Questioning our beliefs

[Mossburg32908]

I want to know if you think it is allright to question your faith, and talking about chrirstian. To me, god gave us free will and intelect and I plan on using it. Things in the old testemant especialy, are not logical, I question it, and people feel like im going against the church. what do you think.

 

[ayani]

hey, moss-

brave question. yes, i think it's alright to question faith. if we find something we disagree with in a belief system, i think it's more honest to admit we find problems with said doctrine, rule, or custom, as opposed to keeping quiet and being inwardly troubled.

i'm going through something of a faith problem right now.... we'll see how it works out. keep studying, keep learning, and keep giving yourself permission to question and wonder.

good luck!

 

[Doc]

I too am going through religious problems at home. I noticed that many of my peers came to it earlier than I did. This is my first year really questioning things inside and outside of my faith. The reason I come here so often is because my questions either go unanswered in the way I ask them at home, ignored due to seemingly lack of importance, or yelled at for going against teachings. I have received several threats in the past to be sent to a different school since I am not cooperating and because I wanted to go to a different church for a weekend. (non-denom on one occassion)


I have been in several debates regarding church, faith, tolerance, heaven/hell, evolution, inerrancy, creationism, other religions, absolutes, and even being asked what faith I would bring up my kids if I had any.:sarcastic They are afraid I will change religions whether in Christianity or out of it. And my shoe analogies are to no avail. They are all in a knot!:areyoucra I am looking forward to getting just a little older perhaps with the chance of being taken a little more seriously, not just being seen as a teenage rebel!:verymad:

 

[iaminterface]

Its completly ok to question your faith. I think when you start thinking things through and looking for beliefs that you think are right, you will feel liberated. I was originally Christian and i began looking for the truth, and I feel completly happy. You will soon see how all religions seem to tie in to each other in a sense, but thats just my opinion

 

[Doc]

I used to feel under the impression that anything outside of Christianity was bad and wrong, until I actually studied other religions. Then I found that many were very similar and many of the religions I encountered all had basic themes like love, justice, equality and several others.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

To me, it is almost criminal that someone with the intellectual ability to question their faith does not do so.

Every kid, upon reaching that level of mental acuity, should challenge the leaders of his/her religion to answer the tough questions about their belief system. If you are satisfied with the answers you receive, then you are stronger in your faith. If the answers you receive are found wanting, it is probably time to begin looking in another direction.

TVOR

 

[niamhwitch]

To me, it is almost criminal that someone with the intellectual ability to question their faith does not do so.

I totally and absolutely 100% agree!! Frubals to you!

Mossburg, in my honest opinion, it would be silly NOT to question your beliefs. Questioning helps you understand more. And if after questioning, you still dont understand your faith, that is the time to start researching other faiths. But NEVER just blindly follow something For me, with something as important as religion, one needs to understand that religion.

 

[almifkhar]

blind belief is for fools. you would be stupid not to question anything in life. there is nothing wrong in questioning religion for it just makes you more aware of god, and yourself.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

... for it just makes you more aware of god...

Or the lack of evidence that he exists...

TVOR

 

[michel]

I'm only really going to echo the others in saying that, as far as I am concerned, it is fine to query your faith; in fact I agree with TVOR that not to do so would suggest that you have been indoctrinated into thinking that you have no right to.

 

[Fat Old Sun]

When I was about 10 years old, my minister encouraged me to question my faith. He encouraged me to explore others also. He told me that he would rather preach to 10 people who knew why they were there than 1000 that show up every week because that's just what they've always done.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Now that is my kind of minister. You owe him a debt, Fat Old Sun.

TVOR

 

[jewscout]

of course i find that questioning one's faith is important in refining that belief
Abraham did it
Moses did it

 

[James the Persian]

If I hadn't questioned my faith I would never have got where I am now (via several other religions, to the Orthodox Church). I say, question away but don't be surprised if the answers lead you somewhere unexpected. When I left the Lutheran church, I couldn't have imagined ever coming back to any form of Christianity, and I didn't even know the Orthodox Church existed.

James

 

[Fat Old Sun]

Now that is my kind of minister. You owe him a debt, Fat Old Sun.

TVOR

Yes, I do. Although I left Christianity years ago, there is a special place in my heart for him. He was a wonderful man. No matter how many people were packed into the pews, when he spoke, it always seemed that it was just the two of you. He is also the only minister that I have ever seen take questions during a sermon.

Many people find it odd that as an atheist, one of the men I hold in highest regard is a man of the cloth. It is not the cloth, but the man who wears it that makes him so great. Were he driving a truck or flipping pancakes, I'm sure he would still have profound impact on people's lives.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Extremely well said, Fat Old Sun. I agree completely. We all know people that we have absolutely no respect for, and I also know people that touch peoples lives everyday. Some of the people in each group stand in a pulpit on Sundays, and many don't.

TVOR

 

[Lycan]

I think that is the problem with alot of religions these days, is that people won't question.
Alot of people are spoon-fed their beliefs and are too scared or too lazy to find out if "Through much study i believe this" is better than "I was raised that way". Sheep mentality is a dangerous thing. Having gone through much questioning myself, I think that there is an affirmation that comes with finding your path rather than someone giving you one. It solidifies your belief system in my opinion. So I don't think it is a matter of should you question, more a matter of you need to question.

 

[Fluffy]

blind belief is for fools. you would be stupid not to question anything in life. there is nothing wrong in questioning religion for it just makes you more aware of god, and yourself.

There is nothing wrong with blind belief either. I have yet to find a single person who does not express this to at least a small degree. There is too much in life to question it all. Just accept the things which you need and question that which you want to.

 

[Lycan]

There is nothing wrong with blind belief either. I have yet to find a single person who does not express this to at least a small degree. There is too much in life to question it all. Just accept the things which you need and question that which you want to.

I completely (respectfully) disagree with this statement... Why should anyone have to blindly accept/follow/believe anything? Reluctant/willing informed acceptance is one thing but blind unquestioning acceptance is another. There are things in this life that I know we cannot change but that does not mean we should not ask why. IMHO.

 

[Green Gaia]

One of the reasons I left the Christian church was because I was told not to question or think for myself. Funny that by telling me that, they all but pushed me out the door.