Perhaps at the core of human conflict remains the never resolved debate of preference. One's preferences are not often budged by logical argument and reasoning. One such example is the divide between chocolate lovers and those who prefer vanilla ice cream. If hypothetically there were only two flavors in all of the world, those being chocolate and vanilla which do you prefer? Are you a chocolateer? Does vanilla activate your taste buds?

At this point, you are aware of which of the two you would easily devour. Likely, the thought of one excited you, it is deemed your favorite. Maybe, if you have any true sense in you, that choice was chocolate. Consider then for a moment the existence of vanilla. If in this world of flavor, vanilla ceased to exist, how would you know that you preferred chocolate? The thrill and enjoyment of chocolate would now become void of meaning. Your preference of one is predicated on the existence of the other.

This is an extreme over-simplification of what is known as a polar concept. The idea that some concepts do not exist without being weighed against each other. Many other such concepts exist within our world. One more cited example is the contrast between nothing and something. The argument states that to fully comprehend and define nothing, one must have an understanding of, "something." Nothing is then the absence, lack or opposite of something. Likewise to understand, "something," on some level the notion of nothingness must also be understood. One cannot exist without the other conceptually.

In a more general sense, our understanding of absence is interlocked with our understanding of presence. To know pain is to know happiness. To know joy is to know sorrow. They are two ends of the same line of ideology.

In the same way I know a great abundance of people with faith who seem to lose it. The same can be said of myself a short time ago. People around you seem to look at you differently the moment you ask. When the shame of doubt becomes too much, we often abandon faith entirely. No one has answers, no one seems to be willing to answer. Perhaps because the great Divine (and however you may perceive it) does not often communicate audibly, maybe because your heroes have failed you and possibly because the world around you is afire.  So you hide and bury and your soul lulls itself to sleep.

I would argue that faith and doubt are polar concepts. Doubt does not exist abstractly and arguably cannot be defined conceptually without an understanding of faith. To doubt is to lose faith. Faith then cannot be defined without doubt. Faith conceptually is void without doubt. To have one is to have an understanding of the other. The thing often shunned by religious communities is perhaps the only thing that can create true faith. There is value in uncertainty. There is merit to each question.

I'll be honest, I wrote this with a specific person in mind. You know who you are, I hope this helps. 

-Crumbling Cookie

Disclaimer:

I am no philosopher, nor do I claim to have an intricate understanding of polar concepts, this is merely the exposition of my personal thoughts