“A sound American is simply one who has put out of his mind all doubts and questionings, and who accepts instantly, and as incontrovertible gospel, the whole body of official doctrine of his day, whatever it may be and no matter how often it may change. The instant he challenges it, no matter how timorously and academically, he ceases by that much to be a loyal and creditable citizen of the republic.” MindMayMatterWholeBodyAmericaTimeSoundChangeChallengesAbilityAcceptingDoubtAcceptanceCitizensLoyaltyCeaseDoctrineInstantOfficialsRepublicLoyalQuestioning Book:Mencken Chrestomathy Source: Mencken Chrestomathy
“And the reason is found in the first lie - the lie which you hold as the truth about God - that God cannot be trusted; that God's love cannot be depended upon; that God's acceptance of you is conditional; that the ultimate outcome is thus in doubt. For if you cannot depend on God's love to always be there, on whose love can you depend? If God retreats and withdraws when you do not perform properly, will not mere mortals also?” IfsInspirationalFirstsReasonLyingFoundReligiousDoubtAcceptanceDependsUltimateMereMortalsOutcomesTrustedRetreatGod's LoveConditionalMere Mortals Author:Neale Donald Walsch
“For every gain in deep certitude there is a corresponding growth of superficial "doubt." This doubt is by no means opposed to genuine faith, but it mercilessly examines and questions the spurious "faith" of everyday life, the human faith which is nothing but the passive acceptance of conventional opinion.” HumansMeanGrowthOpinionDoubtAcceptanceGainsEverydayGenuineConventionalPassiveSuperficialEveryday LifeCorrespondingCertitude Book:New Seeds of Contemplation Source: New Seeds of Contemplation
“True belief is not about blind submission. It is about open-eyed acceptance, and acceptance requires persistent distance from the truth, and that distance is doubt. Doubt, in other words, can feed faith, rather than destroy it. And it forces us, even while believing, to recognize our fundamental duty with respect to God's truth: humility. We do not know. Which is why we believe.” KnowsBelieveBeliefForceDoubtAcceptanceHumilityDutyFundamentalsBlindDistanceSubmissionPersistent Author:Andrew Sullivan