I am re-reading Tim Keller’s “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Scepticism“as part of my involvement with on an online reading group. In the introduction, Tim calls readers to re-evaluate the value of doubt.
A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenceless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart sceptic. A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection.
Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts – not only their own but their friends’ and neighbours’. It is no longer sufficient to hold beliefs just because you inherited them Only if you struggle long and hard with objections to your faith will you be able to provide grounds for your beliefs to sceptics, including yourself, that are plausible rather than ridiculous or offensive. And, just as important for our current situation, such a process will lead you, even after you come to a position of strong faith, to respect and understand those who doubt.
Related Posts on this Blog:
Tim Keller – The Reason for God
Derek
14/09/2010 at 2:36 pm
Wow, truest words I have read on anywhere in a long while. Reading Tim’s Counterfeit Gods at the moment, I think I should have read The Reason for God first.
Albert
17/09/2010 at 5:23 pm
Hi Derek
We’ll be reading CG on Saturday mornings from Oct 9. You should come along.
A.