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To allow human agency, you must have faith. It is the one faith that "statist" will cannot allow themselves because the "state is great" mindset has no faith in the ability of individuals to choose for themselves.

Faith is what individuals who hate the truth settle for. All religions, are at bottom, collectivist in nature. An autonomist has not use for a "state" or superstition, which you call "faith."

Hank

"Faith is what individuals who hate the truth settle for."

Manifestly false. *Ignorance* is what individuals who hate the truth settle for ...

Faith, skepticism, mysticism, reason, experience, prejudice, conjecture, curiosity, are all *approaches* to devining knowledge. Some better than others; some of our greatest philosophers and scientists were men of faith or raised in faith (eg the skeptic Hume was raised Calvinist, Newton studied theology, Copernicus was a priest, etc.). Faith didnt harm critical faculties for them.

Though science has developed a sophisticated truth-procedure than other forms of modelling the universe, imho only those able to converse in quantum mechanics can really claim to have a better cosmology in hand than a person of faith.

You cant abjure faith and claim to cling to 'truth' - that itself is a faith, and a false one to boot. "All I know is I know nothing" - Socrates.

"All religions, are at bottom, collectivist in nature. "

All social organizations are "collectivist". Some tyrannies have used religion. Many have not.

The concept of Freedom, based on Natural Law, however, came to us from Aquinas the Christian theologian, in addition to the philosophy of the ancients (which never did much for Athens' democracy btw - why, because Plato hated democracy!). We say our rights are granted by God, and that is a surer protection for liberty than "Will to Power".

Faith is what individuals who hate the truth settle for.

Faith is trust in the truth of another. Such trust is required with or without a state. I can't imagine a classroom without such faith, or a family. There's faith outside of your fear of collectivism as well as outside your fear of superstition. Faith, at bottom, is the assent to the agency of another as sufficient for good.