April 5, 2016 publication. Riverhead Books.
And already available for pre-order here, here, and here!
April 5, 2016 publication. Riverhead Books.
And already available for pre-order here, here, and here!
The resident feline got the worst of a cat fight, is groggy on antibiotics and pain meds, and despite all the TLC, has somehow gotten out of the houseboat and gone into hiding under the raft, somewhere in the six inches or so between the top of the flotation logs and the bottom of the raft itself. I’m very much afraid she won’t come out at all.
High anxiety.
I kayaked around the raft in the rain, flashlight in hand, calling for her. No response. Nothing to do but dry off and try to distract myself online, where I found that I’d been emailed an article on TEDGlobal by Steve Marsh in the current issue of Delta Airlines’ Sky_Magazine, with this lovely couple of paras on me:
TED’s sangfroid is ultimately a good thing. Case in point is my favorite talk of the week, given by Lesley Hazleton… A self-described “accidental theologist,” she examines the essential role doubt plays in any faith, making an example of the divine revelation of the Koran to the prophet Muhammad on a mountain outside of Mecca in 610. “ ‘Doubt,’ as Graham Greene once put it, ‘is the heart of the matter,’ ” she says. “Abolish all doubt, and what’s left is not faith, but absolute, heartless conviction.
Between sessions on Thursday, I buy Hazleton’s book, The First Muslim, and tell her that her talk reminded me of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s concept of despair. She uses the index in her book to find the passage that acknowledges the connection and signs my copy, ‘To Stephen—Knowing you’ll love a bio of Muhammad that bows in passing to Kierkegaard!’ Lesley Hazleton is cool.
Irony? Paradox? Life? All I know is that I just wish I could be cool about the missing feline…
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Update:
Uncool lasted eight hours. Wounded cat finally emerged. Florence Nightingale here back on the job.
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Further update, October 9:
Healing well in progress. Florence Nightingale retired.
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Not to panic. Cats survive by consolidating and waiting in a safe place. Anyway, cats can swim fairly well — though they might not like it. Siamese cats live on boats and will even jump in after fish!
Prairie Mary
Thanks, Mary, but this one is badly abscessed and in pain. She can swim, of course (cat paddle is like a frantically speeded-up dog paddle), but that’s not the issue. It’s dry under the rafts, and dark, and inaccessible to humans, and sick cats have gone to die there in the past. I’ll call in divers to try to find her if she doesn’t emerge by tomorrow morning.
Karen says: Saint Anthony is the patron saint of lost items. I’m sure he hears the prayers of theologists first. (This was our childhood prayer — “Saint Anthony – Saint Anthony – please come around. Something’s been lost and cannot be found.”) I hope your feline friend returns home soon, Lesley.
Hi Karen — just updated with return of the prodigal wounded feline (maybe she’s Catholic and responds to Saint Anthony?)
Jane Spickett says: A hard loss but, if she has chosen her place to die, I can only admire her. Still, I hope she returns and you can be present to each other when she leaves.
Thanks, Jane. She’s emerged, and seems to be slowly healing. But yes, you’re right: my hope would be to hold her as she dies. Which I realize might conflict with her instinct. Like most cats, she’s remarkably independent minded.
So glad to learn of the return of the prodigal feline. Most all of us do go off to heal without sympathetic bystanders pestering us.
St. Jude of the Impossible is also one of my favourites. He always worked when I was taking finals or facing something, well, impossible.
Looks like this agnostic Jew now has two patron saints: Anthony plus Jude the Impossible!
I find it interesting that in my high anxiety yesterday, I lit a candle and put it in the window. This is uncharacteristic. I’m not a candle-and-crystals kind of person, as you know, but it did offer a small warm flicker of comfort.
I am an admirer of your writing, having read two of your recent books with great interest – but being an animal lover, and more specifically, being part of possibly the only NGO in India that cares (mainly) for cats, I’m now an admirer of the person as well. Nice going, hope your liittle lady heals and is back in action soon.
The talk I gave at TEDGlobal twelve days ago just went live!
Here it is — on Muhammad, the relationship between faith and doubt, and the travesty of fundamentalism:
Anything you can do to forward/repost/facebook/tweet/email/tumble/reddit/generally-spread-the-word will be wonderful. Let’s stop being the far-too-silent majority!
Shortcut url is http://on.ted.com/Hazleton
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[In case you missed it, my earlier TEDx talk on reading the Quran is here.]
Meezan says: Arguably the most emotional speech of yours. I am not afraid to admit that some man-tears were shed here (“blood – — – brothers, steeped in other people’s blood”, goosebumps). Brilliant as always. I must admit I always thought of faith as a non-questioning, always believing blindly and following orders kind of attitude. This has brought a new perspective on things; I am thankful to you for that.
I have taken up the task of translating all of your ted speeches into Urdu. Time to wipe the dust off of my dictionaries. Fecundity. . . . . hmmmm.
Those man-tears especially appreciated, Meezan. Am both delighted and grateful that you’ve taken on the task of Urdu translation. Deep thanks. — L. (and feel free to email me if you have any questions re translation)
Dear Lesley
Thank you for your words. You never fail to impress by what you say and how you say it. Like its predecessors, this talk was deeply inspiring and informative. And it made perfect sense.
It totally resonated with me – a Muslim believer. Till sometime back I used to think ‘I know’, then one day I dared to doubt. I started asking questions. From – ‘Is there a God?’ to ‘What is the whole purpose of this life?’
After many sleeplesss nights, I got a few answers, all pointing in one direction. That there is so much to learn and a long way to go. And I would never have started on this journey towards truth had I not doubted.
I’m no longer afraid to doubt. The basis of true belief lies in true doubt.
Saheem
Reminds me of this from Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep.”
Thank you so much Lesley for your work, for the inspiration you share. I hope and trust many will watch your video and feel more hope, more peace… or basically just be able to hold the space. We all do our thing. THANK YOU.
Thank you for a wonderful talk. I found that it gelled quite well with an essay I wrote on my own blog and I would like to share it here: http://flippinutahmormons.blogspot.com/2011/09/on-doubt-skepticism-and-faith.html
I was both impressed and enlighted by your TED talk. Which brought me on the idea to translate it in Dutch (I am from the Netherlands), because it would make me understand your well-chosen words better. Also the video on Ted.com could/might be subtitled for Dutch viewers. Would you mind? And if not, do you have a text-version of your talk I could obtain?
Yours sincerely, Jurgen
Hi Jurgen, and thank you! Translations are done through TED’s all-volunteer Open Translation Project (http://www.ted.com/OpenTranslationProject). I know someone is already at work translating this talk into Dutch, but with so many talks coming out all the time, am sure TED would love to have you on board. — L.
(A link to the English transcription of this talk is already online on the video page.)
Guy de la Rupelle says: P.S. I forgot to add what one person wisely said, that faith and doubt are the two sides of the same religious experience.
irfan says: Thanks Lesley for such a beautiful speech, whenever I am watching your videos there is an experience of new learning…I know everything mentality is an arrogant mentality which closes the doors of new learning experiences in the life.
nuzhat fakih says: hi lesley,
after hearing you on Ted, I stand by my verdict in the reply to your previous post, that you deserve to remain in the cloud……
‘doubt’ vis a vis ‘faith’ may be open to a subjective response, but the last part of the talk, as per Muhammad’s reaction to the present day scenario in the Islamic world, and the attitude of his followers is spot on…i have been trying to convince this viewpoint to whoever is ready to talk on this topic in the circle I interact with.
thanks for reafffirming my faith in this context.
nuzhat.
Thank you Nuzhat! “We love you in any state of gravity,” you wrote as I wondered how I was going to get my feet back to earth again, and I broke into a huge smile at that. It’s my privilege to help open up the conversation. — L.
Nuzhat fakih says: One more thought….for people who took offence to your word on the prophet’s “doubt” at the first instant of revelation…. I would say that this reaction conformed to his inbuilt nature of being humble. He did not take pride in being the chosen one, (and never did all his life),
but in all humility needed reassurance at that point, of having been given that responsibility. Can anyone just accept prophethood one fine day, even when it was thrust upon him and that too without any aspiration for the same?
I could plead with my community on so many issues to be understood in their right spirit, Lesley. People like you and me can scream ourselves hoarse. Thanks for your commitment though.
Nuzhat.
Thanks, Nuzhat, but let’s not go hoarse! Isn’t it the gentleness of doubt that we value, as opposed to the violence of conviction?
Nuzhat fakih says: True…..wish others could understand the human aspect of the prophet. Reverance would be more natural than ingrained.
At this point I will share a secret…..a few years ago, standing at his tomb in Medina, prayers eluded me for a while, as his entire life story played in my mind. I could only have a silent conversation with him, telling him I wished I could have been present then, to have helped him in whatever way,etc…..that was my way of connection!
Sorry, I think I’m beginning a Tarzan/Jane-Jew! relation with you….
Love it and you….
Nuzhat.
Yusra Zainab says: Hi Lesley,
I am a muslim business student from Pakistan and your talk is very impressive. There is a lot that I agree with you on especially on the point that how one can never claim to be all-knowing and righteous. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) always displayed humility and modesty. However, what seems questionable to me is the idea that Prophet Muhammad’s complete life and struggle in Islam was based on doubt. At the time of revelation, it was indeed fear and maybe doubt also that overwhelmed him. But later, with more revelations from God and at the point when he had to take major decisions, reform society, act as advocate of social and economic justice, propagate the message of Islam, he had complete conviction on the existence of God and on the revelations being the truth. There couldnt be any room for doubt or else, he might not even have taken those steps which he actually did. However,I also agree that faith is incomplete without doubt. For the courageous steps that he took, faith and doubt had to go hand in hand. But the doubt that remained with the prophet for his life which made him humble in his ways and for which Quran tells him not to despair was not the the doubt on the existence of the God but was doubt with regards to his own and his follower’s abilities, and if he had done his best in reforming the society, and if he had conveyed the message in rightful way. This was the doubt that made him alive, made him to give his best, be humble, continue his struggle, and ultimately have faith. This is according to my understanding of the religion but Allah knows best. It would be nice to hear your views on it. Thank you.
Yusra Zainab.
I can only speak for my understanding of Muhammad — not as a believer, but as a human being. You’ve expressed the believer’s understanding very well — indeed, beautifully — and I thank you for what I read as a bridge between where I am and where you are. (I love the phrase “Allah knows best,” which comes up repeatedly in the early Islamic sources, because it acknowledges that humans beings often disagree, that there are limits to our knowledge, and that none of us can justifiably claim absolute “right.”)
Nuzhat fakih says: Yusra…..I suggest you read Muhammad Asad’s views on doubt being integral to ‘enhance’ and reiterate faith, in his interpretation of Sahih Bukhari, section 2, (the book of faith).
He confirms that it (having doubts) held true for the prophet too, from the very word go…… As fellow Muslims we understand the prophetic mission carried out with sincerity and integrity, in its own religious context. As you also pointed out, his doubts were in true humility.
But this talk, actually awakens us to the very Islamic philosophy of ‘exerting’ ourselves to the utmost, by questioning, to enable our spiritual upliftment.
Faith (iman) need never be shaken by right enquiry, nor can it make you a lesser believer. Or else itjtihad would not be permitted to us.
sharing my viewpoint, is the intention here.
Nuzhat.
Yusra Zainab says: Thanks Lesley for your views.
Thank you Nuzhat for the reading suggestion. I will InshaaAllah try my best to go through them. I completely understand the importance of doubt in enhancing one’s faith and do not deny to that fact. My own journey to understand and then form belief on the teachings of Islam, Allah Almighty and Prophet Muhammad has been driven by continuous questioning, pondering and going through the scriptures and various articles that I could get hold of. Also, in my opinion, I don’t think one can be called a true believer until one has at least once questioned one’s beliefs, driven into details, tried to find more, and undergone the struggle to find the answers to the important questions. Or else, it would have been too easy to call oneself a believer. But from my experience and understanding, constant questioning often leads one to become more firm on what one holds as his/her beliefs as they (the beliefs) are now tested, and then accepted. It is at this stage when what one believes begins to impact his/her behaviour, actions, and objectives. The prophet too, I believed, reached that stage during his prophet hood and that is when, acting on his firm belief on the existence of God, he reformed the society. We know from the Islamic history about the incidence of Miraaj, and how prophet asked his followers and people to believe on it. How could one preach a message with extreme determination, bearing all atrocities and hard times, when one himself is in doubt about it? Especially, if we observe how specific Islamic teachings are about the basic tenants of belief. Thus, he believed with certainty that which he preached. However, it is not that his struggle was free from all doubts, fear and uncertainties. He often used to be concerned about his Ummah and faced doubts and Allah tells him not to despair. This is when he displays faith on Allah. He also indicated uncertainty over the fulfilment of his duty of conveying the message when Allah in the Quran assures him. Thus, I agree with you that having doubts held true for the prophet too but this wasn’t doubt on the belief of the existence of God or the message of the revelations but rather of a little different nature as elaborated above.
The Quran also takes both the sides. At one point in Quran, Allah asks people to reflect upon and ponder over the Quran. In another Surah, Surah Hujjurat, chapter 49, verse 15, Allah says, ” The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah . It is those who are the truthful.”
I will InshaaAllah try to go through the readings you have recommended and it maybe that my views are not right and there may be much more to it. But, I have only shared what my understanding has been till now from what I have read and experienced. May Allah guide us. I completely agree with what Lesley has pointed that there could be different understandings and interpretation from the life of the prophet(peace be upon him) himself. I appreciate her intense research and the talk. It has definitely given me some food for thought.
Yusra — to me it’s not a matter of “being right” or “correct” (or “wrong” or “incorrect”). To me it’s an exploration — an attempt to see things in more depth and complexity, and thus in more richness, which I know you’ll agree is one of the great privileges of thought.
Lesley so well presented, you are wonderful at what you do. Yes indeed, Mohammed is one who is far more relatable than any other Prophet of the past and i feel the main reason for that was his human reaction to Prophethood. The fear, the doubt and the burden of which rested on his shoulders showed on his face, from the time he cried to his wife Khadija “Cover me” to the time he wept as he walked away bloodied from being stoned at Ta’if. We come to see a man who did what he could to change and shape his society, for the better- at least from the perspective of an upcoming and final messenger and the bitter reality of the world around us is still witnessed today to the ever so resentful responses to Mohammed and his prophethood, his test of faith came knowing that he completed his message and died at rest, releasing this burden and sighing in relief to meet his planner.
Peace Lesley, i love what you do. From a fellow author, poet and Muslim/Human, Ramey.
Thank you Ramey. A poet indeed.
Peace be upon us all. — L.
[…] classifying one as either (theist or atheist) is rather childish and we should be committed to doubt by falling on neither side. But in my country, you do not have the luxury to sit on the fence: everything you do, how you live […]
Newly back in Seattle after an amazing couple of weeks, I’m jet-lagged, news-lagged, and above all, TED-lagged.
Eleven days ago, I was onstage at TEDGlobal in Edinburgh. The talk — on Muhammad, doubt, and the travesty of fundamentalism — may be released on TED.com as early as this coming week, but meanwhile, in the tease category, here’s a still shot:
The TED audience was beyond-words wonderful. I still can’t quite believe the generosity of their ovation. But how do you come down from such a high?
I hereby declare a new addition to the DSM-IV manual of psychiatric disorders: post-TED syndrome, which poses the patient with the problem of how to get her feet (let alone her head) firmly back to earth after a week of non-stop talk and ideas and excitement and superb company? (Plus some great music and dancing too).
Seven days ago, I took the back-to-earth idea literally. If you had been in possession of a pair of good binoculars, you would have found me roaming the wilds of Romney Marsh in Sussex, totally wind- and rain-blown, along with thousands of sheep and the most bullish lambs I’ve ever seen — sturdy little bruisers, each with a very distinctive vocal point to make about my presence. (On the menu that evening in nearby Rye: “Romney Marsh lamb.” My response: “Noooooo….!”)
Forward a bit, and four days ago I was doing my roaming in London, meeting my brilliant UK publishers over grappa in a club so private it has no name (British release of The First Muslim is set for November 7), doing tai-chi early mornings by the lavender field in Vauxhall Park (triple espresso at the ready), communing with the Rothkos at the Tate Modern, zipping along the Thames in water taxis, and downing elderberry lemonade and tahini-drizzled eggplant at Ottolenghi’s in Islington (his cookbook Plenty has the best recipe I’ve ever found for socca).
So today, back in my houseboat in pacific Seattle, my head is reeling from it all, and I have a new way of posing the post-TED problem: how do you get your feet back to earth when you live on a raft that floats on forty feet of water?
alim says: Another talk from you about Muhammad and more. WONDERFUL. Have just started reading your ‘The First Muslim’. I’m all ears already for the talk. Our planet needs more people like you, Lesley. You’ve been such an inspiration.Thanks!
nuzhat fakih says: no……please dont try to come down to eath or wherever….we love you in any state of gravity…..looking fwd to the Ted brilliance while i repeat the one on “reading of Quran” to restrain my excitement of hearing you again….wish Ted India invite you too…
love you more lesley….
nuzhat.
Guy de la Rupelle says: “The earth is my body, my head is in the stars.”
(spoken by Maude in the movie “Harold and Maude”, a wonderful little gem of a film from 1971)
fatmakalkan says: Today I received your talk at TED. I can not find any word to discribe my appreciation about your latest work about prophet Mohammad’s biography. He is my forefather and my role model. I know him very well as if he lived today . Your thoughts about him are absolutely true. He would stand up to terrorist, suicide bombers, wars, discrimination by gender, race, wealth. I am fascinated with your curious mind, turning every stone to find the truth about Him. I will order the book immediately. You deserve every award in the world because your work and your contemplation about the truth is going to help thousands of people. You fullfiled great service to humanity for going after the truth! I salute you. You are also brave women because you stood up on your two feet against liers, mud throwers to prophet Mohammad. We are brothers and sisters as humanbeing and we must live at peace in this earth.
Not floating, but camel-riding, down-to-earth! The real deal.
Posted your talk on Facebook… Sending you Ya Fattahs for PTedS.
love, and a rain of blessings on your good work. T’m
Ah, it was you that sent down all that rain last night! Thank you. I love going to sleep to the sound of rain on the water…
GeraldT says: What irony!
“We’ve allowed Judaism to be claimed by violently messianic West Bank settlers…”
It must be habituation that makes the truth so elusive to you. And it’s nothing new. Judaism has actually been hijacked, long ago, by agnostic intellectuals who “believe that they and they alone are right.”
How do you lump the likes of Baruch Goldstein and Yigal Amir, who are widely condemned among all Jews, together with Islamic suicide bombers who are memorialized and celebrated by many millions.
You are among the millions of Jewish liberal extremists who have sought acceptance by being self critical. How pathetic. In demonstrating your intellect, open mindedness and humanism, you persist in supporting the very forces that seek your destruction.
Yawn…
Apparently you didn’t catch what I said about “the Truth”.
GeraldT says: Actually, I did. You talk about the arrogance of the extremists who claim a monopoly on the Truth.
Your dismissive tone suggests that you won’t dignify my challenge with an answer. Do you even own a mirror?
GeraldT says: … Love the wit.
I also failed to thank you for the faith and doubt resonance thesis. But, agnostic Lesley, if you must subscribe to the Truth at least leave room for the truth of your heritage.
I subscribe to “the Truth”? Since when?
As to the “truth of my heritage,” one of the finest Jews I know of was Spinoza. And he was excommunicated by those who thought they owned “Truth.”
As my shuttle bus roared from downtown Seattle to the airport, i thought let me check ted.com and wisely use the ride time.
The words faith and doubt were carefully chosen by Les and they did the marketing job they were supposed to do and i clicked and she started!
I have to admit – I enjoyed the talk but there were information – based on my humble understanding – which were incorrect or let’s say are prone to wrong interpretation due to linguistic loss of fidelity for the lack of a better term.
Mohamad (pbuh) may have been in doubt about what he saw in the night of revelation but this is different than faith (defined as deeply rooted belief(s)) . That instance could be described as experience and yes many books refer to it as such and agree with what she said about leaping of a cliff, etc…
But the fact the he was in the cave is actually because he had a different faith than those who surrounded him and he used that time to reflect and further his beliefs.
The opposite of doubt is certainty and the opposite of knowledge is ignorance. Fanatism is not the result of certainty but ignorance. Mohamad did not have doubt (that is the wrong word to use) he needed knowledge and that is what that divine revelation came to give him […]
Lack of knowledge is abundant and the more know the more he realizes how humble his knowledge is and thus is willing to accept another opinion and the converse is true.
Wishing guidance to all mankind – a fellow human
But the point is surely that I do not define faith as “deeply rooted belief.” In fact as I see it, real faith defies the certainty of definition…
Guy de la Rupelle says: This posting has generated quite a few responses, some thought-provoking and as usual one or two, well…
Anyway, I took the time to listen several times to your talk Lesley and jotted the following excerpt in my journal:
…….
“Real faith has no easy answers…it involves an ongoing struggle, a continued questioning of what we think we know, a wrestling with issues and ideas. It goes hand in hand with doubt, a never-ending conversation with it, and sometimes in conscious defiance of it…”
…….
As a “somewhat agnostic catholic”, I found it very interesting that in 2007 the Vatican was a bit upset that a priest took it upon himself to publish Mother Theresa’s private letters in which she revealed that she had doubts about the existence of God and lamented the absence of a personal sense of Jesus’ love in her life. She wrote that at times when she was in church and prayed, she felt as if there was no one there. Some people thought less of her knowing this, some atheists rejoiced, and the Vatican whimpered.
Your view regarding faith replies perfectly to the conundrum Mother Theresa seemed to face, questioning, struggling, wrestling with issues and in so being, probably made her stronger spiritually and to the rest of us, more human.
Enjoyed your talk, but not sure that either side of this conversation (faith-doubt, certainty-uncertainty, theist-atheist, etc.) gets us closer to empathy — to compassion — to loving one another.
After 6 years of TED Conferences, I know what you mean. A week of high-intensity, non-stop creativity among amazing people, and then the brutal home crash for a few days.
Hope we can chat F2F in Vancouver next year.
Do we have to love one another? Isn’t it enough — more than enough — that we let each other live?
Vancouver would be good. — L.
Indifference, isolation, apathy, neglect. Many would see these as problems.
Totally agreed. But compassion seems to me insufficient — almost passive, in fact, and that passivity is precisely what you’re talking about. I’d advocate a kind of waking up: to social responsibility, to involvement, to the recognition that we’re all in this together, and action on the basis of that recognition.
fatmakalkan says: Hi Lesley,
I started to read your book ” First Muslim” this week. Certainly it is a unique approach that no writer took until now about Prophet Mohammad peace be upon him. There fore your book is filling this very important gap on the biography of Prophet Mohammad ( PBUH). You did put hundred hours of contemplation about his human side. As a person who contemplates a lot I do appreciate your contemplations and sharing them with rest of the world. Lots of hours of searching truth brought this beautiful realistic book about Him. ” there is no other worship more valuable than contemplation” said Prophet Mohammad. And in many verses in Quran Allah urges us to contemplate. Because that is how we can reach the truth by separating truth from falsehood. You are asking questions everything around you just like example of Prophet Abraham given at the Quran. Who ever seeks Allah, Allah guides them to Himself. And who ever finds him fulfills her/ his purpose of life. Who ever doesn’t find him they lose only chance given to her/ him to be among the friends of Allah. Ultimate happiness or true love is felling in love with Allah.
I just spent a couple of days totally absorbed in a book that celebrates ignorance. Even better, it celebrates ignorance in science! Or to be a tad more precise, it’s about what the author, Stuart Firestein, a Columbia University neuroscientist, calls “the exhilaration of the unknown.”
So ignore the way the cover makes the book look ominous and boring. It’s anything but. In fact it’s a delight. Because of course Firestein isn’t talking about willful stupidity, that “callow indifference to facts or logic that shows itself as a stubborn devotion to uninformed opinions.” Not that at all. He’s talking about “a particular condition of knowledge: the absence of fact, understanding, insight, or clarity about something.” This he calls “knowledgeable ignorance.” Also known as “perceptive ignorance” or “insightful ignorance.”
Essentially, Firestein’s book is a celebration of mystery. That is, of uncertainty, doubt, and unknowability – terms which apply as much to my agnostic inquiry of religion as to his equally agnostic inquiry of science (which originally meant ‘knowledge’). Some scientists call his approach “agnostology” – a coinage that makes me laugh out loud and imagine a bunch of angels dancing like crazy on the head of a pin. Me, I call it accidental theology.
Knowledgeable ignorance, says Firestein, is the kind that leads you to frame better questions. And not with any single answer in mind. “One good question can give rise to several layers of answers,” he says. A perfect image: layers of answers, like layers of clouds, each one shaped and influenced by the ones above and below it, each one distinguishable and yet part of the whole most of us dismissively shorthand as “sky.”
And then this: “Being a scientist requires having faith in uncertainty, finding pleasure in mystery, and learning to cultivate doubt. There is no surer way to screw up an experiment than to be sure of its outcome.”
“Having faith in uncertainty” — if I believed in perfection, that would be a perfect definition of agnosticism!
I love that there is an author willing to make such claims. There is no need to be absolutely certain about everything in one’s life. That’s part of life’s mystery. But authors like these have also taught me an important lesson: science is a wonderful tool but it has not uncovered anywhere near a majority of what is explorable. Great post.
Thanks, T — just clicked to follow your blog too, and looking forward to reading through it. — L.
” From the cowardice that shrinks from truth;
From the laxness that is content with half-truth;
From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth;
O God of Truth Deliver Us!”
A prayer by a great-grandson of the Prophet.
Countdown has begun for the opening of this Pandora’s box of ‘revelation’….pun intended! It’s high, as well as the right time to understand this ‘hazy to the world’ scripture….excited!!
All the best Lesley. Reviews are making it more enthusing….
Nuzhat.
Good puns always make me smile! Thanks, Nuzhat.