Saturday, July 6, 2013

The Doubt Essential To Faith

During my many hours of driving this summer, I've rediscovered my love of podcasts. Most recently I've enjoyed the 2013 TED talks. I downloaded a bunch of them, and listen as I roll around the South in my new Volvo S60 T. The below TED talk brought tears to my eyes because of how much it resonated with me and where I'm at.

The speaker is a woman by the name of Lesley Hazleton; she is a self prescribed agnostic Jew, and she has written a biography on Mohommad. I look forward to checking out her books, but I wanted to share this podcast because I believe it has some amazing truths.

Ms. Hazleton talks about the doubt essential to faith. In her own words:

"Like fundamentalists of all religious stripes, they have no questions, only answers. They have found the perfect antidote to thought, and the ideal refuge from the hard demands of real faith. They don't have to struggle for it, like Jacob wrestling through the night with the angel. Or like Jesus with his 40 days and nights in the wilderness.Or like Mohommad. Not only that night on the mountain, but throughout his years as the prophet."

I'd highly recommend watching this TED talk if you want to be stretched, and if you want to think.