--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he…" description: "\"“Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he reassured us that doubt was the essence of faith, and not faith’s opposite.”\" — John Irving" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/john-irving-337_faith_mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he_2262824.png" --- # Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he reassured us… ![“Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he reassured us that doubt was the essence of faith, and not faith’s opposite.” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/john-irving-337_faith_mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he_2262824.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/john-irving-337_faith_mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he_2262824.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/john-irving-337_faith_mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he_2262824.png) > ““Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he reassured us that doubt was the essence of faith, and not faith’s opposite.”” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Doubt is presented as the core of true faith, not its opposite. **In simple terms:** Faith thrives on questioning. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty as part of belief. Themes faith doubt spirituality Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - religious practice - philosophical inquiry Key Concepts existentialism theology Questions to Reflect On - How does questioning strengthen belief? - Can faith exist without doubt? A Different Perspective Some may argue doubt weakens conviction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appealing Reassured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appealing-reassured-5213036/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-opposite-573434/) [Merrill Appealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merrill-appealing-810194/) [Reassured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reassured-331022/) [Reassured Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reassured-doubt-5213037/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“Although he knew all the best — or, at least, the least boring — stories in the Bible, Mr. Merrill was most appealing because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/although-he-knew-all-the-best-or-at-least-the-least-boring-stories-in/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire for a strong faith is not the proof of a strong faith, rather the opposite. If one has it one may permit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-desire-for-a-strong-faith-is-not-the-proof-of-a-strong-faith/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Faith is not the opposite of reason. Faith rests squarely upon reason, but with the added component of revelation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/faith-is-not-the-opposite-of-reason-faith-rests-squarely-upon-reason/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [So let's set the record straight. Faith is not the opposite of reason. The opposite of faith is unbelief. And reason is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/so-let-s-set-the-record-straight-faith-is-not-the-opposite-of-reason/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [And the attitude of faith is the very opposite of clinging to belief, of holding on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/and-the-attitude-of-faith-is-the-very-opposite-of-clinging-to-belief/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Faith: The opposite of dogmatism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/faith-the-opposite-of-dogmatism/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-bible-recognizes-no-faith-that-does-not-lead-to-obedience-nor/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Freethinkers reject faith as a valid tool of knowledge. Faith is the opposite of reason because reason imposes very strict limits on what can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/freethinkers-reject-faith-as-a-valid-tool-of-knowledge-faith-is-the/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [Faith is not the opposite of reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/faith-is-not-the-opposite-of-reason/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“If I am to become a delicate cloud upon the sky, I must first convince the ground that I am not abandoning her. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-i-am-to-become-a-delicate-cloud-upon-the-sky-i-must-first-convince/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“even when I couldn’t see it I liked knowing it was there for the depth and solidity it gave things, the reinforcement to infrastructure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/even-when-i-couldn-t-see-it-i-liked-knowing-it-was-there-for-the/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“We leave a Disney park reassured. We have opened our eyes to the world of the possible. We have experienced the better world. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-a-sklar/we-leave-a-disney-park-reassured-we-have-opened-our-eyes-to-the-world/) [Martin A. Sklar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-a-sklar/) > [“At the time, he had got rid of her so efficiently and so suavely that she had felt almost reassured even as she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/at-the-time-he-had-got-rid-of-her-so-efficiently-and-so-suavely-that/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [“I’m okay,” he reassured her before he could say something stupid. Like “marry me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-laurenston/i-m-okay-he-reassured-her-before-he-could-say-something-stupid-like/) [Shelly Laurenston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-laurenston/) > [Only when the masses are reassured, can the country be at peace. Only when the country is at peace, can the leaders be relieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wen-jiabao/only-when-the-masses-are-reassured-can-the-country-be-at-peace-only/) [Wen Jiabao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wen-jiabao/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) [Matt Morris (1](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-morris-1/) > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) [Browse all 37,796 Faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he reassured us that doubt was the essence of faith, and not faith’s opposite.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Irving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he-reassured-us-that-doubt-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Faith" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he-reassured-us-that-doubt-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/john-irving-337_faith_mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he_2262824.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/john-irving-337_faith_mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he_2262824.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/john-irving-337_faith_mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he_2262824.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he reassured us that doubt was the essence of faith, and not faith’s…” — John Irving", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Irving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Mr. Merrill was most appealing because...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he-reassured-us-that-doubt-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/mr-merrill-was-most-appealing-because-he-reassured-us-that-doubt-was/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```