The opposite of faith
Faith is not the absence of doubt. Where there is no doubt there is no need for faith. Faith is the confidence to move forward in spite of doubt. Abraham could not see the fullness of God's plan nor did he know the timing. There were still many years to go before Isaac would come. In spite of those doubts, he stayed true to his commitment to his fr
... See moreJonathan Jenkins • Becoming God's Friend: Understanding Your Growth from Servant to Friend
Listen up, guys: this is good [drawing a question mark on the board]... and this is bad [drawing an exclamation point].
Good is doubt, when you meet someone who doubts, relax, it means they're a good person, it means they're democratic, tolerant.
But when you meet these ones [pointing at the exclamation point], those who are certain, with unwaverin
You have faith (an ultimate concern) if you are devoted to someone or something as an end in itself, being willing—if the situation so requires—to sacrifice other interests and passions for the sake of what you believe in or hold to be most valuable. In this sense, both secular and religious persons have faith. The crucial difference, however, is t
... See moreMartin Hägglund • This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom
I’m handed faith like a sealed package on a strange-looking platter and am expected to accept it without opening it. I’m handed science, like a knife on a plate, to cut the folios of a book whose pages are blank. I’m handed doubt, like dust inside a box – but why give me a box if all it contains is dust?