How much doubt are you allowed to have?

[DarkProphet]

If I were to only go by the Christians on CF then the answer would seem to be none because very few admit to have any doubt on here. In real life the answers a bit different, especially when confronted with the stuff in the OT. So are Christians allowed to have doubt? And if so how much and on what?

 

[drich0150]

So are Christians allowed to have doubt? And if so how much and on what?

Thomas (one of the 12) doubted the resurrection itself.. "Doubt" is apart of a healthy relationship. Without doubt all you have is the thin vale of tradition and religion to keep you aloft. We are commanded to have and maintain a relationship with God. you can't do this if you can't question and be reassured from time to time..

Thessalonians 5:21 tell us to question all thing and to hold on to what is good.

 

[ephraimanesti]

If I were to only go by the Christians on CF then the answer would seem to be none because very few admit to have any doubt on here. In real life the answers a bit different, especially when confronted with the stuff in the OT. So are Christians allowed to have doubt? And if so how much and on what?

MY FRIEND,

Christians are "allowed" to have as much doubt as it takes for them to work through the doubts with the help of the Holy Spirit and come out all the stronger for the experience. Honest doubts are good things, not bad, for true faith is built upon the foundation of former doubts. Those who claim to have no doubts tend to have little in the way of faith as a result.

A BOND-SLAVE/FRIEND/BROTHER OR OUR LORD/GOD/SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
ephraim

 

[DarkProphet]

Thomas (one of the 12) doubted the resurrection itself.. "Doubt" is apart of a healthy relationship.

Jesus basically goes on to say that it's better not to doubt, that believing without proof (aka faith) is the preferable way.

Without doubt all you have is the thin vale of tradition and religion to keep you aloft. We are commanded to have and maintain a relationship with God. you can't do this if you can't question and be reassured from time to time..

Well, OK. What about lingering doubts then? I know someone that has doubts about the child murders and genocides in the OT. God has not answered his doubts and what happens if they are never answered or reassured?

Thessalonians 5:21 tell us to question all thing and to hold on to what is good.

Even Christians have differing views on what is good.

 

[DarkProphet]

MY FRIEND,

Christians are "allowed" to have as much doubt as it takes for them to work through the doubts with the help of the Holy Spirit and come out all the stronger for the experience. Honest doubts are good things, not bad, for true faith is built upon the foundation of former doubts.

Again what about lingering doubts? Or doubts that are not helped by the Holy Spirit?

Those who claim to have no doubts tend to have little in the way of faith as a result.

Depends on how you define faith.

 

[ebia]

I'm not sure how to address the OP, because I'm not sure how you measure doubt.

Jesus basically goes on to say that it's better not to doubt, that believing without proof (aka faith) is the preferable way.

Well, faith in the biblical sense, is not 'belief without proof' but 'belief and trust'.

That apart he didn't say that believing without proof was better, he said that those who believed without seeing were blessed.

Well, OK. What about lingering doubts then? I know someone that has doubts about the child murders and genocides in the OT.

I would hope everybody had some sort of doubt about those.

God has not answered his doubts and what happens if they are never answered or reassured?

Faithful Jews and Christians have always lived with a degree of doubt - yet still trusting.

 

[drich0150]

that believing without proof (aka faith) is the preferable way.

Faith is always "preferable" to doubt. The point I was trying to make was that doubt isn't the "deal breaker" some of us make it out to be. We are to simply love/believe with all we have. for some of us their can not be "belief" without first addressing doubt... kinda like Thomas.

Well, OK. What about lingering doubts then? I know someone that has doubts about the child murders and genocides in the OT. God has not answered his doubts and what happens if they are never answered or reassured?

The questions or doubts you ask, are asked from all of us at some point.. And yet some of us move on.. Some simply ignore the issues and place their trust in God's Providence, but for most I believe that reassurance is found, but not in our own sense of righteousness..

For us "Death" is the ultimate sense of injustice. But for God "Death," our death from this life can be a release or reward. Because, when we do die God and his glory will be the next thing we see. For us now Death means dead, For God Death is your birth in the next life.

Even Christians have differing views on what is good.

My point in sharing Thess 5 was to show you that doubts and questions are an essential part of your christian walk. And yes "good" is a relative term. As you grow in your faith your sense of "Good" will change. That is one of the reasons we are to "Question all things"

 

[salida]

Do you doubt that the sun is the sun? Or the moon is the moon? Would you doubt the overwhelming circumstancial evidence of christianity? I doubt this world because they have earned my doubt. Jesus doesn't earn my doubt because He is who he says He is.

 

[DarkProphet]

Do you doubt that the sun is the sun? Or the moon is the moon?

Huh? I can see those things.

The doubts mentioned are doubts about God's actions not on facts. The genocide he ordered or the children he tore limb from limb.

Would you doubt the overwhelming circumstancial evidence of christianity?

Circumstantial evidence:

n : evidence providing only a basis for inference about the fact in dispute

By definition circumstantial evidence is NOT overwhelming. In anycase, there is very little circumstantial evidence, unless you are reading one of those discredited apologetics books like Case for Christ or something.

I doubt this world because they have earned my doubt.

Huh?

Jesus doesn't earn my doubt because He is who he says He is.

Wait, are you implying that you have no doubts when it comes to Christianity? And are Christians allowed to have doubts?

 

[freeport]

If I were to only go by the Christians on CF then the answer would seem to be none because very few admit to have any doubt on here. In real life the answers a bit different, especially when confronted with the stuff in the OT. So are Christians allowed to have doubt? And if so how much and on what?

Christians live by the Holy Spirit in our hearts: not rules of dos and do nots. Many go that path, but it is clearly exposed and condemned in Scripture.

The Holy Spirit testifies in our heart truth.

That truth is the peace, love, and joy of God.

Love believes all. Love can not doubt itself.

I find, usually, the problem with "doubt" is really semantics: there can be misunderstandings about the Person of God. There can be misunderstandings about how these three things work together, and really are related with understanding of God: confidence, faith, and trust.

Do Christians always trust in God as they should? Of course not. God hides Himself. The world is full of evil and everybody knows God is good. How can they be sure, therefore, that they can trust Him? That can be challenging for Christians and everyone else. But, that is how the world is designed, that salvation comes through trust and not by knowledge.

 

[ephraimanesti]

Again what about lingering doubts? Or doubts that are not helped by the Holy Spirit?

MY FRIEND,

Excuse me, but i believe, trust, and have total and complete faith that the Power which created the Universe is more than competent to deal with any "lingering doubts" held by a feeble-minded fool like me.

Depends on how you define faith.

i tend to stick to dictionary definitions--such as "Faith": A confident belief in the Truth, Value, or Trustworthiness of a Person, Idea, or thing."

However, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews' definition is perhaps better given He Whom we have faith in: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."(Hebrews 11:1)

A BOND-SLAVE/FRIEND/BROTHER OF OUR LORD/GOD/SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
ephraim

 

[FutureAndAHope]

God has always allowed me to have faith according to my knowledge. By that I mean he has never revealed to me problems with the bible or errors until he has built faith in himself to a level above those problems, via me seeing and experiencing miracles in my own life. So I can say "well I know Jesus is real becuase of what he has done". There is a point in time where my faith is tested by some things, but after a minute or two of thought I can again say with confidence that Jesus is in fact real, due to the experiences he has led me through.