The older that I get, the more I realize that nothing can be known for certain. Surely, this is true with relatively unobservable phenomena, such as the existence of God, but it’s also true for other matters that seem “proven” as well, such as the benefits of exercise on physical health. When one looks closely at the evidence behind any claim, it is easy to see that everything is a matter of probability or logic. Some things may be more probable, but they are never completely proven. The law of gravity, even, can only be shown to have worked in the past (not the future). Einstein showed that time doesn’t really exist as we all naturally think. And, even my apparent consciousness right now could be a dream.

For some, this realization can be scary. It is difficult to “rest” when one realizes that one’s resting point is, to some extent, uncertain. Still, individuals must make conclusions and have occasional “stopping points” from which to base thought and action. It seems to me that these points best are based on science and reason (with a full appreciation of the limitations of these ways of knowing).

One of my favorite lines of thought concerning this comes from the Christian psychologist David Myers who once wrote the following:

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