How do you define Questioning

[Unveiled Artist]

A little spin off of do religious question their belief...

What do you mean by questioning?

For example, I see there various ways to see this i.e:

1. Question as in doubt: I believe in X, but I think Y I is true too; I don't know.
2. Question as in learning: I wonder why X is true? Let me look it up
3. Question of the wise: The only thing I know, is that I know nothing
4. Question from the student: Ask a teacher for the answer, he'd be satisfied for the day; ask a teacher how to question (things in life), he'd seek answers for a lifetime (adaption)

Sometimes ego and taking things for granted can prevent you from questioning. Such as:

1. I already know the answer... I know everything
2. I have no reason to question... life is predictable
3. I only need one path... everything else is irrelevant
4. I only know what is true for me (not accepting he could be wrong)

How do you define questioning your religion?

I find it healthy to question however it can be taken the wrong way and cause people to think or feel they are going outside their comfort zone or wasting their time or afraid of finding something contrary to what they believe. I wouldn't think these are true, but it could also just be cultural differences and some people (Individualists views) think more progressively and learn more while many other cultures (Collectivist views) find comfort in tradition and what they are familiar with.

 

[Psalm23]

Questioning may be asking questions from a standpoint of uncertainty, doubt, anxiety , or even curiosity. Excessive questioning can also become a compulsion in OCD.

I think much of the questioning I’ve had came from a place of fear and perhaps insecurity.

I agree with you that there can be fear of finding something contrary to what one believes. I don’t think this should be feared. There can also be a discomfort surrounding questioning especially if you had negative experiences with asking other believers questions. Oftentimes one may begin to feel like an outsider and may question if they truly believe.

I think doubt in faith can be used in a positive way. It can encourage one to seek truth and seek God. I think doubt can go too far when it becomes an obsession.

 

[Psalm23]

This is a song that is about relationships, but I see that these type of insecurity can be present in faith as well.

 

[sun rise]

How do you define questioning your religion?

For myself, my first level of questioning was "is it true"? Every religion or spiritual path has a truth claim. It's not necessarily exclusive "this is the only way" but may be inclusive "this is one way". So for whatever I consider 'true' to be, can I accept that claim?

Later I can question "did I make a mistake?". and review my decision.

Finally I can ask "is my understanding correct (assuming that the path is correct but my understanding perhaps flawed)?"

 

[AlexanderG]

I think the best way to question religious beliefs is the Outsider Test for Faith. This can apply to any closely held belief, really.

Take your hope, meaning, purpose, emotional reliance, religion-derived sense of self-worth, and put them on a mental shelf out of sight. Set them aside. Then, take a clear look at your beliefs. Ask yourself:

"If I didn't already believe this, would I find it convincing?"

"If I swap out some nouns in my belief, so that the specific claims are different but the type of evidence and reasoning are identical, would I still believe this alternate conclusion? If not, why?"

"Should other people be convinced by these claims, with the evidence and reasoning provided?"

"If I accept claims based on the evidence and reasons provided by my religion, what other claims should I believe in order to be intellectually consistent? Does this lead to absurdities?"

If you can do this, you'll at least start to understand the points made by non-believers.

 

[Jeremiah Ames]

A little spin off of do religious question their belief...

What do you mean by questioning?

For example, I see there various ways to see this i.e:

1. Question as in doubt: I believe in X, but I think Y I is true too; I don't know.
2. Question as in learning: I wonder why X is true? Let me look it up
3. Question of the wise: The only thing I know, is that I know nothing
4. Question from the student: Ask a teacher for the answer, he'd be satisfied for the day; ask a teacher how to question (things in life), he'd seek answers for a lifetime (adaption)

Sometimes ego and taking things for granted can prevent you from questioning. Such as:

1. I already know the answer... I know everything
2. I have no reason to question... life is predictable
3. I only need one path... everything else is irrelevant
4. I only know what is true for me (not accepting he could be wrong)

How do you define questioning your religion?

I find it healthy to question however it can be taken the wrong way and cause people to think or feel they are going outside their comfort zone or wasting their time or afraid of finding something contrary to what they believe. I wouldn't think these are true, but it could also just be cultural differences and some people (Individualists views) think more progressively and learn more while many other cultures (Collectivist views) find comfort in tradition and what they are familiar with.

For me, real questioning doesn’t always come naturally (ego #1 above gets in the way), but when I force myself it looks like this:


I know nothing

My mind is an empty slate

Rationalize it, try to understand it

Stop trying to make it fit my ideas of reality

But don’t try to buy into it either

Stop it, get back the empty slate

Relax

Read more about the subject, get other people’s opinions

Reevaluate

Come to the most logical conclusion based on the evidence

Accept it or deny - here are the reasons


Could take months or years

 

[HeartNSoul19]

It's only by questioning and sincerely seeking that we arrive at the further shore of understanding... it's normal if doing so may feel at some level to be a betrayal of what one might already believe.

 

[juberlock]

A loaded question is one that, when answered, may bring up topics/histories/etc that the askee wouldn't want to get into. It could also be a question that has an answer that, once out in the open, would potentially have 192.168.100.1 192.168.1.1 bad consequences.