Doubts

[Heavenbound09]

My son is 15, he's had alot of struggles in his life but he's doing good now.

As a small child, he went to Sunday School and Church, was in Royal Rangers ect., he has a friend who claim's "athieist" and now my son issn't so sure there is a God! Life (wars, murders, economy) has made him doubtful, because he feels God can & should stop it and don't understand why he don't!

I don't like it and I'm not sure how to handle this! Any advise?

 

[Stan53]

has made him doubtful, because he feels God can & should stop it and don't understand why he don't!
I don't like it and I'm not sure how to handle this! Any advise?

This is good. That he should look at the big life issues at such a young age. I would encourage him to continue to question. Blind faith will never stand the test of time.
I would encourage him to look at free will versus predestination. I would encourage him to look at those wars in the light of who started them. Was it God, or was it man? Does God have the right to interfere in something that we start of our own free will? Where do we draw the line? If God does, where do we draw the line? And will we be happy if He does something that we don't like? Will we resent His intrusion? As our Creator, what "rights" does He have over us? What about the garden of Eden? Should God have stepped in? And if He did, how were we to realise our need of Him?
As a mature adult, I find blind faith useless. It wont stand up to questioning. We must be able to state why we believe what we believe. It would seem, that for your son, that moment of truth may have arrived.
I find the last 4 chapters of Job very telling. Job was a man weighed in the balance and found not wanting. He also questioned. I believe God would also encourage us to question.

 

[Robinsegg]

My God is big enough to handle questions, and even anger!

That said, this can be very difficult for the parents, but maybe you and your spouse can stay open to him for these discussions? Maybe you can point your son to a young man (young adult) who can help to guide him through some of these doubts?

Oh, and maybe you could get him one of the Lee Strobel books. They're pretty good at answering some of the questions atheists have toward Christianity.

Rachel

 

[MckDawg04]

I imagine he's probably just going through a phase. I remember when I was 15 that I went through a similar phase. I didn't denounce or question God, but I certainly didn't rely on him and kind of fell of the path He had for me.

I eventually made it back onto the path, but it's something I needed to have happen I believe. Now God has me mentoring a 16-year-old boy through a pretty rough home life.

I agree with Robinsegg also: keep an open mind and allow him to voice his opinions. Then reply with Godly, Bible-supported evidence or arguments. This should be a good teaching opportunity for critical thinking skills and having faith.