Faith cannot block out darkness, or doubt. When on the cross, Jesus did not cry out “Here I come!” but “My God, why have you forsaken me?” His disciples brimmed with doubts and misgivings. | |
Just as courage is persisting in the face of fear, so faith is persisting in the presence of doubt. Faith becomes then a commitment, a practice and a pact that is usually sustained by belief. But doubt is not just a roiling, or a vulnerability; it can also be a strength. Doubt acknowledges our own limitations and confirms — or challenges — fundamental beliefs, and is not a detractor of belief but a crucial part of it. | |
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If we don’t accept both the commonality and importance of doubt, we don’t allow for the possibility of mistakes or misjudgments. While certainty frequently calcifies into rigidity, intolerance and self-righteousness, doubt can deepen, clarify and explain. This is, of course, a subject far broader than belief in God. | |
The philosopher Bertrand Russell put it best. The whole problem with the world, he wrote, is that “the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” | |
Of that at least we can be certain. I’m pretty sure, anyway. | |
— Julia Baird | |
From her Op/Ed contribution to the New Your Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/26/opinion/julia-baird-doubt-as-a-sign-of-faith.html | |
[I originally found this quote at one of the blogs I follow: http://davidkanigan.com/ | |
The specific post is: http://davidkanigan.com/2014/09/28/lets-hope-so/ — KMAB] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2013 | Fulfilled Acceptance |
2012 | Error Is Tolerated Here (So Far) |
2011 | In Defense Of Pain |
Posts Tagged ‘New Your Times Op/Ed’
Acknowledging Doubt
Posted in Faith, Faith Family and Friends, Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Bertrand Russell, davidkanigan.com, Julia Baird, New Your Times Op/Ed, On Doubt, On Faith, Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, www.nytimes.com on October 5, 2014| 1 Comment »