🚀 go-pugleaf

andrew@rentec.com (Andrew Mullhaupt) writes:

>>It would be interesting if people would post what they think the word
>>faith means and then a citation from their dictionary with reference. 

>No, that would be pretty boring. Strictly speaking, definitions are matter
>of agreement between the parties to the discussion. Otherwise it's the
>same thing as shouting. Much better to skip the dictionary reference,
>since if the definition persuades the disputants to agree, it isn't 
>important if it comes from a dictionary. Even the OED cannot be taken
>as beyond dispute.

OK. If this is the way you feel, then what exactly is your definition of
"faith". I guess is all boils down to that. As you said, it is what the
two parties agree to. But it seems to me that your reluctance to divulge
your definition, accompanied or not by one from the dictionary, indicates
an attitude of intellectual smugness, and certainly no desire on your part
to discuss the issues. 

>>Much of this discussion centers around differing definitions. This process
>>might result in a definition that all would agree reflects the common usage,
>>like it or not. 

>So what. If you want to convince people, you have to get them to agree
>to _your_ usage, not common usage. Science is chock full of terms which
>have important and useful meanings which are not in common usage. Take
>for example the commonplace 'rate of speed'. Do _you_ use this  to be
>synonymous with 'speed', the way it is _commonly_ used? If so, you cannot
>expect many readers of sci.physics to join you, even should you produce
>an entire stack of errant dictionaries to support this usage. I expect
>most physicists are glad to be able to use acceleration in preference to
>'rate of speed'.

Again, Andrew, how can we agree to anything, IF WE DO NOT LET EACH OTHER
KNOW WHAT WE ARE THINKING!

PS. What is OED?

Gene Kochanowsky
-- 
Gene Kochanowsky                           | "And remember ....
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