Discussions and Questioning

[memoriesbymichelle]

This morning as I read my bible, I read the Proverb of the day chapter 4. It is talking about getting Wisdom and Understanding and how it will preserve you and keep you and give you a crown of glory. But what caught my attention this morning was verse 13 "take firm hold or instruction, do not let go, Keep her, for she is your life."

And for me it gave me a validation this morning of how I am. I am very analytical, although over the years, I am more relaxed about it. I love knowing how things work, why they work and why they don't. But sometimes that questioning has been met with backlash just for questioning. I can't help the way my mind works, I am curious like a cat.

I started this thread to discuss what your interpretations are about discussions and questioning.

Discussions to me are a way to see what others think about different topics and to be able to then evaluate and maybe even reassess my thoughts or beliefs.

Questioning is part of the discussion process IMO. Also a way to see if my view can stand.

I believe discussions and questioning are important aspects of us as humans and definitely important to this type of forum (what else would we do here?).

How do you view these terms. Do you view discussions as a way of turning others opinions to you opinion?
What do you think about questioning things? Sometimes I feel bad when I want to understand why things are happening or not happening in my life, because I compare it to having faith and totally putting my trust in God (which I do).
But after reading this morning, I feel like it IS OK to question sometimes. And just like some people have amazing singing voices or technical abilities, I have inquisitiveness and it's not always a bad thing and it does not interfere with my faith in God. If we are to get wisdom and understanding how are we to get it if we don't seek to understand it and how can we understand if we cannot question?

 

[dayhiker]

About 30-40 yrs ago I only read evangelical books and commentaries about the Bible. I felt the way the analyzed the scriptures was very honest and therefore was the correctly the correct interpretation.
But then I read some theology books that didn't just present one point of view. Like the one that went thru church history presenting the tension between God imminence and transcendence, how different Christians thru church history viewed it differently and why they viewed it the way they did. Often they had good reasons, but a century or two of additional thought tended to show limitations in that point of view.
Then I studied philosophy and now I can see how most conservative and liberal views of the Bible are more about modernity than about what the Bible meant when it was written. Even those that talk so much about going back to experience Christ and Christianity the way the NT Christians did don't have a clue about how modernity is effecting their reading of the Bible!

So I know I'm not going to change how a person things as I can't change the ocean of modernity thought they have in their mind. What's more I know I just know enough to understand that modernity is effecting me just as profoundly. So ya, I have have a lot of facts about how the 1st century was different than ours but I still can't think the way they did.

So questions and discussion have meant a whole lot to me. I love them and want more of them. I don't see most of them as arguments. As I can limit quite a bit the emotional ownership of my views. But I do believe God has helped me to understand a lot of things and its really been an amazing experience learning all I've learned.

But in the end its not about me teaching someone or who thinks correctly to the nth degrees. In the end its about loving people as all else is as nothing. 1 Cor.13

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I agree with you dayhiker especially on the bottom line.

It's hard because we know the world is in a state of delusion but yet we are not supposed to be delusional and it can be hard at times, but I think that is where discussion and questioning becomes important.

If someone is truly seeking answers they can often find them in discussions, but there are people in the world that seem to view everything as a competition, so they want to "win" like it's a debate or something. A debate is also a sort of discussion but we are not debate teams that are pitted against one another, so we should be able to discuss things and then go our way, contemplate whatever we want, pray, read the bible and if God changes our hearts on the matter so be it, and if not so be it.

I love too to discuss things and glean knowledge from others that I didn't have before.
What I do not like is arguing and just replying to people that they are wrong and it's because the bible says so and they think so. That is not discussion to me, that is judgement and yes there are times and places for judgements, but when someone is laying their heart out or trying to gain understanding, I don't think it helps when people are judgemental. That does not make people want to open up, rather it makes them want to shut up and keep it in for fear of being shamed or guilted for their thoughts and opinions.

 

[dayhiker]

makes sense to me Michelle.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I'm starting a new book called the Gospel in Twenty Questions by Paul Ellis and the very first page he says:

"Questions are stepping stones to revelation and doorways to discovery. a good question can take you places. It can free you from unhealthy mindsets and set you on the path to wholeness and abundant living. A good question can change your life".

Questioning is good.

 

[Doctor Strangelove]

I'll have to check out that book. Questioning is good. Especially with a humble attitude and a desire to learn. Sometimes my questions go full circle. I feel like I have visited it before and I am visiting it again, but not exactly in the same way - hopefully I'm more mature and prepared.

It is good to read widely but selectively.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I just started the book and it appears it is not the kind you read from beginning to end, of course you can if you want and I may do just that, because it's on my kindle and I haven't seen an index as of yet.