Robert A. Heinlein Quote

"The great trouble with religion – any religion – is that a religionist, having accepted certain propositions by faith, cannot thereafter judge those propositions by evidence. One may bask at the warm fire of faith or choose to live in the bleak uncertainty of reason – but one cannot have both."

by:	Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) American writer
Source:	From the science fiction novel ‘Friday’ by Robert A. Heinlein  Pg. 253
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Categories:	Consent, Integrity, Morality, Self-Determination, Vice
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I think you can have reason and faith. But I don't subscribe to organized religion any more than I subscribe to the machinations of a psychotic government bureaucracy. It is my observation that both are designed to manipulate and control.  -- J Carlton, Calgary
Jesus said for us to come and reason together with him.  -- Cal, Lewisville, TX
I agree with you.  -- Mike, Des Moines
Faith is believing something without evidence. Or as Archie Bunker said, 'Faith is believing something that no one in his right mind would believe."  -- jim k, Austin, Tx
the DOPE of the folks  -- bob, port richey
Heinlein's quote is non-sense. Decisions and assessments that are made by the 'preponderance of evidence' criteria the discernment maker has faith and acts on that faith until new evidence is sufficient to prove otherwise. Decisions and assessments that are must be made by the 'beyond a reasonable doubt' criteria are the same, the maker has faith and acts on that faith until new evidence is sufficient to prove otherwise. But usually such decisive action cannot be undone, but that is just the way it is.  -- Constitutional.Reset, Candler, NC      1
Dumb quote. Of course you can have both. True faith is just that faith. I can have faith the tooth fairy will come. But that faith would prove false. Someone else came with the quarter under my pillow. What you put your faith in is critical. I have faith my wife will support me if I cant work. That may prove false, but I base my faith on a history of facts where we have supported each other in the past. I have reasonable evidence that bond will continue. Historically and logically Christianity has stood up very well to reason and evidence. (See Lee Strobel for a short but well organized apologetic discussion.) After establishing a reliable history and foundation to build faith on, it becomes reasonable to extrapolate with faith in the other claims. Without a base (tooth fairy) there is no logic to continue with that belief. Faith and reason go hand in hand.  -- SCSURFR, La Mirada      1
Constitutional Reset and SCSURFR - Kudos to you both on your rational and excellent statements!  -- Mary - MI
Heinlein certainly has a lot of faith in his own reasoning. I doubt that someone who believes so thoroughly in reason can judge religion, or faith, without discounting any evidence brought forward in support of that faith.  -- veech, southern Utah
It sounds more like he is talking about the religion of progressivism to me.  -- warren, olathe
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. SCSURFR gave a good example of this. Also, My hope I hold is for a return to a natural law substantive society - faith. Evidence of that is displayed by certain participants writing in this blog.  -- Mike, Norwalk
-- Tony, Haines

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