'I Want to Believe'

The Catholic Thing · Aug 17, 2026 · 5m

By Randall Smith I sometimes hear people say something like this: "I want to believe, but I just can't," or "I would like to believe, but I just don't." I don't wish to be critical of such people. I assume their reserve about "faith" comes out of a good-willed desire to be honest about themselves – like someone admitting, "I wish I were a calm, temperate person, but I'm just not." So, although I respect the goodwill, I still would wish to ask this person: "What do you think faith is?" "What do you think having faith is like?" I fear sometimes that people think "having faith" is the same as…