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“Not only do I not know what I believe, but also I cannot know for sure that I believe. How can I define precisely what my attitude is toward something it cannot conceivably grasp? Can I be said to be in the relation of "belief," in any usual sense of that term, toward something that I cheerfully and readily acknowledge to be absolutely incomprehensible to me?
(...)
No man can be sure that he is in faith; and we can say of no man with certainty that he has or does not have faith.
(...)
Not only does faith always carry its opposite uncertainty within itself, but also this faith is never a static condition that is -had-, but a movement toward... And toward what? In the nature of the case we cannot state this "what." We cannot make a flat assertion about our faith like a simple assertion that we have blue eyes or are six feet tall. More than this, the affirmation of our faith can never be made in the simple indicative mood at all. The statement "I believe" can only be uttered as a prayer.”
― The Illusion of Technique: A Search for Meaning in a Technological Civilization
(...)
No man can be sure that he is in faith; and we can say of no man with certainty that he has or does not have faith.
(...)
Not only does faith always carry its opposite uncertainty within itself, but also this faith is never a static condition that is -had-, but a movement toward... And toward what? In the nature of the case we cannot state this "what." We cannot make a flat assertion about our faith like a simple assertion that we have blue eyes or are six feet tall. More than this, the affirmation of our faith can never be made in the simple indicative mood at all. The statement "I believe" can only be uttered as a prayer.”
― The Illusion of Technique: A Search for Meaning in a Technological Civilization
“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.”
― The Brothers Karamazov
― The Brothers Karamazov
“Marrying a woman for her beauty makes no more sense than eating a bird for its singing. But it’s a common mistake nonetheless.”
― Cold Mountain
― Cold Mountain
“There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, 'Do trousers matter?'"
"The mood will pass, sir.”
― The Code of the Woosters
"The mood will pass, sir.”
― The Code of the Woosters
“The world says: "You have needs -- satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don't hesitate to satisfy your needs; indeed, expand your needs and demand more." This is the worldly doctrine of today. And they believe that this is freedom. The result for the rich is isolation and suicide, for the poor, envy and murder.”
― The Brothers Karamazov
― The Brothers Karamazov
Catholic Thought
— 891 members
— last activity 20 hours, 23 min ago
This group is dedicated to the great enjoyment derived from Catholic theological and spiritual reading when combined with the outlooks and opinions of ...more
Les Miserables Unabridged
— 6 members
— last activity Jan 10, 2018 12:52PM
An in-depth book discussion of Les Miserables (unabridged) by Victor Hugo. Translations by Donougher or Fahnestock and MacAfee are recommended, but yo ...more
AMDG
— 12 members
— last activity Jul 19, 2018 11:58PM
1. Purpose: band like-minded readers together, to collaborate and share: a. so that "bad reads" be read by the minimum amount of people possible and ...more
What God is Not
— 825 members
— last activity Dec 22, 2025 11:18PM
Another place for What God is Not listeners to congregate! Here we'll talk about what we're reading and would love to hear from you on what you're rea ...more
John’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at John’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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