This discussion shows the amazing quality of Belmont Club. The most difficult of subjects, yet a place where those who see very differently, come offer gifts of themselves.

I call Thomas the doubter my role model. He isn’t willing to just go along with the crowd. He wants to check it out himself.

One of the minor paradoxes; doubt is required for true faith. Faith afraid to examine itself, is no faith at all.

Trust is another word for faith, without some of the baggage. If I say I trust a chair, but am afraid to examine it , but say it’s safe, before I throw all my massive weight onto its fragile fibers, I lack true trust. True trust does not fear to examine, or kick the tires. You end up with the death of the shuttle when the managers didn’t want to know if there was damage to the wings.

Conversely, if I say I trust but have to keep checking, it isn’t trust. If I say I trust my wife to be faithful, but have to keep making sure, and try to control her. I don’t trust.

The true sign of a dangerous cult is that it doesn’t permit its members to think for themselves.

My take on belief: God actually prefers honest agnostics, who are willing to doubt, over those born in the church, who don’t know doubt, and don’t know true faith. He seems to prefer quality over quantity.

The strangest weirdest item of truth in the universe is that God loves you. And me. All else follows.

Oh, Brock (60), about those laws of physics. I wouldn’t be so sure we understand them that well. Quantum physics is even weirder than theology. They both, so paradoxical is. Perhaps that is why I enjoy wrestling with both. I would appreciate if you can explain which path you follow. I prefer both (at the same time).