An exemption in Idaho law shields faith-healing parents from criminal prosecution for conduct that otherwise would be charged as neglect. It also keeps police and social workers from stepping in to protect a dead child’s surviving siblings.
The idea that faith is stupid stems from its definition as belief without empirical evidence, which is as illogical, irrational, or wilfully ignorant. Proponents argue faith is reasoned trust in a God or a higher power or acting on conviction despite uncertainty. Arguments against faith can cite lack of proof and potential harm from unquestioned belief. Faith is believing something without evidence, making it illogical or a willful delusion, a contrast to evidence-based reasoning. Faith is an unreliable path to truth, leading to belief in both true and false things, making it a poor guide for important decisions. Some such as Richard Dawkins, suggest faith’s lack of justification can foster dangerous intolerance.
The idea that faith is stupid stems from its definition as belief without empirical evidence, which is as illogical, irrational, or wilfully ignorant. Proponents argue faith is reasoned trust in a God or a higher power or acting on conviction despite uncertainty. Arguments against faith can cite lack of proof and potential harm from unquestioned belief. Faith is believing something without evidence, making it illogical or a willful delusion, a contrast to evidence-based reasoning. Faith is an unreliable path to truth, leading to belief in both true and false things, making it a poor guide for important decisions. Some such as Richard Dawkins, suggest faith’s lack of justification can foster dangerous intolerance.