We decry the blind faith demanded by jihadists or of radical groups holed up on a ranch somewhere trying to fend off society.

A clear explanation of the fine points of doctrine would assuredly lift the shadow of doubt and ease the doubtful person’s struggle. I used to think that the spiritual work of mercy designated as “counseling the doubtful” was an exercise in apologetics. Religion and spirituality are not exempt from trying to stamp out doubt and install certainty in its place. In the most radical of oppressive regimes or organizations, doubt and deviation can be punished by exile and even death. Even in democracies, political parties fear any deviation from a party platform. One might think that faith, trust, and mutual respect are much better lubricants…Ĭertainly they are constituent elements of a good society, but without a healthy dose of doubt, citizens are at risk of “being had” or at least of sacrificing reasoned participation on the altar of conformity.Įvery totalitarian state, every dictatorship, every radical or reactionary movement, demand complete orthodoxy and blind certainty of its members. The smooth running of society demands a certain level of doubt. It occurs to me that the wheels of society need a unique source of lubrication.

What does beyond shadow of doubt mean