Doubt and Faith - by Cliff

                This past Friday, Janet and I went to see the production, Galileo, by the Kansas City Metropolitan Theater Assemble. Galileo believed that the earth was not the center of the universe but simply another planet revolving around the sun. The production was a very good depiction of Galileo's struggle with the Church authorities, who refused to believe that the earth was not the center of our solar system, despite Galileo's observations of the stars and planets.

                We hear Galileo's theory and say, "So what, he was correct." But we need to understand that for the people of Galileo's day, his theory was indeed heresy. Since the time of Aristotle, the earth was the center of the solar system in people's geocentric view of their world. The earth was at the center, humanity had its high and rightful place, the proof was in the scriptures, and all was as God intended it to be. If the earth is another little, insignificant planet revolving around the sun, what becomes of humanity? Who are we, merely specks in a vast universe?  If Galileo was right, everything was threatened, even scripture and God. As one of the Cardinals shouted during the play, "I need to know that God is looking at me!"

Galileo, as we know from history, was condemned by the Inquisition and spent some 12 years in exile. He recanted his beliefs in order to avoid the absolute death of his theory, but he never stopped writing although he wrote in secret. In spite of the Church's objection, Galileo and others who doubted, Descartes, Bacon, Kepler and Newton, helped usher in the "Age of Reason" or the "Age of Enlightenment" as we call it. The Dark Ages of certainty gave rise to a new age, formed by doubt, which became the greatest intellectual revolution the world had ever seen.

We hear in today's Gospel the story of "Doubting Thomas." We are all familiar with this passage. Thomas refuses to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead unless he probes the wounds on the hands and the side of Jesus. No doubt many of us grew up with preachers telling us that "Thomas was an unbeliever; Thomas did not have faith." The phrase, "doubting Thomas" became an insult to one who was incredulous. To be called a "doubting Thomas" was to be reviled for one's disbelief.

I think that we have been much too hard on Thomas. After all, who among us could have believed that a man rose from the dead? I would rather pose the notion that Thomas' ultimate faith came because he had doubted. I pose the thought, that without doubt, there can be no faith and that doubt is the very beginning of the process of faith. Without questioning, without doubting, we can have no real faith in anything. Thomas may have been the strongest of believers because first, he doubted.

Many great mystics and spiritual men and women went through a "dark night of the soul." They questioned the divine's presence in their lives and lived with doubt, and they kept striving to believe. Many of these men and women are now honored as saints and as models of spirituality.

I looked up some quotations regarding doubt, and wanted to share these with you:

"I think we ought to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine."  (Bertrand Russell)

And another by Russell, "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."

"Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt."  (Clarence Darrow)

"Beliefs are what divide people. Doubt unites them."   (Peter Ustinov)

"If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things."  (Rene Descartes)

"I show you doubt, to prove that faith exists."  (Robert Browning)

"Doubt is a not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."  (Voltaire)

"It is better to end in honest doubt, than in dishonest belief."   (David Hume)

Today, we have many people who are so sure of things, who so much want to be certain. Doubt for them is fearful; doubt may shatter their worlds, like doubt may have shattered the worlds of those who lived in Galileo's time. What is fearful is not doubt, but clinging to certainties at the risk of thinking and questioning. Clinging to certainties brings about judgment and intolerance and division and turmoil.

Last week at Easter we spoke about the theme of commitment. We said that commitment really is not commitment unless we constantly re-commit ourselves. Today, I add this; that faith is not faith unless we constantly doubt, unless that faith is constantly challenged by disbelief. In order to really have faith in anyone or anything we must push doubt to its limits. 

So, I ask you to re-commit yourself to doubt. Think and question, and do not be afraid to do so. Only by thinking and questioning will your faith be strengthened.

Galileo recommited himself year after year in exile, writing, talking carefully to those who visited him, believing, while at the same time, losing faith in himself as a true leader for a window of change. We all struggle with our doubts and we keep returning to faith because either we have faith, real faith filled with doubt, or we have fear and pretend it is faith. No doubt about it!