Quote of the Day (Randall Balmer, on Faith and Rationalism)

“I believe because of the epiphanies, small and large, that have intersected my path—small, discrete moments of grace when I have sensed a kind of superintending presence outside of myself. I believe because these moments—a kind word, an insight, an anthem on Easter morning, a chill in the spine—are too precious to discard, and I choose not to trivialize them by reducing them to rational explanation. I believe because, for me, the alternative to belief is far too daunting. I believe because, at the turn of the twentieth century, belief itself is an act of defiance in a society still enthralled by the blandishments of Enlightenment rationalism.”— Randall Balmer, “The Generation of Faith,” in Searching for Your Soul: Writers of Many Faiths Share Their Personal Stories of Spiritual Discovery, edited by Katherine Kurs (1999)