Can Faith Be Justified?

Seeing(‐as) is Not Believing ‐ a Critique of the Aspect‐Seeing theory of Religious Belief

“…As Verbin notes, when we form beliefs about objects accessible through 'ordinary' perception, we do not need to have direct perceptual access to them ourselves; it's enough if we have testimony from someone trustworthy. 10 For example, I can believe my friend's testimony that someone whom he has met has brown eyes. It is different in the case of characteristics that are given in aspect-perception; in order to see this person as beautiful, I must myself see their beauty.…”

“…She therefore believes that justification of religious beliefs for those who are not yet believers should take the form of performing the 'miracles' that is, 'demonstrative, transformative acts that are intended to help one see God'. 22 'Miracles' in this sense are not limited to direct interventions by God, or events contrary to the laws of nature; they are understood broadly as anything that can help the other person (or myself) to see God. Religious reasoning, concludes Verbin, is similar to reasoning in ethics and aesthetics: it 'is directed at inducing sameness of vision'.…”