Millions of men and women have fallen in love in the past --- and made a success of it. Knowing that this is possible, this couple yearn for it themselves.
But they have no reason to think that a successful relationship is in store for them. Many relationships have ended. Many have continued with either or both partner miserable. And true, some have succeeded.
I'm not saying they can't have a belief that their relationship would work based on prior experience. If they had, say, been living together for some number of years, been through hard economic times and good, war and peace, etc, and stuck together, then I'd say they would have reason to 'know' their relationship would succeed.
We don't have any reason to think (given the limited data in the above story) any of that is true. Indeed, I would argue the author intentionally paints such things as NOT having happened - that their belief in their relationship's future success IS merely Heb 11:1 faith. IE., they just WANT it to be true.
"faith" is one of the most misused words in the English language
Well, it doesn't help that 9/10 of the definitions of 'faith' are not how you are using it above. In any case, I think the original author painted a picture designed to illustrate Heb 11:1 'faith' - IE, faith with no reason for it.
Blind faith? No. Like I said above, I make a choice to have faith, with eyes wide open to the potential consequences.
'Blind faith' does not mean faith with no understanding of consequences. 'Blind faith' is believing an event or result will occur based on no accurate information.
You could say you have 'faith' that god created the universe. You have no proof of that, and if you simply wanted it to be true, that would be 'faith'.
I should not say I have 'faith' in evolution, because there IS proof it occurs. It is more appropriate to say 'I KNOW evolution occurs' rather than 'I have FAITH it occurs'.
One implies that there are facts to back your conclusion or belief up. The other implies there are not.
(Yes, I am aware that there are alternative definitions of 'faith', but none seemed appropriate to the above story. It SEEMS that the author was advocating Heb 11:1 faith, and that is the type of faith I argue against)
the "enlightened" way men and women should approach marriage. Failure is built into it.
First define, of course, what you consider that 'failure' that is built into it. I would be quick to point our a marriage that ends is not NECESSARILY a failure. A marriage in which either or both parties are every unhappy IS, however.
(sorry about the dup account posting, but I have been sitting on this post ALL DAY, and the stupid post counter just isn't resetting).
