Comments on: Doubt Necessary? http://putmeinabox.com/2009/06/doubt-necessary/ AND I'LL GET OUT Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:20:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Judith http://putmeinabox.com/2009/06/doubt-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Judith Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:42:27 +0000 http://putmeinabox.com/2009/06/doubt-necessary/#comment-36 Well, I finally watched the movie Doubt, and I thought it was great. I especially liked the set-up with Father Flynn's first sermon. He asks if anyone knows doubt, if anyone feels alienated by it. He concludes "Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone." So beautiful. In contrast, when Father Flynn is sideswiped with accusation, he exclaims, "You haven't the slightest proof of anything!" and Sister Aloysius replies, "But I have my certainty!" Such a violent and ugly representation of faith, but still what many people assume that true faith is--one immune to doubt. Well, I finally watched the movie Doubt, and I thought it was great. I especially liked the set-up with Father Flynn’s first sermon. He asks if anyone knows doubt, if anyone feels alienated by it. He concludes “Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone.” So beautiful.

In contrast, when Father Flynn is sideswiped with accusation, he exclaims, “You haven’t the slightest proof of anything!” and Sister Aloysius replies, “But I have my certainty!” Such a violent and ugly representation of faith, but still what many people assume that true faith is–one immune to doubt.

]]> By: Rosemary http://putmeinabox.com/2009/06/doubt-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Rosemary Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:28:20 +0000 http://putmeinabox.com/2009/06/doubt-necessary/#comment-25 Wow, that comment was like a whole other post, wasn't it? Wow, that comment was like a whole other post, wasn’t it?

]]> By: Rosemary http://putmeinabox.com/2009/06/doubt-necessary/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Rosemary Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:27:44 +0000 http://putmeinabox.com/2009/06/doubt-necessary/#comment-24 Well, you know Judith and I love you for your honesty about doubt. I remember as a child and young adult I was always overflowing with guilt about my own doubts. I knew so many people who didn't seem to doubt at all and I alternated between envying them their faith or on my wickedest days, deciding they were hypocritical liars who couldn't possibly be that sure of their faith. However, there was probably a time when I seemed like one of those heartfelt devotees without a shred of doubt. I remember going forward in church one time to 'recommit my life' or whatever we called it (growing up a literal fundamentalist I was always worried one declaration wasn't enough and I was sure to need saving again). My youth director announced my decision and then made light of it saying something like "for Rosemary to be worried she's sinning she probably didn't read her Bible every day last week" or something like that. I was hurt that he belittled my pain and doubt though I didn't say so at the time. During that same time period my family gathered at Christmas and recounted the year (an annual tradition)--all that had happened: hardships and joys and plans for the future. Everyone had had a rather terrible year except me, and I was brimming over with excitement and pleasure at all the things we'd accomplished with the church youth group, etc. My siblings still joke about that night and what a happy holy-roller I was. Still, that whole time I was still roiling with doubt all the time, just hiding it really well and suppressing it with lots of prayer and Bible study. Now I'm probably the black sheep of the family for joining an Episcopal church ("their female presiding bishop is pro-gay!" my mom exclaimed to me one night as if "pro-gay" was a really dirty word) and posting controversial topics on Facebook (hey, gotta start somewhere). I think the same part of me that desired to study the Bible so hard and be so deeply involved in the youth group missions is the same part that deals honestly with doubts--I want an authentic faith I struggle with, not a namby-pamby faith that suppresses my intellect and common sense. Well, you know Judith and I love you for your honesty about doubt. I remember as a child and young adult I was always overflowing with guilt about my own doubts. I knew so many people who didn’t seem to doubt at all and I alternated between envying them their faith or on my wickedest days, deciding they were hypocritical liars who couldn’t possibly be that sure of their faith.

However, there was probably a time when I seemed like one of those heartfelt devotees without a shred of doubt. I remember going forward in church one time to ‘recommit my life’ or whatever we called it (growing up a literal fundamentalist I was always worried one declaration wasn’t enough and I was sure to need saving again). My youth director announced my decision and then made light of it saying something like “for Rosemary to be worried she’s sinning she probably didn’t read her Bible every day last week” or something like that. I was hurt that he belittled my pain and doubt though I didn’t say so at the time. During that same time period my family gathered at Christmas and recounted the year (an annual tradition)–all that had happened: hardships and joys and plans for the future. Everyone had had a rather terrible year except me, and I was brimming over with excitement and pleasure at all the things we’d accomplished with the church youth group, etc. My siblings still joke about that night and what a happy holy-roller I was. Still, that whole time I was still roiling with doubt all the time, just hiding it really well and suppressing it with lots of prayer and Bible study.

Now I’m probably the black sheep of the family for joining an Episcopal church (“their female presiding bishop is pro-gay!” my mom exclaimed to me one night as if “pro-gay” was a really dirty word) and posting controversial topics on Facebook (hey, gotta start somewhere).

I think the same part of me that desired to study the Bible so hard and be so deeply involved in the youth group missions is the same part that deals honestly with doubts–I want an authentic faith I struggle with, not a namby-pamby faith that suppresses my intellect and common sense.

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