Epistemological, because is discussing the extent and ways of knowing, but also ideological, because faith holds a privileged place in society, and based on the above discussion, one might go so far as to say that faith's privileged place in society is due precisely to its epistemological function. As a means of expressing a certainty independent of evidence while simultaneously claiming to be free from the requirement of presenting evidence, faith is an ideal concept for use by the powerful to oppress and control others, because it allows one to commit actions in the name of faith that could not be justified by any other means. This is because even though faith itself is unjustified belief, within practically all human societies it can itself serve as a justification for other actions and attitudes, such that those actions or attitudes can claim a "legitimate" justification for themselves even when no such justification exists. With this in mind, one must view Gadamer's formulation of faith as simultaneously an ideological statement which only serves to support faith's privileged, pseudo-legitimate status, because it serves to perpetuate the notion that faith occupies a unique position among truth
role of Islam as a unifying force Perhaps more than any other religion in the world, Islam has put to work its less obvious sense in order to unify the peoples sharing the same belief. Through its art, its common language and its judicial system that has the Koran teachings at its base, Islam was a unifying force among the Arabic peoples of the Arabic Peninsula, Northern Africa and the
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