Doubt is the no-man’s-land where agnostics, atheists and believers find themselves socialising. Doubt occupies an extensive area and those who look in regularly or infrequently find a variety of personalities.
A huge area is home ground to agnostics. It was T.H. Huxley, ‘Darwin’s bulldog’, who found this name for them. The ‘Don’t knows’, as the term means, decline to see in the works of nature or in sacred texts any convincing arguments for the existence of a maker. For them it remains an open question, with a varying emphasis given to the extent of mystery in the pattern of the universe and the measure of the human person. At its best agnosticism is free from the bigotry that may sour a religious outlook. It is prepared to go where the evidence points as we discover more and more about ourselves and our cosmic home.
Atheists are less commonly encountered. To be an atheist it is necessary to be persuaded of the non-existence of a maker. This requires a conviction no less assured than that of a religious believer, whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. At its best atheism asserts the unique responsibility of the human divested of the privilege and inertia that order traditional societies. ‘This life is all and man is on his own,’ says the atheist.
Christian believers are frequently found in doubtland. They believe in God but find themselves unsure about any number of things. There are awkward issues in the biblical documents and even more awkward incidents in the history of the Church. The place of women and questions of sexual morality may loom large in matters less settled than they once were. Some believers have more doubts than others.
Encounters in doubtland can be highly beneficial. In fact so manifold are the benefits that Christians and others should enjoy the doubt-sharing. We need to remember that people do change their mind. We move in and out of the land of doubt more often than is sometimes supposed.
SKARA BRAE
A settlement on Mainland, Orkney with the remains of stone buildings that had toilets with a primitive sewerage system is one of the prime places of interest to visitors. It was an 1850s storm that shifted earth-covering and revealed the stonework. The site was occupied for 500 years from around 3,000 BC. Some have speculated that it was inhabited by religious practitioners who were interested in astronomy and magic. The site is close to the standing stones of Stenness.
WHAT WE OFFER
Christ Church, Felling, Gateshead makes no bones about it. Under the heading ‘What we offer’ appears an extensive list including = baby changing area, traditional hymnody and Common Worship, contemporary family worship, homeless outreach – sanctuary. Tom Worsley leads the ministry team.
HETTON GRAPHICS
The three parishes that have come together in Hetton, Sunderland with Tim Wall leading a ministry team are strong on graphics, with a particular collection featuring their link church in Tanzania.
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