time for a spiritual "physical"

Francis Bacon is reported to have said:

 "If we begin with certainties, we will end in doubt. But if we begin
with doubts and bear them patiently, we may end in certainty."

This may be as good a scientific credo as any, and Bacon was probably as
good a Christian man as many, but I'm struggling with doubts of my own
about this very idea. Perhaps having grown up in a Christian home, I
fit Bacon's former category, though I hope the "end in doubt" part is
not truly an end, but at worst a seasonal oscillation -- a "dark
night" or twilight of the soul from which I will be brought out. I've
always enjoyed immersing myself in contrary literature -- even contrary
to my faith. But Jesus warns that what makes a man unclean is what
comes out of his mouth from his heart. Paul states that we are to
dwell on the excellent, just, and pure ... (Philippians 4:8). Maybe
there is something to the puritanical suspicion: "garbage in, garbage
out". When do I try to spiritually inculate myself of a falsehood by
taking it in and considering it, vs. accepting other's previous
assessment that it is a falsehood and not exposing my mind to the disease?

Many of you seem pretty certain of yourselves ---- in some cases after
years of struggle, research and toil? Do you place yourselves in
Bacon's latter category as Christians? Do you now only read of other's
doubts with a patient forebearing, knowing that you have correctly
resolved the issues and need not be troubled by any challenges to your
paradigm? I sometimes wish for such confidence, but I'm instead
feeling the sting of James 1:6 ...he who doubts is like a wave of the
sea, driven by the wind and tossed. Another verse somewhere in
Proverbs states to some effect: one person's case sounds reasonable
until you listen to the other side and then that one sounds
reasonable. (A realism for lawyers)

---merv

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. --Steven Wright
Received on Sat Apr 22 09:14:44 2006