Assignment 1: Is Christianity, Free Will And Faith Compatible?

1. Yes, they are compatible. In the section of the textbook, HUP called “Are Reason and Faith compatible?”(112-113) there are multiple examples. Plato used reasoning to justify faith for the immortal gods. An example of a modern philosopher showing faith and reason’s compatibility is Saint John Paul II in his encyclical called Faith and Reason talking about the role they each play in Christianity. Regarding Christianity, philosophical reasoning is explained as a God-given ability. This was used to provide rational justification for articles of faith. In contrast, Islam saw little compatibility, but Islamic scholars recognized that both faith and reason have a place. Augustine of Hippo said, “Do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe thou mayest understand.” This shows how faith (the belief) needs reason (understanding) and vice versa. When going from one to another in a religion/philosophy it not enough to know just one.
2. No, it is not a waste of time. In the movie, Peaceful Warrior, Socrates said, "The journey is what brings us happiness, not
No, you are not your mind. The mind may hold your personality, but it has no use if can not put your thoughts into actions with a body. You would be no less than a brain in a vat, not experiencing anything in the real world. In the book, Man’s Search For Meaning in the section called “Essence of Existence”, VEF says there are 3 different ways to find meaning in life: 1) a work or deed 2) experience or encounter 3) attitude toward suffering. Your mind by itself would live in an existence that would never experience any of this. Whose essence of existence is merely existing and nothing more. In science fiction stories like Where Am I? they assume the body and mind can exist separate from each other. This is fine for the sake of teaching a philosophical lesson which it does. The problem is either one by itself would live a life with no meaning. They both have a place in forming an existence of the