Intellectual Doubts

[Duke of Stratford]

Intellectual doubts usually aren’t a problem for me. But for the last day or so, they’ve been bouncing around my head and I can’t seem to get them out.

Last night, I went to read through a psalm before bed and everything I read just sounded ridiculous as I read it. Like I couldn’t believe it. And for the last day or so, I’ve just been filled with all kinds of intellectual doubts about history, Biblical reliability, Jesus’ divinity, everything. I get these doubts from time to time, but I’m having a hard time shaking them now. And I know everyone has seasons where they doubt, but it’s been so, so hard today. I’m having trouble focusing on anything else.

I feel like I have heart knowledge, but I admit, as a logic person, I feel this need for my head knowledge to catch up. Maybe God is trying to teach me to trust in Him more, I don’t know. I have no hope apart from Him. I want desperately to believe in Christ. The very thought of not believing scares me so much. Maybe I’m being silly. I’m just really scared. The moment when you worry that everything is fake is just so, so terrifying.

Please pray for me during this season. How have you overcome seasons like this?

 

[Ronit]

Intellectual doubts usually aren’t a problem for me. But for the last day or so, they’ve been bouncing around my head and I can’t seem to get them out.

Last night, I went to read through a psalm before bed and everything I read just sounded ridiculous as I read it. Like I couldn’t believe it. And for the last day or so, I’ve just been filled with all kinds of intellectual doubts about history, Biblical reliability, Jesus’ divinity, everything. I get these doubts from time to time, but I’m having a hard time shaking them now. And I know everyone has seasons where they doubt, but it’s been so, so hard today. I’m having trouble focusing on anything else.

I feel like I have heart knowledge, but I admit, as a logic person, I feel this need for my head knowledge to catch up. Maybe God is trying to teach me to trust in Him more, I don’t know. I have no hope apart from Him. I want desperately to believe in Christ. The very thought of not believing scares me so much. Maybe I’m being silly. I’m just really scared. The moment when you worry that everything is fake is just so, so terrifying.

Please pray for me during this season. How have you overcome seasons like this?

Heart Knowledge is way better than Head Knowledge. I will pray for you

 

[Oldmantook]

Have you studied apologetics which is the way of factually defending your faith and why you believe what you believe? Many books and online info regarding Christian apologetics.

 

[disciple Clint]

Intellectual doubts usually aren’t a problem for me. But for the last day or so, they’ve been bouncing around my head and I can’t seem to get them out.

Last night, I went to read through a psalm before bed and everything I read just sounded ridiculous as I read it. Like I couldn’t believe it. And for the last day or so, I’ve just been filled with all kinds of intellectual doubts about history, Biblical reliability, Jesus’ divinity, everything. I get these doubts from time to time, but I’m having a hard time shaking them now. And I know everyone has seasons where they doubt, but it’s been so, so hard today. I’m having trouble focusing on anything else.

I feel like I have heart knowledge, but I admit, as a logic person, I feel this need for my head knowledge to catch up. Maybe God is trying to teach me to trust in Him more, I don’t know. I have no hope apart from Him. I want desperately to believe in Christ. The very thought of not believing scares me so much. Maybe I’m being silly. I’m just really scared. The moment when you worry that everything is fake is just so, so terrifying.

Please pray for me during this season. How have you overcome seasons like this?

I understand what you are experiencing and I think we all have those moments. Why not explore some head knowledge, there are plenty of things that prove that God exists. The Little Book - Credible Catholic

 

[מים]

I had a bout here recently with some concerns against what I know about Christianity, and what some others know about it.

What eventually happened was that the Lord revealed to me two specific revelations that prove the beliefs I had originally are correct.

But not without much worry, anxiety, and lowered faith on my part.

The ultimate fruit of the exercise, I feel was this: going around and telling people everything they've ever known about various things is extremely agonizing to the person. That in doing such, I was not showing love in the way I should.

This too, I feel, is for you to learn some lesson. Do your best to keep your faith, and the Lord will reward you with revelation that will sate you. Or, perhaps He will lead you in a new direction.

I will say that in my days, I have argued against many "claims against Christianity" and they have all fallen very, very short. What items concern you? I could help you in a private message.

 

[Duke of Stratford]

Have you studied apologetics which is the way of factually defending your faith and why you believe what you believe? Many books and online info regarding Christian apologetics.

I’ve looked into some apologetics, but I haven’t had the time to go too far into them. I have been given some recommendations (Mere Christianity is great for some foundational apologetics, for instance).

 

[Oldmantook]

I’ve looked into some apologetics, but I haven’t had the time to go too far into them. I have been given some recommendations (Mere Christianity is great for some foundational apologetics, for instance).

More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell is an easy read.

 

[Duke of Stratford]

I had a bout here recently with some concerns against what I know about Christianity, and what some others know about it.

What eventually happened was that the Lord revealed to me two specific revelations that prove the beliefs I had originally are correct.

But not without much worry, anxiety, and lowered faith on my part.

The ultimate fruit of the exercise, I feel was this: going around and telling people everything they've ever known about various things is extremely agonizing to the person. That in doing such, I was not showing love in the way I should.

This too, I feel, is for you to learn some lesson. Do your best to keep your faith, and the Lord will reward you with revelation that will sate you. Or, perhaps He will lead you in a new direction.

I will say that in my days, I have argued against many "claims against Christianity" and they have all fallen very, very short. What items concern you? I could help you in a private message.

I definitely agree that showing love to others is far more important than proving we’re right.

I’ve been a giant amalgamation of anxiety lately. Maybe He’s trying to show me I really do have strong faith by showing up as my heart knowledge even when I question myself on an intellectual level. I don’t know. I hope that’s the case, at any rate. I question the authenticity of my faith quite a bit, but the extent to which I’m clinging despite intellectual doubts is...oddly reassuring? Maybe brains are weird like that sometimes.

I’d be open to discussing things like this! I think I’m tripping up on the idea of historical reliability: trusting the content of the Bible (I’ve heard a lot about the authenticity of the manuscripts themselves, which I think is amazing), that sort of thing.

Thank you for the advice!!

 

[Carl Emerson]

You may very well be being troubled by a spirit.

A declaration I make when foreign unwanted thoughts try to disturb is...

"Any spirit not of God trying to influence my mind, be refused further influence in Jesus Name and go to the place appointed by God."

This is not a prayer - this is a declaration against a spiritual entity.

This renunciation has scriptural support from 2Cor 4:2 and the Greek means to 'speak against'

 

[מים]

I question the authenticity of my faith quite a bit, but the extent to which I’m clinging despite intellectual doubts is...oddly reassuring? Maybe brains are weird like that sometimes.

I personally wouldn't worry about whether or not you have true faith. I don't think that's something any of us can realistically determine save for special revelation.

I’d be open to discussing things like this! I think I’m tripping up on the idea of historical reliability: trusting the content of the Bible (I’ve heard a lot about the authenticity of the manuscripts themselves, which I think is amazing), that sort of thing.

It looks like on the forum system, you'll need to follow me or start the conversation on your end. I'd be happy to help. For the sake of those with differing strengths of faith, I prefer to avoid public displays that might make someone fall away.

 

[Tolworth John]

How have you overcome seasons like this?

The logical, reasonable way by finding answers to those same doubts.

Please post your doubts and the answer provided b the reasonable faith web site or by the answersingenesis web site.


There I nothing wrong with having doubts or questions.

The sin is in saying, just believe or has faith.

Christianity is based historical facts.

 

[agapelove]

I have personally not checked them out but I was recently recommended Lee Strobel’s apologetic series “The Case for Christ”. It seems he has written on a wide range of topics concerning creation, resurrection, etc etc. They all seem short and easy to digest.

But besides that, I would say try to take it easy on yourself. Sometimes we cannot read the Bible too literally especially not the Psalms. They are just songs.

 

[Hieronymus]

I’ve looked into some apologetics, but I haven’t had the time to go too far into them. I have been given some recommendations (Mere Christianity is great for some foundational apologetics, for instance).

I have an apologetics playlist on youtube.
Various subjects and probably a thing or 2 you have doubts about:
apologetics - YouTube

 

[Billy93]

I have an apologetics playlist on youtube.
Various subjects and probably a thing or 2 you have doubts about:
apologetics - YouTube

Hi, just wondering if you still might have that playlist available anywhere? Link appears broken. Or at least, do you have one or two vids you would recommend? Thanks.

 

[aiki]

Intellectual doubts usually aren’t a problem for me. But for the last day or so, they’ve been bouncing around my head and I can’t seem to get them out.

Last night, I went to read through a psalm before bed and everything I read just sounded ridiculous as I read it. Like I couldn’t believe it. And for the last day or so, I’ve just been filled with all kinds of intellectual doubts about history, Biblical reliability, Jesus’ divinity, everything. I get these doubts from time to time, but I’m having a hard time shaking them now. And I know everyone has seasons where they doubt, but it’s been so, so hard today. I’m having trouble focusing on anything else.

It's pretty hard to doubt God, your relationship to Him, and His word when you experience all three every day. If the Bible is true, the things it describes as the believer's normal experience of God and His truth should be true of your experience of Him. So, what's that like? The Bible says God (the Holy Spirit, to be precise) will convict you of sin (John 16:8), enlighten your understanding to spiritual truth (John 16:12; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14), strengthen you in times of temptation and trial (Ephesians 3:16; Romans 8:13; Philippians 2:13), discipline you when you get wayward (Hebrews 12:5-11), and develop in you the character of Christ (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 3:18) - among other things.

I feel like I have heart knowledge, but I admit, as a logic person, I feel this need for my head knowledge to catch up. Maybe God is trying to teach me to trust in Him more, I don’t know. I have no hope apart from Him. I want desperately to believe in Christ. The very thought of not believing scares me so much. Maybe I’m being silly. I’m just really scared. The moment when you worry that everything is fake is just so, so terrifying.

The answer is to really know God and to walk with Him every day. Here, though, are some websites you can go to to see the "natural theology" side of things, a more philosophical/apologetical approach to understanding your faith.

www.crossexamined.org
www.str.org
www.reasonablefaith.org

 

[Sketcher]

Intellectual doubts usually aren’t a problem for me. But for the last day or so, they’ve been bouncing around my head and I can’t seem to get them out.

Last night, I went to read through a psalm before bed and everything I read just sounded ridiculous as I read it. Like I couldn’t believe it. And for the last day or so, I’ve just been filled with all kinds of intellectual doubts about history, Biblical reliability, Jesus’ divinity, everything. I get these doubts from time to time, but I’m having a hard time shaking them now. And I know everyone has seasons where they doubt, but it’s been so, so hard today. I’m having trouble focusing on anything else.

I feel like I have heart knowledge, but I admit, as a logic person, I feel this need for my head knowledge to catch up. Maybe God is trying to teach me to trust in Him more, I don’t know. I have no hope apart from Him. I want desperately to believe in Christ. The very thought of not believing scares me so much. Maybe I’m being silly. I’m just really scared. The moment when you worry that everything is fake is just so, so terrifying.

Please pray for me during this season. How have you overcome seasons like this?

Those doubts are mortal. There's usually something important that they (or the bigger doubt that they can inspire) overlook. People say to look at the Christian faith critically, but I would say be no less critical of the criticisms themselves.

 

[Billy93]

The Bible says God (the Holy Spirit, to be precise) will convict you of sin (John 16:8)

This is probably a stupid question, but: Is it your understanding that an unsaved person’s “conscience” is the prompting (not indwelling) of the Holy Spirit? Or is it just something people have built into them? I guess what I’m getting at is, how does one know if it’s just “their conscience” making them feel bad for sin, or the Holy Spirit? Sorry if a dumb q.

 

[aiki]

Not a dumb question at all. Pretty thoughtful, actually. A pang of conscience is not the conviction of the Spirit, though it is one of the things the Spirit may use in His convicting work (if one's conscience isn't corrupted and seared). The Spirit's conviction is not primarily about shame and guilt but about reconciliation and fellowship with God. His conviction always moves us toward God, never away. Mere guiltiness and shame have the effect of prompting us to hide from God (like Adam and Eve in Eden). But Spirit conviction makes us eager to forsake sin so that fellowship with God might be restored.

 

[Billy93]

Not a dumb question at all. Pretty thoughtful, actually. A pang of conscience is not the conviction of the Spirit, though it is one of the things the Spirit may use in His convicting work (if one's conscience isn't corrupted and seared). The Spirit's conviction is not primarily about shame and guilt but about reconciliation and fellowship with God. His conviction always moves us toward God, never away. Mere guiltiness and shame have the effect of prompting us to hide from God (like Adam and Eve in Eden). But Spirit conviction makes us eager to forsake sin so that fellowship with God might be restored.

Interesting; that makes sense. Thanks! Is it possible to un-sear one’s conscience, or not?

 

[aiki]

A seared conscience is a pretty hard thing to undo because, when it is seared, one does not see that it is because one's conscience isn't working properly. The person with a truly seared conscience does not want to "unsear" it.