The LDS Concept of Faith is Irrational.

Thank you con for this debate. You have been a wonderful opponent. Overview of my Case: 1: Defining Faith Con’s full definition provided accepts what I have provided. It also demonstrates his additions to not be part of the definition. For example, Faith being a principle of action or exercising faith is the impact of having faith, not faith itself. Faith is defined in LDS theology as “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen… is not a perfect knowledge… hope for things unseen.” Evidence is “that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof.” Thus, a plain understanding of faith is to believe in something without grounds for belief. Therefore, using a simple relation of terms and deductive reasoning we see that the LDS Concept of Faith is incoherent, irrational, and unreasonable. 2: God Created the World through Faith Con claims that “Faith is how we understand, or know, God created the world. God didn"t create the world through faith because God has a perfect knowledge.” Con concedes that God could not create the world through Faith and have a perfect knowledge as this would be a contradiction of LDS Theology. This is expressly not what is taught in LDS doctrine. As I argued previously, LDS doctrine is that the world was created through faith. Consider the following… “faith is the moving cause of all action”(1) According to LDS theology all actions taken are faith based. This is Inclusive of any action taken by God. “By this we understand that the principle of power, which existed in the bosom of God, by which the worlds were framed, was faith; and that it is by reason of this principle of power, existing in the Deity, that all created things exist-so that all things in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, exist by reason of faith, as it existed in HIM… Had it not been for the principle of faith the worlds would never have been framed, neither would man have been formed of the dust--it is the principle by which Jehovah works, and through which he exercises power over all temporal, as well as eternal things. Take this principle or attribute, (for it is an attribute) from the Deity and he would cease to exist…. Who cannot see, that if God framed the worlds by faith, that it is by faith that he exercises power over them, and that faith is the principle of power? And that if the principle of power, it must be so in man as well as in the Deity? This is the testimony of all the sacred writers, and the lesson which they have been endeavoring to teach to man.” (1) As I argued previously, This is a perfect example of how the LDS concept of faith is incoherent. We have established it is LDS theology that if you have a perfect knowledge your faith is dormant. God supposedly has a perfect knowledge, and yet it is taught that he created the world through faith. Believing such an incoherent principle is unreasonable. Overview of Con’s arguments: 1: Appeal to population Con states that “he never argued that many people make something right, but the vast and well documents positive actions of those people do provide evidence that something reasonable is happening within that movement.” This is clearly a non-sequitur. Do not people who are absent of the faith of the LDS also do vast good and have positive actions that they take. Thus it is clear that it does not follow to tie such actions to the LDS concept of Faith. Con’s conclusion of this argument is “I've shown that the LDS concept of faith has a track record - millions deep.” We see however that the “track record” does not only apply to members of the LDS church that ascribe to a particular faith. Conclusion: I have shown con’s argument to be a non-sequitur and an appeal to population. Even if you buy his argument it is only inductive. It is heavily outwiedghed as my two arguments stand and are deductively sound. We see that the LDS concept of faith is incoherent and thus unreasonable. Thanks for reading. Vote Pro. (1) http://www.mormonbeliefs.com...