To Be More Humble: The Danger of Absolute Certainty

[Anonymous]

The following is my latest New Year’s Resolution post:

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As I considered the idea of becoming a little more humble and a little less proud this week, I thought back on other things I have contemplated and about which I have written over the last few years. I want to focus today on something I believe strongly – that we often focus so much on knowledge and knowing that we devalue what, in a way, is the pure heart of humility. Sometimes we focus so much on knowing that we forget about the real power and, I believe, enduring need for faith.

“Faith” is not “knowledge”. It is the substance of things “hoped for” – the evidence of things “not seen”. Faith is based on “hope” – a desire for something that cannot be seen or understood fully. “Certainty” is the perceived end of faith – the desired outcome most people envision. It is to be sure of something to such a degree that it is expressed most often in terms of knowledge. “I know this” and “I am certain of this” are seen generally as saying the same thing, especially within religious communities.

One exercises faith when one is uncertain; one does NOT exercise faith when one is certain. When someone is absolutely certain, he stops seeking greater understanding. Such a condition leads the person who is certain to stop exercising faith, since she believes there is nothing with regard to that particular concept she doesn’t “see” – that she has sufficient “evidence” to be certain and not need “further light and knowledge”. If even a prophet (Paul) can write that he sees “through a glass, darkly” . . .

I get more than a little bit frustrated by the insistence that everyone can know everything, since even our own sciptures say that some have the gift to know while others have the gift to believe those who know. (I think there is another category of people – those who never feel like they know and can’t believe those who believe they know. I admire DEEPLY those who find themselves in that situation and still manage to exercise faith [hope in what they can’t see] despite their inability to actively believe.) My biggest concern is the idea that faith and uncertainty cannot co-exist – that if I am uncertain of something, then I lack faith. That is a fundamental misunderstanding of faith.

I would posit that we all must, by definition, exercise faith until we are certain – and then hold onto that previous faith again if we lose certainty. Since none of us can be certain about everything imaginable, every one of us needs faith in something all our lives. I believe each of us can be certain of some things, but I also believe we can be certain of many things and still be incorrect – at least partially. If we are certain of everything, I believe we either are ignorant or delusional. If we never reach an acceptable level of certainty, then we need to accept a life of searching (“seeking after these things”) – following whatever principles and people and politics and religion we feel provide us with the highest degree of certainty we can obtain OR the particular vision in which we want to exercise faith.

Finally, there were at least two times when I think it is safe to say that Jesus struggled mightily – because He didn’t understand and didn’t want to accept something. (In the Garden, where He asked if the cup could be taken from Him and on the cross when he cried out and asked why His Father had forsaken Him.) In these cases, he seems to have been uncertain about some aspect of the Atonement and had to exercise faith: specifically, that He would be able to do it and then that He would have to do it alone at the very end.

If the Savior and Redeemer of the world didn’t understand some things right up until the end of his life – if even he had to exercise faith in at least two instances, I believe it is important for each of us to accept that we also need to accept uncertainty and not assume our visions and views and beliefs are objective truth that need no more light and knowledge.

I think nearly everyone would agree with that, in theory, but there are SO many times when we forget it in reality – when we allow ourselves to be proud and miss amazing opportunities for spiritual growth and enlightenment by being absolutely certain.

[Anonymous]

Fantastic post. Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

One problem with absolute certainty is that it means great accountability. I think it’s merciful of God, and perhaps even strategic, that he doesn’t let us have certain knowledge of all things so he can go easier on us on judgment day. How can we be held strictly accountable when we didn’t have perfect knowledge? When there is so much uncertainty about what the truth actually is?

On the flip side, I think this whole concept of faith causes many people to be subject to abuse. From Jim Jones of the People’s Temple using faith as a means to eventually kill his flock, to the shoe salesman who tried to get me to buy a set of shoes that didn’t fit well claiming that “in the future, after you get wearing them around they will feel better”. To me, the future promised by the shoe salesman is like the promise blessings after this life that religions promise; you can’t see it, or have any evidence of it now, you are just asked to trust that it will be that way.

Some will argue that the willing members of the People’s Temple group didn’t have faith, because faith is a belief in things which are not seen, but which are true. However, that’s circular in my view. Faith is the percursor to knowing truth — almost a for of experimenation — so, a bi-product of the definition of faith is that you may well end up believing falsehoods — and acting on them — only to find out the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.

Also, while I think having humility is important to gaining spiritual experiences and enlightenment, I’m not convinced that a desire for greater certainty is synonymous with pride. There have been times in my life when the sacrifices seem too much to bear, and I go yearning for greater knowledge or assurance that what is being expected is the right thing. I disagree that Christ’s request that the cup pass from him in Gethsemane was a lack of faith either….I think he simply knew what kind of suffering he had to go through, and although he believed in the power of the atonement, he was scared of the impending ordeal. Much the same way someone feels at the dentist — they know getting the cleaning is important, but it scares them to have to undergo the procedure.

And last of all, I personally have never seen faith grow up to perfect knowledge. Perhaps this is a shoe salesman one — where I will only find out after this life is over, but I have never had sure knowledge in this life. It’s ALL based on faith, and it’s often shaken….for me, usually by the behavior of others that seems terribly inconsistent with the truths and claims we make as a religion.

However, I hope for the day when things will be made clear, and I trust that the judgments of God will be just.

[Anonymous]

Interesting insights and perspectives from everyone. For years I prayed to understand why my husband never got a witness of the Book of Mormon or the church. There were two answers I got: 1) that because God did not give it to him, he researched and studied and learned more than he would have if he had just been given the answer right away. 2) That he would have mis-used the gospel because he would have used his sure knowledge as a bat to beat others with. It would have been like giving a 10 year old a race car to drive. Emotionally, and spiritually he was very immature and was not ready to handle the truth.

Because we live in a world that has so many deceptions we do have to be careful what we put our faith in. Jesus did supply many evidences that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Light. He did miracles, healed, gave a good way to live, and said by their fruits, ye shall know them.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

I’m not convinced that a desire for greater certainty is synonymous with pride.

I agree, SD – and I never said that. 🙂

[Author]

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