Being simplistic: a political and spiritual problem

This post was printed as an opinion column in the Abilene Reporter News, April 17, 2016 Now that the presidential candidates are no longer campaigning in the South and Southwest, they are touting their Christian credentials far less. Though there are many Christians in other parts of the country, the label is less salient as a […]

Faith is an active process. So is doubt.

I guess you could read the last few entries and conclude, “John has some serious problems with faith.” I don’t think that is where I am. I have some serious problems with confusing faith with some things that faith is not, such as certainty, gullibility, or intellectual passivity. For me faith is an active process. […]

Still more honest doubt

“The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty.” -Ann Lamott Many years ago I supervised a young doctoral student. He was in his first semester of practicum. That means he was seeing his first clients under the supervision of someone else, me. A few weeks into our work, we were […]

More honest doubt

Thomas: the patron saint of honest doubters. I have always liked the guy. He was the only one of Jesus’ followers who had the nerve to say, “I’m not going to take your word for it. I have to see it.” I like him because I have always been gullible, and I admire him for […]