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Do you ever have doubts about God / Jesus? Do you sometimes struggle with your faith? In dark moments, do ever wonder where God is or maybe if He’s even there at all? The truth is, ALL Christians sometimes have doubts – and many of us struggled greatly in our journey to faith. Even John the Baptist had moments of doubt concerning Jesus. And why do so many of us have this silly idea that in order to believe something, we must first have absolute or 100 percent certainty about it? Where did we ever get that idea? And shouldn’t we sometimes also be skeptical of the validity behind our doubts? Why do we so often put more emphasis upon our doubts than on our beliefs?
Here’s a great short article on managing our doubts and gaining a better perspective on them: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/arti ... -to-doubt/
Doubts are human. Anyone who isn't willing to face and express doubts as part of our human condition, is seriously missing something in my opinion.
The opposite of faith is often defined as doubt. I don't believe that to be true. As I see it, the opposite of faith is dogmatic certainty that is rigid and unyielding to new evidence, new interpretations and challenges. Once we become dogmatically certain of our positions to where we can't learn differently and modify things, we've moved from faith to arrogance. We can no longer be taught. We can no longer identify with others who think differently than we do. We lack empathy. We lack compassion. We've become unyielding and we can objectify those who think differently and even be moved to commit atrocities against those we deem as "heretics" or "infidels". We lose touch with reality and refuse to see anything outside our espoused reality.
Some will respond to this with all or nothing scenarios that lack any nuance or room for grey in the midst of their black and white existences. That's a logical fallacy in my experience and an invitation to static belief that can no longer mature and embrace new people and new information.
Dogmatism is the comfortable intellectual framework of self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is more decadent than the worst sexual sin. ~ Dan Allender
Canuckster! Wow, talking about a blast from the past - how've you been, my friend? Looks like about 7 years since you were here. How has life been in the frozen north? Glad to hear from you!
I am doing well, thank you. Not all that frozen here right now as we're just entering into winter. A little snow here and there that comes and goes.
I hope you're doing well?
Barton
Dogmatism is the comfortable intellectual framework of self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is more decadent than the worst sexual sin. ~ Dan Allender
All is good - one son still at home, the other in CA just got married and in the Navy. Recently retired - enjoying having time to do things I find more important. I go up north to New England a lot - so in and out of the snow.
FlieG: New Hampshire is the best state in the Union
I like the White Mtns area a lot! Skied in Vermont - best of the eastern resorts. Most time spent in MA, CT, RI, ME. Small towns up there are really nice! As for Canada, I've only spent time in Ontario, TO, etc - I like it! But bad winters.
Philip wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 6:47 pm
I like the White Mtns area a lot! Skied in Vermont - best of the eastern resorts. Most time spent in MA, CT, RI, ME. Small towns up there are really nice! As for Canada, I've only spent time in Ontario, TO, etc - I like it! But bad winters.
I’m not a fan of Toronto but it does have some charm...but if I never set foot in Toronto again, I won’t miss the place. New England is nice overall, even bigger cities like Bangor, Burlington or Boston have something to offer a tourist. I always enjoy visiting Vermont, New Hampshire and New York State at least once a year. Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island are less frequent stops. Connecticut? I’ve only driven through that state on my way to Rhode Island...
To get back on topic, I’ve never had doubts about God since becoming a Christian. I’ve had doubts about myself and whether my walk was according to God’s Will, but never a doubt about God or whether Christianity was correct or not. I don’t understand people whose faith is easily shaken, nor do I doubt the legitimacy of their faith because of doubts they may have. I used to doubt them but now I know that everyone is different and I shouldn’t expect all Christians to be alike.
"I never said that all conservatives are stupid people but it is true that most stupid people are conservative."
-John Stuart Mill
FlieG, ha - back in New England this week. I also go to Newport, RI A good bit - ever been there?
I have a post on doubts I hope to post soon. We’re mortal, so they’re inescapable, but I think important to our growth in faith and maturity - as long as we face them honestly and seek God when we experience them, even / especially when we doubt. Heck, even John the Baptist had faith doubts, even though he had seen the Messiah!
Philip wrote: ↑Fri Dec 16, 2022 9:10 pm
FlieG, ha - back in New England this week. I also go to Newport, RI A good bit - ever been there?
I have a post on doubts I hope to post soon. We’re mortal, so they’re inescapable, but I think important to our growth in faith and maturity - as long as we face them honestly and seek God when we experience them, even / especially when we doubt. Heck, even John the Baptist had faith doubts, even though he had seen the Messiah!
Yes, Newport is very nice. Rhode Island is great for anyone who enjoys water sports...and visiting the homes of the super-rich from the Gilded Age. We have a motorhome so we stay at a KOA just over the state line in Connecticut when visiting RI.
Doubts: I don’t know why John the Baptist had doubts; the biblical story around his doubts suggests he was stressed (to use a modern term). Who wouldn’t be, locked up in a prison? For having worked in a prison, I can tell you that it’s a great place for the inmates to practice introspection and start wondering about God. Perhaps stress is a good catalyst for doubts?
"I never said that all conservatives are stupid people but it is true that most stupid people are conservative."
-John Stuart Mill
I go up north to New England a lot - so in and out of the snow.
She disappears for months - then suddenly reappears. Probably rich and just travels a lot? 