Thanks for clarifying that Fonz. Sorry I'd missed this response earlier. Sometimes I want to "ponder" things a bit and it slips by, but this one I had simply missed.
Your post was very thoughtful so even though late, I thought it deserved a response.
Yes, I agree on the ethical/spiritual statement. But clearly not certain about? Lack of scientific evidence does not necessarily eliminate certainty. For example, my mother loved me deeply. I knew this with certainty, but there is no quantifiable scientific evidence with which to prove that. It could be judged to be so based on her actions, but prove it? No.
And can I know for sure that Jesus was born of virgin? (About the Qur'an, I have assumed that is the belief in the Muslim faith, but am lacking in my knowledge.) Addressing the Jesus factor: No, I cannot be certain in a certifiable manner. Any more than I can take any single incident of history that has passed down the years, centuries, millenia, to us occurred in the manner and at the time we understand that it happened. We place a level of trust in those that recorded events, that they are relaying the events in a level of accuracy that we find acceptable.
The Bible is comprised of the writings of 40 or so writers, over a 1600 year span. Is it 100% accurate? I do not believe so. There are areas that are conceptual, literal, legalistic, poetic, prophetic and historic. Keeping that in mind, I have accepted that The Bible has a basic consistency and continuity. Because of that it does not mean that I am in any way lying to myself and everyone else. It means that I have simply accepted these things as truth, they are for me to celebrate. False truths? Not to be celebrated? Since they are false to you, by all means, don't celebrate them.
I'm sure that you will feel that it's more or less a "talking point" answer. I guess the only "proof" that can convince me my belief is incorrect will come way too late to do anything about it: when I'm dead. On the other hand, if I'm wrong, I won't know it anyway. Unless Hinduism, etc is correct and reincarnation is a reality. But if that is the case, I still may not know if for certain, or all of us would have memories of earlier lives.
I cannot conceive anything that can convince me my belief in God and the validity of my faith is in error.
Alas, no. Bonaparte was not a philosopher. Yet philosophic wisdom can come from many who are not known as such. Sometimes greater wisdom actually can come from such individuals. Perhaps insight or discernment might be accurate as well. The quote you cited was actually a remark he made to Robert Fulton (yep! of steamship fame!) around 1803, when development had spread to Europe. I'm sure to him it did seem exactly that, a bonfire under the deck, seeming nonsense in the wood ships of the day. Lacking the scientific capability of grasping the concept, and making a somewhat uninformed statement is not unexpected. There were tons of skeptics about nearly every phase of the unimaginable progresses during the industrial revolution. But it in no way disqualifies Napoleon from being capable of being correct, wise or insightful.
You chose a quote to support your position, I choose one to support mine.
