What is the Opposite of Faith?

We can probably agree that having faith is a good thing. It's something we admire in other people and something we try to nurture in ourselves. So, what gets in the way of faith? What might it be that causes real faith to fade, to be challenged, or to perish?

Old-time preachers my tell us that the culprit is doubt. They might chastise us into saying we need to wash away all doubt and replace it with acceptance without question. There is something about that kind of thinking that troubles my soul.

How about if we embrace doubt as a way of opening us up to learning new things about God? Could doubt actually increase our openness to the creativity of a full spiritual life? What if doubt allows us to become more faithful? Stil, l we might have lingering questions about what gets in the way of developing faith.

Certainty.

Certainty is the opposite of faith. If we think we are so sure of the nature of God, or the messages from the stories in the Bible, we might actually be missing the most powerful and meaningful ways to embrace the mysteries of the Divine.

Are you certain? Are you doubtful? How is your faith affected by your answers?