Why Are Christians Afraid To Doubt?

Arguments from authority are always weak, as are quotes mined from authorities. Founders of disciplines usually welcome their ideas being developed and expanded. It's the teacher's responsibility to inspire the student to thirst for knowledge - not just drone on the same rote "lessons" day after day. A teacher with that attitude should be fired. That's what I'm saying: Christians shouldn't be so cynical.

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Rob,I agree with you, if it is any consolation, in this way;A person does not have to doubt their faith if is provides intellectually satisfying and coherent sense. Christianity definitely has satisfying aspects. I have been reading Dom Chautard's book The Soul of the Apostolate and I do think that underneath the religious terms there lurks some good solid psycholgical tools for self-improvement.If I am ever capable of taking some of the Dom's advice in my own life, I know I will be not only a more religious person, but a happier person, a more content person. The lives of those around me will benefit.I know that I don't have to doubt all things for the pure insane sake of doubting. There are things which are personally knowable. They make sense to me and are useful. These things become for us an objective truth which we desire to 'preach' for the good of others.They are not things that are cotingent upon the details of the Crucifixion or the authorship of the gospels. Rather, the spiritual support that we find is what lends credence to the rest. My husband shocked me last night. He said;"When I find peace I will find God". He is not attracted by the way I try to coax him to church because of my own belief that finding God will bring peace. Just because I have put some pieces together and have found a beautiful coherency, I can not ask another to jump into this at my say-so. My 'truth' could be true, but if it is really so objective, it can be found via some back doors as well. The point is, that it is not always necessary to doubt everything that has personally verifiable merit in our lives. What of Old Earth and Young Earth and the many different Paul's? In my whole prior existence I had not known that some folks were arguing these things. It is entirely true that for many Christians their faith depends on some prophecy coming true, or some miracle, some blind following of books and periodicals, or finding no error in the Bible.No one has to rob us of the good stuff. Only the crutches. The questions should always be 'do we really know what we claim to believe?' and 'do we still believe it upon knowing?'. Edited by anastasia, : No reason given.

With many works of art, the hardest part is knowing when it's finished.

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I do not doubt God.
I do not doubt Jesus came.
I do not doubt Jesus died on the cross for my sins and everybody else's.
I do not doubt Jesus was crucified.
I do not doubt Jesus was buried.
I do not doubt Jesus came forth from the grave.
I do not doubt Jesus was seen at least 7 times by apostles after his
Resurrection.
I do not doubt Jesus ascended into heaven.
I do not doubt Jesus is coming again soon.
I do not doubt Jesus is going to judge the quick and the dead.
I do not doubt that everyone whose name is not written in the book of
Life will be cast into the lake of fire.
I do not doubt that most of you will think this is silly and rubbish.
I do not doubt that what I believe makes any difference to anybody
but me and my God.Now my doubts:
I doubt that a lot of so called Christians will make it to the New
Jerusalem.
I doubt that evolution will ever tell me where life came from and
why.
I doubt that evolution will ever tell me where the little hot infinite nothing came from, that the universe came from or why.
I doubt if any evolutionist will ever admit that they have to believe
by faith the answer to my 2 preceding doubts.I do not see how anyone can believe in the Theory of of evolution.Hold on I did not say evolution, change over time is fact.It takes a lot more faith to believe something came from nothing than it does to believe in God.Now if evoution could tell me, where life came from and why
Where the small infinite thing came from that spawned universe and why.I think everyone who has not been born again that believe something
came from nothing should have GREAT DOUBT.If I ever had any doubts the past 20 days removed all doubt's that I might have ever had.

I don't believe in it, and I'll tell you what - nobody at this forum believes in the Theory of evolution.Because you don't have to believe in it to recognize that it's the model that is best supported by all the evidence, and provides the greatest degree of explanitory power. I, like others, accept that the theory of evolution is the most accurate and predictive model to explain the diversity and history of life on Earth.But believe in it? No, of course not. I don't have to believe in it; it's sufficient to recognize that evolution is supported by a weight of evidence and alternative conjectures are supported by none.

It won't because it doesn't deal with those issues. Check in with the chemistry department and the people working on abiogenesis for "where" as for "why" leave that to the philosophers It won't because it doesn't deal with those issues. Check in with the physics/astronomy departments for "where" as for "why" leave that to the philosophers

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Just a monkey in a long line of kings.
If "elitist" just means "not the dumbest motherfucker in the room", I'll be an elitist!
*not an actual doctor

Well, Ringo, I am finding this to be a profound and mystical statement, but then again I am dead-tired. I wanted to ask for an explanation, but maybe I will stick with my imagined one for now. I like it.How's that for some blind faith?

I'm seeing a lot of the off-topic sign, so I'll play it safe and not reply.Apologetics is a concept we're all at least intuitively aware of, but some of those who've made a systematic study of the issue have discovered some key points that virtually cripple doubts about the gospel.Another thing that has helped in my case is that my faith is in Jesus, rather than His blessed servants who brought the news to me. If I had trusted a fallible preacher rather than Jesus, I expect I should be plagued with doubt.A cousin of a friend once said "Lots of people believe in God, but how many believe God?" I realized at once that this is just what I'd done, and the advantage is incalculable! It seems even some who consider themselves Christians omit to simply trust God, and I can't easily relate to them. That would be a horrible way to live.Doubt for the Christian could appear to be largely a function of environment. Isn't it easy to trust God living in a time and place where persecution is light?But think of the early churches, and the apostles. They lived in a time and place where they were subject to crucifixion and stoning at a moment's notice. Most importantly, they were fully aware of God's promises to provide for them and protect them.Now knowing full well that God has promised protection, I would have difficulties when loved ones or myself were drug out to be killed. I expect doubt would be nearly overwhelming. These people knew God was able to protect them. They could talk to eyewitnesses even if they hadn't seen miracles first hand themselves.What torturous doubt would enter my mind, knowing that the Almighty was withholding His protection! But they overcame any such doubts, and refused to abandon their testimony even under torture and penalty of death. What could God's plan have been? If He loved them, how could He allow such things to happen?God was thinking of us. He gave His Son for us, and he also allowed His followers to suffer (at apparent risk to His reputation) for the sake of those who would live in later times. It is precisely because these people suffered so much and were martyred that we can be absolutely sure they told the truth to the best of their ability.Nobody knowingly dies for a lie. (I must emphasize 'knowingly', as there have been martyrs for false causes.) Thus WE can be certain that the New Testament was written honestly. Unless those men were somehow deceived, their word is good.So we have another reason to "fear" doubt. If we are called to be martyrs, and we give in to doubt... Bummersville! God does not lightly suffer his children to undergo such things. He has a plan, and there is always a far greater good at stake. Actually it isn't needful to fear the doubt, rather we should be concerned that we may give in to doubt hastily and erroneously.It may be said that these facts are somehow invalid because they aren't "scientific". Shall we doubt when we compare the words of martyrs to the words of men who change their story every few years? (Even when they're not directly changing it, they're redefining terms which is just a back-door way of changing it.) Whom shall we trust, and whom shall we doubt?"Science" has in the last 200 years been trumpeted as the ultimate form of knowledge. Any genuine scientist knows this isn't so. Even the best scientist is aware that his work may need to be revised. But we're continually bombarded with this propaganda anyhow. The obvious question: why so much hype? What's the motive? Why are they trying to mislead us?Well guess what? The mere fact that they are trying to mislead us indicates they are not to be trusted. But you already know that, at least on an intuitive level.Don't think there's hype? Just look at the term "unscientific". It may be unscientific to trust my family and friends. It may be unscientific to believe Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. But both of these things are more certain than the latest versions of many "theories"; so why then is "unscientific" used as a putdown?Faith is involved in all the highest priority everyday decisions we make. When we drive or ride in a vehicle, we have faith in the vehicle and the environment. We cross bridges. We have faith in the other drivers to stay on their side of the road. Now some of these things have science (tested engineering, not speculation, btw) to their credit, and some don't. But we all employ faith on a fairly continual basis; and then let them tell us faith is 'unscientific' and we should doubt anything that is subject to faith.Now doubt is just that which opposes faith, trust, confidence, and certainty. Christians are very concerned with faith. Note the importance of faith. Note also how it is used. Doubt and faith can and will co-exist for a time, until one prevails. We must always decide whom we shall trust.Since God is trustworthy and doubts can come from the wicked, are then all doubts invalid? I don't think so. I am imperfect, so it is valid to doubt my own ideas. This also applies to my fellow man. And there are naturally doubts in all areas of life. One may doubt the accuracy of a clock, for example. These are issues for everyone - not just Christians.Doubts arise and try one's faith. Like muscles and brains, faith grows stronger as doubts are overcome. Such doubts are beneficial in the end. That doesn't mean we should nurture doubts just to exercise faith. To do so would be foolish.Think I'll stop for now. This isn't finished, but that's plenty for one post. I probably could have organized it better if I'd known I was going to say so much. Sorry.

But you are trusting fallible human reports about Jesus. And how do you tell a "true" cause from a "false" cause? How do you know they weren't deceived - or trying to deceive you? The mere fact that you make such an unfounded statement indicates that your opinion is not to be trusted. Not at all. Doubt is the filter that removes false "certainty". It builds confidence in tested results. It gives us results we can truly trust. It frees us from the crutch of faith. Those points form a perfect circle of "reasoning".

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quote:

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I do not see how anyone can believe in the Theory of of evolution.

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1) As crash writes, people who accept the overwhelming evidence in favor of the ToE do just that. "Belief", like "belief" in gods, is not why people who understand a bit of Biology accept the ToE.2) Do you really think that the hundreds of thousands of scientists who have been advancing our understanding Biology over the last 150 years at the most astonishing pace have all just been deluded? Since several of the main occupations of scientists are critically examining theory and trying to falsify hypotheses, are you also accusing all of those Biologists of being so poor at doing science that they have, to a person, missed the fact that the overarching, foundational theory that underpins all Biology is completely false?Since this message is off topic, you should not reply here.However, I am going to propose these questions as a topic in a new thread. I am very interested to learn what you think about Biologists and why they continue to support the ToE.

i know.
and i can't figure out why.
i really should be an atheist by now. i don't think so. but probably a change in how you approach it. i was raised to question everything. it's just part of who i am. test the spirits and all that. but the response that other christians give me about just having the questions i have is far more destructive to my faith than any question i could ever have. specific dogma stands up poorly to doubt. an edge of mystery doesn't really. i dunno. it's strange. there's just so much we don't know and so much we don't understand. if i'm wrong, i've missed out on nothing. i don't really go out of my way for anything, you know?

Anastasia, I firmly believe God gives each of us what we need in order to undo whatever damage to our being has been done. We are all broken, dysfunctional persons; ravaged by sin and conflicting wills.The fact is, God created the intellect. So it has sacred value when used properly; 'within the bounds of reason'. To use it as it is used often today, 'to justify all manner of vulgarity'... may be logical, but only at the expense of some other stand of human endeavor and existential need.A good worldview finds the limits of each desire and brings it into balance with the other purposes in life, 'so as not to kill justice at the hands of runaway forgiveness' for example.I'll make this concession about doubt...One of my heroes has said it better than I could, so I will quote him. It would be nice to have the entire context, but I think the point is still made with validity: (Ravi Zacharius / Live at The Roxy)If you know Christ, you really don't need any answers (because you have experienced Him). Just like an astronaut no longer has to ask what a zero gravity environment is like. Eternity is something like that for me. And I am driven to plead with others to believe, so that they can someday see for themselves as well. But it's their choice... And to have the atmosphere of space, is to leave the comfort and safety of the ground. It doesn't seem to matter to them that they'll be ripped from that safety in the end. They don't actually believe they are going to die. The moment is all they worry about. And the moment is important... I have often not lived 'in it' enough. But it is not the only thing. (oops, rescuer mode again... sorry Phat)Where was I?Oh yes... Anastasia, if you step out and share this faith with others, you are going to be on a collision course with the philosophies of this world. And regardless of whether you can convince them, their questions cement one's faith, by testing it. I know you understand that...Those who do not know Christ, but had other motives for believing (even if innocently), will be burned in the fire and pushed to either conforming to the pattern of this world, or to answering the questions for themselves and giving Christ a fair and just trial in an adult fashion. that was the case for many of us born into the Christian culture.Why does God give some of us a burden to think all of this through, and others not so much?I don't know. We're doing things for the kingdom we cannot even comprehend. God's sovereignty working in His mysterious ways.But I do know this... If you have had that personal encounter with Christ... That [b]New Birth[b/] which transcends understanding alone, there is no-one who can pluck you from his hand. You have moved from death into life, and no longer simply believe Him, but also know Him.Even so, if a person comes into this kind of an arena, and is operating on the basis of a personal encounter with Christ alone, and wanting to share on the basis of feeling... they will become food for the lions at the hands of 'Ceazar' or his larger body, which operates at the pleasure of the democratic will.And the crowd will never understand why they just sit there and take it, holding on to this 'truth' unto death. I know why, and so does any other who knows Him. We have already died to this world.We are reduced to food, for the 'survival of the self-apointed fittest'. That's their problem not ours...Actually, they will even persecute a rationalist like themselves who provides curious answers. They will be more patronizing for what ever reason, and a little less easy about blatent public crucifiction. But even so, there are simply things they are not willing to compromize on like their own autonomy. So it becomes a game of semantics and bribery. Doing what they can to avoid the nasty business of extermination for an otherwise witty chap who would be of such value to them if he would just stop moralizing.They never stop wanting to die... That of bringing the metaphoric rocks upon themselves so as to hide in mountains of confusion and denial far away form 'real life' and total reason.Makes me think of hell. The eternal place for those who refuse to come outside and be seen among the lepers.And the thought of thier destiny reminds me of this, and why we will not give up on them until their time is up:"In the long run, the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell, is itself a question: 'What are they asking God to do?' To wipe out their past sins and, at all cost (to Himself), to give them a fresh start, smoothing over every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But He has done so, on Calvary. To forgive them? They will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is what He does." ( C.S.Lewis / 'The Problem of Pain' / Chapter 8, Hell, pg. 130.)Edited by Rob, : No reason given.

Ringo:Genesis 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

So are you finished? After all, God created you!

Jesus also made it plain that it is prudent to second-guess yourself:

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Luk 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Luk 14:29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Luk 14:30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

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His work might have been finished. Ours isn't.

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