The Benefit of Doubt

Small Wonders

Laurel Moffatt begins her quest for the benefits of doubt at the bottom of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. There she discovers a search for a lost ship that demonstrates just how necessary uncertainty is to the inquiring mind.

The exploration director stated that the Endurance was ‘the most unreachable wreck ever’. And yet, presumably, he had enough doubt about his certainty to be willing to venture out on an expedition that would take him to the ends of the earth.

This is a bit like a questioning, curious faith in God. There are uncertainties in life, including the Christian life, and times of doubts and questioning, that can be used by the Creator to enrich faith in him, rather than counter it.

LINKS

If you’d like to read a bit further about the discovery of the Endurance you might enjoy this piece from the New York Times.

Or perhaps you’d like to learn more about Ernest Shackleton and his original voyage. If so, this piece by the American Museum of Natural History may prove helpful.

The Scientific American published a piece on the relationship between doubt and knowledge: “Why Doubt is Essential to Science”.

While the shipwreck of the Endurance is protected as a historic site, questions remain regarding what happens now to the wreck and are addressed in this article in The Conversation.