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Having "faith"...

The word “faith” is now too loaded with politics and zealotry. It’s turned from a gentle yet powerful concept into a bludgeon for shaming others. As a New England Unitarian now living in heavily Christian territory in rural Pennsylvania, I don’t often address the subject of faith with my neighbors, knowing that my way of thinking sometimes threatens them.
MOIE KIMBALL CRAWFORD ’69, organic farmer

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The growing pressure to teach intelligent design as an alternative to evolution seems to be an attempt to inject religious beliefs into the sciences. But the two are incompatible: by definition, scientific theories are testable and faith-based arguments are not. Yet I don’t believe science holds all the answers. Faith is an element of spirituality that is essential to keeping us human.
KIM MARSELLA, senior teaching associate in geosciences

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A prosecutor’s primary duty is to see that justice is done. But exemptions are routinely given to a large cross-section of the public summoned for jury duty—often those whose income would suffer from missed work—and a jury without them is not well rounded. Defense attorneys often submit a lengthy witness list and overestimate the length of a trial, knowing that such potential jurors will ask for and receive an exemption. The constitutional guarantee of a fair trial is meant to apply to both sides in our judicial system.
MARY AVERY GESSNER ’58,
retired prosecutor

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Broadly, faith is that element of one’s spiritual perspective that seeks engagement, internally and externally. Faith shapes one’s understanding of how “the divine” animates one toward a righteous life. And it brings one into relationship with others—how one responds to the ethical demands of one’s god(s) and understands nature as part of a created order.
STEPHEN BUTLER MURRAY,
college chaplain

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Since I’m an agnostic, “faith” has no religious meaning for me. My mantra has always been the golden rule—even if it’s just saying something to a stranger and receiving a smile back.
I guess “hope” fits me better than “faith.” The older I grow, the more jaded I become about any honesty in politics or business. But I do find faith in nature—isn’t it a beauty!
FAITH HOPE BARNARD ’46

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I’m often asked when a construction project will be finished. To answer, I must have faith that the people and processes I rely on will be as successful as I expect. As I get older (and hopefully smarter), I find my faith based more in knowledge and experience and less in intuition and hope.
LARRY KRISON, senior project manager in facilities services