It came up in a few conversations that I’ve had this week. I can’t just let it pass without at least writing a few ideas about it.
I heard it in a presentation earlier this week, then I heard it in a conversation that I had today. In both cases, the conversation had to do with how some might base their worldview or perspective on well thought out, scholarly speculation. Sometimes there is just no way of knowing, and the best that we have is a guess – which is not necessarily a bad thing.
There is a certain amount of risk that one takes with speculation. As long as you are aware of those risks, you’ll know where you stand.
identitySPECIALIST 
What’s the line between speculation and faith?
Why is there a line?
In my mind speculation has some negative connotations associated with it. Those negative connotations are probably rooted in phrases like, “That’s just speculation”; in my mind speculation means something that isn’t concrete or trustworthy. With those negative connotations in mind, I want my faith to be stronger than speculation, I want it to be concrete, something upon which I can build my life.
Scott – I think that speculation has to do with things that one cannot know and cannot see. Faith has to do with things that one can know and believe in but one might not be able to see.
Speculation = conjecture.
Faith = you can know.
As Western thinkers, hope has to do with something that we wish would happen. The Jewish mind sees hope as something that was and is certain.
I think you expressed what I was thinking more succinctly and clearly than I did. I appreciate your differentiation between speculation and faith.