I had therefore to remove knowledge, in order to make room for belief.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
The knowledge I have now is not the knowledge I had then.
Belief and knowledge are considered to be two different things. But they are not.
We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.
All around me insisted that my doubts proved only my own ignorance and sinfulness; that they knew by experience they would soon give place to true knowledge, and an advance in religion; and I felt something like indecision.
Finding that no religion is based on facts and cannot be true, I began to reflect what must be the condition of mankind trained from infancy to believe in error.
Knowledge is only one half. Faith is the other.
The lack of belief is a defect that ought to be concealed when it cannot be overcome.
Rationally, I was convinced that the universe without God made no sense, but that simply was not the same as believing. But I also knew that I could not argue myself, or be argued, into faith.
It is no good to try to stop knowledge from going forward. Ignorance is never better than knowledge.
The word 'belief' is a difficult thing for me. I don't believe. I must have a reason for a certain hypothesis. Either I know a thing, and then I know it - I don't need to believe it.