Why Are Christians Afraid To Doubt?

Who, other than you, can be the arbiter of what YOU believe?How can faith be greater than understanding? If it is, then you do not understand your Faith.If you do not understand your faith, how can you act based on it?In Message 8 you said: That is a classic Christian Cult of Ignorance directive. It is not even an honest one. It is really saying that you should not question him.Why?If he can support what he is teaching, then it will surely stand up to examination. That must be avoided if he is to retain his position of power and influence simply because the Theology of the Christian Cult of Ignorance cannot stand up to being examined. It is based on lies and deceit.A large percentage of today's Christian Clergy, at least in the US, are simply pandering Ignorance. Their goal is to keep their congregations as ignorant as possible, to indoctrinate them into not thinking, not challenging and not questioning authority or dogma. If they can succeed in that, then they can con the congregations into believing the most absurd of things, and protect their positions of authority, wealth and power.It is not that Christians are Afraid To Doubt, but rather that they are taught by the Christian Ignorance Mongers that it is wrong to doubt and that they must allow their GOD given capability of critical thinking to attrophy and fade away.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

No, not talking about the Vatican but rather mostly about what is often called (even though it is a misnomer) the Conservative or Biblical Christian Movements.I'm talking about almost EVERY Televangelist, almost all Charismatics, many Evangelicals and Pentecostals. It is almost every Christian school, many home schools, all of those who would describe themselves as Young Earth Creationists or Biblical Creationists, all those who have a bumper sticker that says "I'm not better, just forgiven" or "In case of rapture this vehicle will be unoccupied".

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Why?Is doubting the same as questioning?Is there any reason someone could not say "This is what I believe to be true but I realize that I might be wrong and understand that no one living is likely to ever know for sure."?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Yet so far no one have provided anything that shows the "certainty of faith" and in the message you are replying to (Message 30) I specifically mentioned that one cannot be sure.I would tend to agree with you if, for example, you said that anyone who claims to "Know God" or "Know they are saved" is either lying or deluded, but that is only a subset of the religious, those who are either very ignorant, who have never learned to think critically or really are deluded.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

From the OP. There are a very few areas where one can be sure and after initial questioning, someone can say certain things are proven. For example, that would be true in mathematics.There are other areas where you can be near sure, with a very high level of confidence. That Evolution happened, that the Universe is old, that there was never a world-wide flood, that there was no Garden of Eden would fall into that class. In those things the evidence is so overwhelming, so confirmable that only the very smallest doubt remains.Finally there are areas where doubt should be the norm. That would include areas such as the existence of GOD as well as other areas where it is impossible to know, test or verify the answer. In those areas the individual should always continue to doubt, to question.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

to which Phat replied:

quote:

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So I am assuming that you don't believe that people ever get saved or meet God or that God imparts anything into them?

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No! I am saying as a fact that no one ever knows that they are saved until after they have died, or that they met GOD or that GOD imparted something to them. They may well believe such things, but they cannot know.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Let's take a look at the items on the list.Do you think we should try to:

• control our environment?
• conquer poverty?
• markedly reduce disease?
• extend our life-span?
• significantly modify our behavior?
• alter the course of human evolution and cultural development?
• unlock vast new powers?
• provide humankind with unparalleled opportunity for achieving an abundant and meaningful life?

That is the problem and critical failure of religions such as what you espouse. Your response to those issues was "I see the Ye shall be as gods syndrome."The Christian Response on the other hand can be seen in exactly those issues is to say, "Yes! Let us try to make the world better."

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Even though that is exactly what GOD and Jesus have told you to do?Exactly what is is that YOU can do for GOD?Does GOD need shelter?Does GOD need food?Does GOD need security?Does GOD need health care?Sorry Phat, but there is jack shit that you can do for GOD. If you think you can, who exactly is the one thinking he is as a God?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Of course you can. The whole field of mathematics is based on proofs.There are also things where we can have so high a level of confidence that it approaches surety. Examples would be that evolution happened or that there has never been a flood as described in the Bible. Sorry but that makes no sense. Hope is by definition related to uncertainty. Why? Is it not productive to try and behave better?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Not at all. In fact if everything in the Bible is no more than stories told round the campfire, the message, import and value is still the same.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Read what you posted. Wish
Desire
ExpectationAll involve uncertainty. Of course it is a big burden, but also an honest and necessary one.No one knows if they are saved. They may believe so, may hope so, may expect to be saved, may wish they were saved, may even hold a confident expectation that they are saved; but until one has died and been judged one cannot know that they are saved.It is also a step towards a stronger faith.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

What does that have to do with what I said?Have you actually read 1 Cor?Edited by jar, : No reason given.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion