Being Absolutely Certain Has Its Downsides

Yesterday in my sermon I referred to one of the largest studies in recent years of religious beliefs and practices. It was published in 2008 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life in a report called the "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey." It can be found here.

In the study 36,000 Americans were asked various questions about their belief in God, religious affiliation, and perspectives on prayer, miracles, heaven, and scripture. They also were asked a series of questions about attendance at religious services and participation in prayer groups and other religious activities.

A very large percentage (92%) of Americans profess belief in God or a universal spirit, even a fair number who, ironically, claim they are agnostic or atheist. When respondents were pushed how certain they were, 71% said they were absolutely certain about their belief and 17% claimed they were fairly certain. About 12% of Americans are fairly certain there is not a God, simply don't know or don't have an opinion about the matter, or did not answer the question.

I was surprised by how many persons indicated they are not absolutely certain there is a God or a universal spirit. I would like to think almost everybody would be confident we are not alone in this world and that God not only created us but is seeking to guide us to the fulfillment of God's intention for the world.

Yet there is something to not being so certain about everything. I occasionally find persons who are absolutely certain about something to be dead wrong. I too have proclaimed certainty about a matter and discovered later I was wrong. Ask my wife about the number of times I have claimed I am absolutely or fairly certain about the directions to someplace and then gotten lost.

Perhaps some of those who are fairly certain but not absolutely certain about God or God's nature bring some important perspectives and questions to the table that benefit all of us. I notice that many of the Psalms seem to move back and forth from doubt to certainty.

Perhaps God wants us to wonder and be somewhat troubled about these matters so we don't become so complacent and absolutely certain about God's nature that we get the most important parts wrong.

Life After Finishing My PhD

For the last four years almost all of my discretionary time was used for work on a PhD that I had a crazy idea to pursue.  I attended quarterly residencies across the country for three years while working on fourteen learning achievements to demonstrate understanding and competency in the theory and practice of leadership and in methods of research. I also interacted weekly with members of my cohort.  I used many vacation days and all of my continuing education time for the residencies and to work on assignments.

The first year was an adjustment year and though at the time I thought I was working hard, in looking back that first year was relatively light compared with the pace of work I have maintained the last two years. I gave up accompanying my wife on many Saturday hikes and to several plays, concerts, and movies because I was facing a deadline on some aspect of my program.

Two weeks ago I successfully defended my dissertation and since then I have essentially completed all the final steps of editing and approval. For the first time in a long time, I have evenings where there is nothing I have to read or write. It feels really good.

I still have found plenty of things to do, primarily in cleaning up my school books and clutter. I've also been catching up on some neglected tasks. But soon these will be largely done too.

I am both eager and somewhat anxious about my first evening or Saturday when I have nothing pressing to do and will think, "What do I do now that my to do list isn't overflowing?"

I will be tempted to keep creating an ever-flowing stream of things to do. Yet spiritually I am inclined to think I need some down time, time when I am quite unproductive.

I'll keep you posted on how that goes.