Truth can only be obtained through multiple versions that support the claim. Just like theories can only become factual unless they go through experiments that support the hypothesis. The certainty of anything is a figment of the imagination derived from the truth and is closer to “an emotion” than anything concrete (Shanley pp 49). The problem with truth is that it is subjective to the eye of the beholder and everyone sees truth in a different light. The truth is tainted. Therefore the idea of certainty is a lie. Certainty cannot exist without pure truth, but doubt is concrete and tangible. In religion, doubt is combated by faith that feeds this certainty. Religions such as Catholicism and Christianity use parables to “illustrate morals or lessons” to make the understanding of truth easier (Shanley pp 37).“Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley is a parable regarding the truth about certainty, faith, and doubt. Shanley describes doubt in the Preface of the book as:
“a position in an argument past the point of comfort, defending a way of life you were on the verge of exhausting, giving service to a creed you no longer utterly believed, and having told a girl you loved her and felt the faint nausea of eroding conviction” (Shanley p5). Doubt comes from fear and uncertainty. …show more content…
It comes from the hidden voice at the back of your mind that tells you that everything is not as it should be. No matter how happy or satisfied you may be, doubt is the voice that tells you: ‘this will end soon, enjoy it while it lasts.’ In this way, doubt is logical because everything ends eventually. That is the truth about time. Doubt is unpleasant, so naturally, people search for ways to combat that unease. In religions, they turn to faith. Sister Aloysius could not prove that Father Flynn did anything. She felt uneasy about change so she looked for something to console her. She needed to get rid of the source, but indirectly. She looked to faith as her crutch for certainty. Faith is believing in something not yet proved to be true. In having faith we only search for what we want to believe to be true, making the actual truth tainted. Our mind does this naturally, hoping for the outcome we want to see most. Shanley states in the preface: “I still long for a shared certainty, an assumption of safety, the reassurance of believing that others know better than me what’s for the best” (Shanley p6). Shanley believes that certainty is foolish yet longed for by all. He refers to faith as “a shared dream we agreed to call Reality” (Shanley p6). Faith is another form of certainty used in religion to attempt to exclude the painful feeling of doubt in order to keep “simplicity” (Shanley pp 34). Doubt is painful because it begins with “you against yourself” (Shanley pp 21). If you attempt to accept that you are different from the other sheep, then it becomes you versus everyone else. You are no longer part of the flock and the shepherd eventually turns against you as well. You become isolated or the ‘black sheep.’ Father Flynn knew who he was and was determined to not “let her destroy his spirit of compassion!” (Shanley pp 38). People are scared of “circumstances beyond their knowledge” (Shanley pp 49). Therefore Sister Aloysius mistakenly labeled Father Flynn as the “wolf” (Shanley pp 25). She
“a position in an argument past the point of comfort, defending a way of life you were on the verge of exhausting, giving service to a creed you no longer utterly believed, and having told a girl you loved her and felt the faint nausea of eroding conviction” (Shanley p5). Doubt comes from fear and uncertainty. …show more content…
It comes from the hidden voice at the back of your mind that tells you that everything is not as it should be. No matter how happy or satisfied you may be, doubt is the voice that tells you: ‘this will end soon, enjoy it while it lasts.’ In this way, doubt is logical because everything ends eventually. That is the truth about time. Doubt is unpleasant, so naturally, people search for ways to combat that unease. In religions, they turn to faith. Sister Aloysius could not prove that Father Flynn did anything. She felt uneasy about change so she looked for something to console her. She needed to get rid of the source, but indirectly. She looked to faith as her crutch for certainty. Faith is believing in something not yet proved to be true. In having faith we only search for what we want to believe to be true, making the actual truth tainted. Our mind does this naturally, hoping for the outcome we want to see most. Shanley states in the preface: “I still long for a shared certainty, an assumption of safety, the reassurance of believing that others know better than me what’s for the best” (Shanley p6). Shanley believes that certainty is foolish yet longed for by all. He refers to faith as “a shared dream we agreed to call Reality” (Shanley p6). Faith is another form of certainty used in religion to attempt to exclude the painful feeling of doubt in order to keep “simplicity” (Shanley pp 34). Doubt is painful because it begins with “you against yourself” (Shanley pp 21). If you attempt to accept that you are different from the other sheep, then it becomes you versus everyone else. You are no longer part of the flock and the shepherd eventually turns against you as well. You become isolated or the ‘black sheep.’ Father Flynn knew who he was and was determined to not “let her destroy his spirit of compassion!” (Shanley pp 38). People are scared of “circumstances beyond their knowledge” (Shanley pp 49). Therefore Sister Aloysius mistakenly labeled Father Flynn as the “wolf” (Shanley pp 25). She