, even in the face of contrary evidence and severe consequences.