One may asked, exactly what is faith? One may ask, exactly where does faith come from?
But in this particular case, these two questions will be asked : What exactly is doubt? Where exactly does doubt come from?
This curious old man would be interested in your personal views.... Thanks in advance for responding...
a small insignificant sufi student....
footnote - The best response to this question will no doubt be voted upon.
2009-12-05T09:02:37Z
* footnote... Feel free to edit your response, if for some reason a doubt has surfaced and needs to be discarded!
2009-12-07T16:50:19Z
- The lesson of the snake. -
Example: a snake (a venomous viper). Does a snake need to empty all of its venom into a human being to take ones life from them? No, all it takes is one very tiny drop. ~~~~~ Example: a doubt (a venomous viper). Does a doubt need to empty all of its venom into a human being to take ones life from them? No, all it takes is one very tiny drop.
One must learn to always keep a safe distance from those things that are venomous. One must learn from all the earthly animals, even mans friend 'the snake' is happy to share its wisdom with man. One might consider this very small point....
nia2009-12-05T03:17:00Z
Favorite Answer
First I don't beleive, I feel, and before I feel, I doubt or in other word I wait. Wisdom will be when I know. Faith comes from imagination and emotion, doubt from the inquiring mind. Faith trapped within culture and religion becomes emotional , doubting what we have learned opens the door. I have faith that one day we will know but now I can only imagine. Love feels a good way to start. Respect of all the our differences and understanding where we are now.
Faith comes from the heart of the believer in which he/she has faith in. Doubt comes from the small voice within, sometimes one will recognise this small voice within and act upon it when they hear it, sometimes not. However, there is a ‘second’ doubt, for one may doubt something and within a flash they have a second doubt, which usually gets the individual too change their minds, if they had listened to there ‘first’ thought (doubt) which springs from the heart and followed it, they could avoid the many pitfalls which life throws in ones path. For doubt is ones subconscious at work, surfacing too the conscious mind and acting as an ‘alarm system’ for the individual.
I am not sure I can add much to what Jill or Sunman has said except my experience. I think doubt like almost everything else in our Life has a positive & negative side depending on how I respond. Some are taught to avoid all examination of what they believe out of fear it may lead them to doubt. But it was answers to questions that never felt right as a wee one that started me on my path & at times embracing doubt that added to what I believed I understood at the time. Sometimes I can hear a new understanding on it's way when I begin to hear doubt & his sister confusion whisper in my ear! LOL! I like what Jill said about being connected. I can intellectually know the Truth of something & still be in doubt because it's not the knowledge or lack of knowledge that creates the doubt. Doubt is of the mind & a side effect or by-product of the lack of Being in Remembrance or Constant contact. When I am connected to that inner part that is the Eternal Child, I feel no need to seek answers in the way my mind thinks it must know to own it. It is difficult to put into words. Within there is a place of Being where you no longer seek in the same way, you are connected, you know that what ever info or understanding will be there when it is needed. The need to carry the knowledge in your head or mind disappears & suddenly all the burdens & needs just vanish. Outside of that place I always seem to doubt on some level because I consciously or unconsciously know I am not plugged in. I wish I could Be there much more than the few times I have glimpsed. I don't know if I expressed what I am trying to say very well. Expressing Being in intellectual words is almost an oxymoron at times. May we all come to the place where we can Just Be, may I also! Many Blessings! EDIT: I have hears it said, if a demon makes you run closer to home, you have entertained Angels unaware! "One must learn to always keep a safe distance from those things that are venomous. One must learn from all the earthly animals, even mans friend 'the snake' is happy to share its wisdom with man. One might consider this very small point...." Then one must use discernment to know that which is poison & that which is good to eat! Not all fruit that is beautiful is fit as human food! Many Blessings!
Faith is a hammer, and doubt is the hooks at the back of the hammer that help you get the nail out after you've made a mistake :D Faith is also a pencil, and doubt the eraser on the other end of the pencil :D
Although sometimes doubt acts as the hammer/pencil, as is the case with Atheists. Either way though, you need a strong supply of both if you're going to be a metaphorical carpenter/designer ;)
Both faith and doubt come from some level of the individual mind, if at all. Both are tools to be used by the individual mind for it's own development. They are one dimensional tools though, they only do one job. Faith believes and doubt denys. Any form of understanding requires both, to varying degrees.
Faith, I feel, is that wish you've whilst you're in a sticky or quite dangerous hindrance. When in a foul hindrance Faith is that some thing thats gonna support you out of it. Kind of like within the films in which the foremost Character is approximately to die and prays to God, hoping he/she will get out alive. Thats Faith, (what i feel) there are plenty of unique definitions to that phrase.