- In a recent thread, I submitted a complete Chat GPT response to someone else’s question. I encountered in that response the term “Epistemic Humility”. My memory must be very bad because I cannot remember ever using that term before, and now that it was put before my eyes I found myself experiencing a knee-jerk reaction, when I remembered the words of Acts 4:12, to wit:
- And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
- As Chat GPT confirms, The passage in Acts 4:12 is not an example of epistemic humility. On the contrary, it is a clear assertion of epistemic certainty and exclusivity.
- Epistemic humility involves an awareness and acknowledgment of the limits of one’s knowledge — especially in matters of metaphysics, theology, or other domains where certainty is difficult to achieve. It often avoids categorical, final claims about truth, particularly when addressing ultimate realities.
Acts 4:12. however, exhibits the opposite: - Claim of exclusivity: “there is salvation in no one else”
- Universality of the claim: “no other name under heaven… by which we must be saved”
- Certainty: The verse does not offer this as a personal belief or conditional claim; it presents it as a revealed, objective fact.
- Epistemic humility involves an awareness and acknowledgment of the limits of one’s knowledge — especially in matters of metaphysics, theology, or other domains where certainty is difficult to achieve. It often avoids categorical, final claims about truth, particularly when addressing ultimate realities.
- That certainly looks like a Christian conundrum to me.
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It does to me too so long as Christians persist in thinking there are truths which are as they conceive because it comes from a source they hold as irrefutable. The solution is to bear in mind there is a gap between any esteemed source of truth and the understanding one can draw from it. We and our understanding is the weak link which not even the Bible nor one’s favorite Christian author can bridge for you. Saying words is not understanding itself unless that can sink in and be made yours. But no matter how one prostrates oneself before the alleged truth that can never make it your own. One cannot shove the truth down one’s own throat.
The conundrum will occur in any religion because pure pragmatism dictates that it is self defeating to admit that any other faith is valid. Any conviction of truth and certainty will stem from this one principle.
Richard
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- I suppose I’d be more concerned if my autobiographical background were different.
- My Autobiographical Background
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Not true. People have multiple faiths because they don’t always conflict (e.g. faith in a religion, faith in science, faith in a bridge, faith in a principle needed in ones job, etc…). And where one must choose in order to give ones full conviction to one of them (as typical in religion), one can admit other faiths are valid and that your choice of one of them is simply your choice for your own life.
Ah!!! Conviction of truth no, one can have this without the above. Certainty, yes. But certainty is just willful delusion. That is not faith. It is telling yourself lies.
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That is twisting my words , and you know it. I was talking about religion, as per the OP.
That I would agree with, but, it does not align with traditional Christianity. In f\ct you have jumped the gun on my follow up. assuming there had been a different response from yours.
That is bac to your usual cynicism. It would imply that there is no valid faith at all. My faith is not a case of telling myself lies and I would thank you for not belittling it.
Richard
Are you suggesting no truth is certain unless it is the only truth?
I am not sure what the conundrum is? Is there not such a thing as objective truth, not dependant on humans?
The reason why there is salvation in noone else is simply because in the history of the world, he is the only one who was sacrificed for mankind’s sin, and raised again. That, amongst other things, makes him unique. No other religions offer this truth.
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No, I do not see truth as binary. I see truth as a large pie. It is easy enough to have different slices that may or may not overlap.
There are things that I see as certain that others may not, and vice versa.
Richard
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No. I considered it. And so I covered the possibility in my response.
I happen to detest that use of the word “faith.” Religion is NOT faith. Religion and faith are two entirely different things. You do not have faith just because you have religion and having faith doesn’t require you to have religion. To oppose this abuse of language is by itself sufficient reason to give minimal concession to such a use of the word.
In this case, by “traditional Christianity” you mean the one that burned “heretics” at the stake, sold indulgences, and sent crusades against Constantinople to murder and rob other Christians?
Faith is a matter of believing in the face of uncertainty. Pretending there is no uncertainty and thus no need for faith is telling lies. That is not cynicism. It is Christianity.