Doubt And Faith

Tom Stirling sent us these two letters, which appeared in the Canberra Times over 20 years ago. The writer of the reply was the late (Pastor) Bill Rein. Bill and Maud Rein were members of this church over a long period.

Tom recalls that they were involved in Morling Lodge and Carey Gardens. Others might remember Bill and Maud for various reasons. For instance, some will recall the part they played in those beautiful Maundy Thursday services during Neil Adcock’s time.

The first letter was titled “Agnostic Clerics”. It read as follows:

Sir, - It is refreshing and heartening to me to read of the clerical agnostics going so far as to jeopardise their very careers in showing to all and sundry the courage of their convictions.

And how right it is to dispose of centuries of mumbo jumbo and purposely spurious mysticism, that convinced some people, mostly the working class, that they were sinners, villains, and could only be saved by repentance and by following the teachings of Jesus Christ, who so loved us that He sacrificed His own life to save us all, we are told.

If God is love very little of this munificent benevolence reaches us today, with hate, fear, distrust, war and famine as rampant as they ever were in the annals of the human race, and in nearly all countries.

After 2,000 years of Christianity as a religion what have we achieved worthwhile? High dignitaries of the church still solemnly bless the instruments of mass murder, battleships, and submarines loaded with warheads. Some people believe that one day the millions of honest humble Christians will tumble to the incongruity of this, the blasphemy of it.

I have often thought how good it would be if Christianity were true and after all the sorrow there was to be an eternity of happiness, the like of which man cannot imagine.

If only that were true nothing else would matter. How contemptible and insignificant the very worst that could happen here would be, if one knew that this life was only a short journey that was to terminate at the beginning of an eternity of joy.

D. H.  O’Connor

The second letter was titled “Doubt and Faith”. It read as follows:

Sir, - Your correspondent, D H  (Letters, May 3) appears to be torn between honest doubt and genuine faith. The letter expresses an appreciation of Christian teachings, wishing that they were true. Has the writer, then, tested them, and found them untrue? In the present discussion concerning agnosticism, that would appear to be the “acid test”.

May I quote in this regard from one of our most brilliant philosophers, and an agnostic, Bertrand Russell: “The root of the matter is a very simple and old-fashioned thing, a thing so simple that I am almost ashamed to mention it, for fear of the derisive smile with which wise cynics will greet my words. The thing I mean – please forgive me for mentioning it – is love, Christian love. If you feel this you have a motive for existence, a guide in action, a reason for courage, an imperative necessity for intellectual honesty …Although you may not find happiness you will never know the despair of those whose life is aimless and void of purpose”.

 “Oh, wise judge!” For myself, I believe many things for which I lack scientific proof, as do we all. Life is to be lived, not explained, and faith is vital at every stage. It’s as simple (or as difficult) as that.

W. REIN Ainslie

 “Life is to be lived, not explained, and faith is vital at every stage”. Now there’s a bit of wisdom that is worth passing on.

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