I once thought I made a mistake but I was wrong.

“Darn, I hate it when that happens. I know I’m always right.”  Actually that’s not me speaking that’s my bravado speaking.  And, I‘ve learned through experience that I’m not always right, that I often misinterpreted what I heard or didn’t understand it perfectly.  In my job, getting it right is important.  Facts and documents are checked, re-checked and checked again. It is very hard to spot your own shortcomings and mistakes. Prior assumptions, poor research, miscommunication and both intentional and unintentional deception all can add to uncertainty.

By training and experience I do OK at analyzing why someone else’s ideas or opinions are mistaken. I am less sure about my own. That’s why I seek second opinions and why I read a lot and why I check source material whenever possible. Whenever possible I listen to the daily experiences of other people facing similar issues in their own lives. Many of the blogs I’ve linked to at the left often deal very creatively with their own uncertainties and God Bless them for being willing to discuss these concerns online.  Here’s a few more thoughtful blogs from thoughtful Catholics and other good Christians. Theire frank discussion have helped me alot from time to time.

This is all lead in for a book review:  The Myth of Certainty subtitled, The Reflective Christian and the Risk of Commitment, by Daniel Taylor.  A short read, at 151 pages, it begins by asking a series of questions. Here are some samples:

Have you ever felt intellectually embarrassed to admit you are a Christian?

Do you personally find a high degree of paradox in mattes of faith, or does it seem primarily reasonable and logical?

How confident are you that you know God’s desires regarding the specific political social and moral issues that face our society?

He discusses the “reflective Christian” as one who is a question asker, who is inquisitive and fascinated by the complexity of life.  Before you might conclude this is a good trait, he notes that reflection can turn to intellectual paralysis and fatal indecisiveness.  I don’t have that problem because I recognize that decisions must be made in the face of uncertainty. You’’ never have all the information so you’ll just have to act with partial information. I’m used to that.

The problem that surfaces when certainty is presumed is demonstrated in a quote by Blaise Pascal: “men never to evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.” He comes to the conclusion that the search for certainty is doomed to failure in this imperfect world and we will just have to live with uncertainty in our life especially our religious life. He has no doubt there are religious absolutes but doubts that we can know what many of them are. He observes that “the notion of absolutes is a human attempt to explain the ways of God to ourselves in a misguided attempt to achieve person security.  Whether by invoking faith or reason in support of religious certainty or on the other hand claiming that all beliefs are illusory, we are pursuing the myth of certainty. In his opinion certainty does not exist, has never existed and most importantly, should not exist. 

Although certainty is beyond our reach, meaning is not. Meaning according to Taylor comes from the right relationship with God based not on certainty and conformity, but on risk in the face of doubt and commitment.

I highly recommend this thoughtful easy to read book.

Comments

[penni]

i am totally flattered and humbled that anyone would find me thoughtful, which means more than you could know.

you were my first *ping* we now have a special relationship...

[discount coach]

Just for today I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my "luck" as it comes.

[Air Jordan 5]

Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination. Do you agree?

[Nike Jordan]

I'm not concerned about all hell breaking loose, but that a PART of hell will break loose... it'll be much harder to detect.