To confess your sins to God is not to tell [God] anything [God] doesn't already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the bridge.
Frederick BuechnerRead
It is as impossible for man to demonstrate the existence of God as it would be for even Sherlock Holmes to demonstrate the existence of Arthur Conan Doyle.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the inherent limitations of human understanding regarding divine existence, comparing it to a fictional character's inability to prove the reality of their creator.
Frederick Buechner's quote illustrates the philosophical challenge of proving God's existence, suggesting that just as Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective, cannot confirm the existence of Arthur Conan Doyle, the real author, so too can humans not definitively demonstrate the existence of a divine being. This highlights the complexities and limitations of human perception and understanding in matters of faith and existence.
Themes
GodFaithExistencePhilosophyUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about faith, one might say, 'As Buechner noted, it is impossible for man to demonstrate the existence of God, just as Sherlock Holmes cannot prove Arthur Conan Doyle exists.'
More from Frederick Buechner
All quotes βBy and large a good rule for finding out is this: the kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work a) that you need most to do and b) the world most needs to have done. If you really get a kick out of your work, you've presumably met requirement a), but if your work is writing TV deodorant commercials, the chances are you've missed requirement b).
Frederick BuechnerRead
When you remember me, it means you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.
Frederick BuechnerRead
We find by losing. We hold fast by letting go. We become something new by ceasing to be something old. This seems to be close to the heart of that mystery. I know no more now than I ever did about the far side of death as the last letting-go of all, but now I know that I do not need to know, and that I do not need to be afraid of not knowing. God knows. That is all that matters.
Frederick BuechnerRead
To be wise is to be eternally curious.
Frederick BuechnerRead
if you don't have doubts you're either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants-in-the-pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.
Frederick BuechnerRead
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If you care to see God, be pure. If you will not be pure, you will grow more and more impure.
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