Lance wrote: >> Someone has said that 'unless we believe we will not >> understand and, it is only if we believe that we will >> understand. There is no understanding without the >> commitment of the mind to objective reality and >> to its natural or intrinsic intelligibility.
Blainer wrote: > This could be the most fundamental truth I have > encountered on TT. ... It suggests that one can choose > to disbelieve something, even in the face of strong evidence > that it is true. Or, on the other hand, that one can choose > to believe something, even if it is obviously not true. > ... They choose to believe or disbelieve for reasons other > than logic and/or scriptural evidence. It seems to me that the statement sets up a false idea of what understanding is. Understanding that is based upon emotion is lame and prone to all kinds of error and falsehood. It seems to me that the statement says that one must commit oneself to an object before they can understand it. This suggests, as you say, that understanding is not based upon logic, but upon commitment of the mind regardless of facts. Upon what basis can one commit oneself if not understanding? The only thing I can think of is emotion. Maybe someone else can suggest some other motivation for making a commitment. In the context of spiritual realities, there is a measure of truth to what is being said, because spiritual realities are not perceived by the physical senses. Tapping into that sixth sense of man to perceive a spiritual reality requires a commitment toward that object, and one cannot understand until one first perceives it. However, understanding itself is not based upon commitment but upon logic and reason. This is where the statement falls short. The approach is too holisitic. It would cause us in the end to have a superficial and faulty perspective about just what understanding is and what it requires. Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
