March 10, 2005
Richard R. Crocker, Ph.D., College Chaplain
Hebrews 11:1-16
As you know, we have spent the entire winter term talking about the question, "Faith and Skepticism: what does one say to the other?" I have the task of summing up this topic, for now. If our speakers are reliable guides, it is a question that can engage us - and perhaps should engage us - all our lives. For each speaker, though taking an individual approach, has contributed to what I would judge to be a near consensus: faith and skepticism are partners in a life-long dialogue. Each requires the other. To review very briefly a single highlight from each of our speakers:
Professor Koop reminded us that there is not a dialogue between belief and unbelief, but simply between different beliefs. Rabbi Boraz argued that reason sets a boundary for faith, even as faith transcends reason. Jim Baehr spoke of the yearning in his heart, and, he believes in all human hearts, for something capable of satisfying us. Erik Turnberg characterized Jesus as, in some important ways, a skeptic. Richard Denton reminded us that science seeks a universal truth, applying to everything under all circumstances, and that religious truth aspires to meet the same criterion. Freddie Ghesquiere spoke about the process of doubting that characterized her journey of faith and challenged us to identify those bedrock beliefs that we stand on, whatever they are. Alasdair Groves reminded us to remember those experiences of relationship that underlie our faith. And Lisa Thum, last week, spoke about her own journey to faith in the most basic sense of wondering whether she could give birth to a second child. His has been an amazing series of services, for which I am very grateful.
Although I will remember many impressions from this series, I think the one assertion that I would hold up today, as we end the series, is an assertion that Freddie made: The opposite of faith is not doubt; the opposite of faith is certainty. As the writer of Hebrews, in the old King James translation, tells us: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." A later translation says "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (NRSV) A more contemporary translation says, "to have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we can not see." (TEV: Hebrews 11:1) This is another case of older being better, I think. To say that faith is certain misses the point that the older translations capture. Because, you see, the message that faith says to skepticism is: "don't be so certain." This is what the person of faith who believes in a good, merciful, and loving God says to the materialist, who believes that all reality is material. But wait, the message of the skeptic to the person of faith is also, "don't be so certain." It is the case that what has sometimes been taken as revealed truth - that the sun revives around the earth, for example - does not stand the test of careful observation. So, in the dialogue between faith and skepticism, we may imagine each partner saying to the other, don't be so certain.
But where does that leave us, we wonder. In a state of perpetual doubt? Paralyzed by uncertainty? You may remember Professor Denton's discussion of Einstein, whose theory of relativity did not allow him to believe in uncertainty. But physicists, who are tremendously indebted to Einstein, now generally acknowledge an uncertainty principle that makes absolute prediction, at an atomic level, impossible. Our only certainty, some physicists tell us, is uncertainty.
All of us have encountered religious and non-religious dogmatists. The religious ones make statements that allow for no deviation. They are convinced that the word of God, or some other infallible authority, has given them an absolutely correct answer to a particular question. If you happen to agree with this dogmatism, you may also find it convincing, but if you do not, you say: don't be so certain. But, as John Stern pointed out in his recent op-ed article in the D, religious people have no monopoly on dogmatism. There are non-religious people who seem to have absolute belief - one might say absolute faith - in their self-described scientific world view - so much so that they can not allow it to be open to question. To them the voice of religious faith says, don't be so certain.
As the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews says, faith is the evidence of things unseen. Each of us forms beliefs on the basis of evidence. Sometimes the evidence is from our own experience; sometimes it is simply the testimony of some supposed authority. Thus, for example, I suppose I believe that the universe contains black holes. My evidence for this? Certainly nothing that I really know or can show you; rather, I believe it because it is my impression that persons who are qualified and honest and informed have concluded that this is likely the case. But my belief in black holes makes very little practical difference in my life. I can take them or leave them. My religious beliefs are another matter. They are of vital importance to me and make a very great difference in how I live. Let us take, for example, the resurrection of Jesus, which is certainly the central doctrine of Christian faith. Many people invoke the evidence for the resurrection of the various testimonies contained in scripture. I have been taught, since childhood, that these testimonies are trustworthy and reliable. But I am not certain. There are other possible explanations.
So, once again: where does that leave me? In a state of suspended animation? Not really. As for black holes, I accept the belief on authority, but I do not care. In regard to the case of the resurrection of Jesus, I acknowledge the conflicts in testimony and therefore have doubts about what happened, but I care very much, and I choose to live as if they are true.
For ultimately, as so many of our speakers have told us, faith is not a matter of overcoming doubt, but of moving on despite our doubts. Thus it was as Alasdair reminded us, that Joshua and Israelites, after three days, final got up and walked through the river Jordan. And, as Lisa reminded us, this it was that, after months of questioning and doubt, she, in a church in London, finally said to herself: it is OK to have another child; whatever special needs this child has, God will provide. This is the language of faith. It is not scientific language, it is existential.
Now we know that because we live in a world that is full of religious diversity, our beliefs, our faith, will not be shared by everyone. In an effort to distance themselves from religious particularity, some people say that they are spiritual but not religious. What they often mean is that they want to remain open to faith in all its manifestations, but they don't want to identify with any particular tradition. But most of us find that our faith is wrapped up in a particular tradition. Thus, for Jews, the very foundation of Judaism is, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. For Christians, the earliest and simplest creed was: Jesus is Lord - a statement made in opposition to the Roman claim that Caesar is Lord. For Muslims, it is of course: There is no God but God and Mohamed is his prophet. And then there are the four noble truths of Buddhism and the sutras of Hinduism. In such pluralistic world it may seem limiting, shall we say, to anchor our beliefs in one faith. But it is the testimony of many people that they can not live all traditions - they can only live one. Even religions that strive for a universality encompassing all religions - Baha'i comes to mind - are in fact a particular tradition. Embracing all religions is like marrying all partners. Most of us find that we must settle down with one. And even though that partner is flawed, we live together and shape each other, for better or for worse.
So it is with faith. Faith leads us into commitments that shape our lives. Faith brought you to Dartmouth and will guide you into every significant commitment of your life. Sometimes, in marriage, for example, we may wonder if we made a mistake. Sometimes we do make a mistake. Sometimes we find that we have acted hastily or ignorantly in making commitments. Sometimes we change. But if we live in such fear that we can never make commitments, our lives are poor indeed.
I am a Christian. I have committed my life to following the Lord Jesus Christ - not because I have no doubts about the bible or the church. I have plenty. But I also know that I find Jesus, in the scriptures that I have been taught to read, to be the most compelling person in the world. And if God is really not like Jesus, then I do not want anything to do with him. You may share that faith, or not. Each of us is birthed into faith as we are into life - in a particular place, a particular time, a particular culture, surrounded by particular people. We encounter particular teachers, and we come to make particular commitments. No one can life without commitments. No one can live without a story. No one can live without doubt. No one can live without faith. No one can live without skepticism. Amen.
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