Do you question your religious beliefs? Would you like to?

[zoogs]

Not really.

 

I actually grew up in a church that taught that we should always be questioning what we are told about Christianity and study it ourselves.

 

When I joined the Catholic Church I joined a couple Bible study groups that always had that has a main topic of discussion. Studying the Bible and discussing and questioning the understanding of what Christianity really is.

 

Some of the most interesting discussions I have ever had on the subject was with Priests or Ministers on questioning religious beliefs.

 

That's pretty cool. I think promoting that inquisitive nature is a great thing, and something that transcends different religions, or lack thereofs. Glad to hear it.

[JJ Husker]

I like to think that if God didnt want us questioning beliefs, he wouldntve given us the power to do so.

Most religions would consider that thought alone Heresy. And have, or in some places still do, imprison, torture, or kill anyone who does ask questions.

 

I started questioning the religion I was brought up in, and then rejected what I have been taught for the better part of two decades.

Yes, if history has shown us anything, it is that religions themselves are much more guilty of torturing and killing their own people for asking questions than they are of being persecuted by outsiders.

 

I have studied and questioned my beliefs and the positions of non-believers. To the consternation and doubt of most non-believers, it hasn't substantially changed my mind or caused me to reject the way I was raised. In some cases it has solidified that I don't fully understand the mind of God but, I'm also pretty convinced that I am not supposed to have that same level of understanding. Still haven't run into any argument or scientific theory or fact that has changed my mind. And it hasn't required me to not believe any scientific facts. So far, I am completely content accepting both angles.

[JJ Husker]

Not really.

 

I actually grew up in a church that taught that we should always be questioning what we are told about Christianity and study it ourselves.

 

When I joined the Catholic Church I joined a couple Bible study groups that always had that has a main topic of discussion. Studying the Bible and discussing and questioning the understanding of what Christianity really is.

 

Some of the most interesting discussions I have ever had on the subject was with Priests or Ministers on questioning religious beliefs.

 

That's pretty cool. I think promoting that inquisitive nature is a great thing, and something that transcends different religions, or lack thereofs. Glad to hear it.

That has pretty much been my experience also BRB. To convert to Catholicism, I had to take a year of RCIA (rite of Christian initiation for adults) classes. Nothing was taboo to question and we covered a whole bunch of belief subjects. I have found that the Catholic church has very acceptable answers for all of their beliefs. Having said that, I do struggle a bit with some of their politics of operating a religion or some of the ancillary issues such as birth control or no meat on Fridays during lent. I understand the concept of sacrificing but personally I feel it is better to really sacrifice something rather than going out to eat at Red Lobster and act like you sacrificed something. Anyway, I'm getting off subject but I have never found the church to expect us to blindly follow their rules or beliefs without them having a very valid and acceptable explanation for them.

[strigori]

I like to think that if God didnt want us questioning beliefs, he wouldntve given us the power to do so.

Most religions would consider that thought alone Heresy. And have, or in some places still do, imprison, torture, or kill anyone who does ask questions.

 

I started questioning the religion I was brought up in, and then rejected what I have been taught for the better part of two decades.

Yes, if history has shown us anything, it is that religions themselves are much more guilty of torturing and killing their own people for asking questions than they are of being persecuted by outsiders.

 

I have studied and questioned my beliefs and the positions of non-believers. To the consternation and doubt of most non-believers, it hasn't substantially changed my mind or caused me to reject the way I was raised. In some cases it has solidified that I don't fully understand the mind of God but, I'm also pretty convinced that I am not supposed to have that same level of understanding. Still haven't run into any argument or scientific theory or fact that has changed my mind. And it hasn't required me to not believe any scientific facts. So far, I am completely content accepting both angles.

Most of the time the 'outsiders' are just believers of a different religion. Especially if we are talking across history. Atheism is a fairly new concept in human history, and has generally more condemned than believing in one.

 

The Catholic church has a very long history of going after 'their own' Maybe not as much in recent decades, but historically, they have been very bad. Being American shapes our views differently as we have never had a state supported religion. Take a look at the modern middle east, or even Russia right now, and you have a very good idea of what I'm talking about.

[strigori]

Not really.

 

I actually grew up in a church that taught that we should always be questioning what we are told about Christianity and study it ourselves.

 

When I joined the Catholic Church I joined a couple Bible study groups that always had that has a main topic of discussion. Studying the Bible and discussing and questioning the understanding of what Christianity really is.

 

Some of the most interesting discussions I have ever had on the subject was with Priests or Ministers on questioning religious beliefs.

 

That's pretty cool. I think promoting that inquisitive nature is a great thing, and something that transcends different religions, or lack thereofs. Glad to hear it.

That has pretty much been my experience also BRB. To convert to Catholicism, I had to take a year of RCIA (rite of Christian initiation for adults) classes. Nothing was taboo to question and we covered a whole bunch of belief subjects. I have found that the Catholic church has very acceptable answers for all of their beliefs. Having said that, I do struggle a bit with some of their politics of operating a religion or some of the ancillary issues such as birth control or no meat on Fridays during lent. I understand the concept of sacrificing but personally I feel it is better to really sacrifice something rather than going out to eat at Red Lobster and act like you sacrificed something. Anyway, I'm getting off subject but I have never found the church to expect us to blindly follow their rules or beliefs without them having a very valid and acceptable explanation for them.

Assuming 'valid' and 'acceptable' means the way they interpret what ever book that religion is using. Its all in the eye of the beholder. I was raised Lutheran, and had gone through all the Confirmation classes and Sunday schools for most of my life. When I started asking myself questions, my mindset completely changed on things. The 'answers' that were offered by pastors were not ones I could accept.

[Landlord]

From a Christian (not Catholic) perspective, I think questioning is a good and healthy thing, and I don't think my faith needs to at all be a blind faith. However, there needs to be balance. It can get to the point where you sin in your questioning - if you are never satisfied, always raising dissension and irreconcilably cynical. Like all things, an inquisitive nature is healthy in moderation. We all see what it looks like when it goes WAY too far in the extreme - conspiracy theorist sort of behavior.

 

Religious leaders might be scared of your questions, but God is not. He is not intimidated or worried that you might find something unpleasant out about him. Questioning can be a form of worship, desiring to know God more intimately.

[JJ Husker]

Most of the time the 'outsiders' are just believers of a different religion. Especially if we are talking across history. Atheism is a fairly new concept in human history, and has generally more condemned than believing in one.

 

The Catholic church has a very long history of going after 'their own' Maybe not as much in recent decades, but historically, they have been very bad. Being American shapes our views differently as we have never had a state supported religion. Take a look at the modern middle east, or even Russia right now, and you have a very good idea of what I'm talking about.

 

I get that some people, of many different religions, will do things not very representative of what their religion is really about. I view that more as a problem with individuals than I do with any religion they happen to be acting counter to. However, I'm still on the fence a bit with radical Islam. Much of it seems almost too pervasive to write it off as just individual actions. Yes, even the Catholics had the spanish inquisition and some rather scandalous eras and popes. But, by and large, it has been members of religions who have been the persecuted victims.

[JJ Husker]

From a Christian (not Catholic) perspective, I think questioning is a good and healthy thing, and I don't think my faith needs to at all be a blind faith. However, there needs to be balance. It can get to the point where you sin in your questioning - if you are never satisfied, always raising dissension and irreconcilably cynical. Like all things, an inquisitive nature is healthy in moderation. We all see what it looks like when it goes WAY too far in the extreme - conspiracy theorist sort of behavior.

 

Religious leaders might be scared of your questions, but God is not. He is not intimidated or worried that you might find something unpleasant out about him. Questioning can be a form of worship, desiring to know God more intimately.

I see what you are saying but I think a person who is never satisfied, always raising dissension and irreconcilably cynical will rather quickly become an atheist or non-believer. I think inquisitive is good but, if you need to moderate it, it might be a sign that person is not as comfortable or confident as they should be in their faith. As far as religious leaders being scared of questions, that is just downright concerning. If they can't explain and defend their own beliefs and religion, well that isn't a good sign at all. Unfortunately, I think that is a problem within many churches and religions. I think that type of situation is a big cause of people leaving their faith. Probably a root cause of all these people who say they were raised in a church/religious environment only to begin asking questions later and then determine it's a crock. Dollars to donuts they were not getting satisfactory answers to their questions from a person who really believed it and it is very difficult to acquire all the answers a person needs all on your own.

[strigori]

Most of the time the 'outsiders' are just believers of a different religion. Especially if we are talking across history. Atheism is a fairly new concept in human history, and has generally more condemned than believing in one.

 

The Catholic church has a very long history of going after 'their own' Maybe not as much in recent decades, but historically, they have been very bad. Being American shapes our views differently as we have never had a state supported religion. Take a look at the modern middle east, or even Russia right now, and you have a very good idea of what I'm talking about.

 

I get that some people, of many different religions, will do things not very representative of what their religion is really about. I view that more as a problem with individuals than I do with any religion they happen to be acting counter to. However, I'm still on the fence a bit with radical Islam. Much of it seems almost too pervasive to write it off as just individual actions. Yes, even the Catholics had the spanish inquisition and some rather scandalous eras and popes. But, by and large, it has been members of religions who have been the persecuted victims.

Radical Islam, and the middle east in general, is still socially several centuries behind the west. The Catholic church, when it was THE religious force in Europe also had large time periods where it was the most corrupt institution on the planet. And the church most definitely killed 'heathens' it was not just the members. Islam (and middle eastern culture) is largely in the same place the Catholic church was about a thousand years ago. The people just have modern toys. And the west trying to force the modern world on them.

 

I don't think the radical Islamists are any different than members of most other religions would be, or have been in the past, when in defacto power, and terrified of losing it. The religious leaders, terrified of losing the power, and wealth that comes along with it, need to find a place to focus the anger of the very poor, and very stupid masses to keep the hordes from realizing who is keeping them that way. And the West, with the USA as the poster child, is the scapegoat.

[Hammerhead]

Like all things, an inquisitive nature is healthy in moderation. We all see what it looks like when it goes WAY too far in the extreme - conspiracy theorist sort of behavior.

 

A lot of people seem to ask questions that they believe they already know the answer to, then try to shape what the evidence shows them rather than considering that the evidence might suggest that the answer they want to find isn't the correct one. I'm not saying that religious people do that across the board, but I know some do.

 

It wasn't long ago that I did everything I could to convince myself that God was real, but nothing I came up with ever really satisfied me.

[HuskerHacker]

I appears that this topic is mostly quieted down and that saddens me as it is a very justified, very real and mostly very needed topic in everyone's life. The reasons are numerous but in keeping it short I'll not quote scripture and/or step on a pulpit. Instead I'll simply state that it is of my opinion that too often we (non believers and believers alike) confuse this very topic.

 

Read up and the one word most often used is "belief" when in fact it is not belief at all that is in question. The original question should be related to "faith" as faith and belief are two different things. Posters above mention the soul journey and the importance it is to take that journey to reinforce that which you believe for you see, in order to belief one must have faith and faith comes through the journey of searching.

 

Again, if one has all the belief in the world but has no faith in that belief does one actually have anything at all? Paul teaches us in first Corinthians that we are all one body of Christ. That within that body there are many differences and that no single part of that body is greater then the other and frankly that each part needs the other. So... in knowing this we also know that the one body doesn't exist without faith. Questioning your religion is not only acceptable but necessary as it is in this questioning that you will find "your" faith and in finding that (your faith) you will also find that you strengthen belief but not just your belief but also the body of your belief.

 

As for answering the comment above

It wasn't long ago that I did everything I could to convince myself that God was real, but nothing I came up with ever really satisfied me.

I find myself wondering if you asked yourself the simplest of questions. Too often we make faith to hard by overlooking the simplest of things. The one question rarely asked is this. Is there another proclaimed king that loved his people so that he gave himself as a sacrifice? Ponder that, reflect on his teachings, (love your enemy, turn the other cheek, feed the poor, cloth the naked, heal the sick, walk peacefully with love) ... Yes, the science of today and the non-believers will point to things that aren't explained by faith but they do so while staying blinded to the evidence that only faith provides. You ask what those are? Everyday unexplained miraculous healing, unexplained examples of someone saved by a mystery miracle person, gold dust falling from the ceiling and covering the floor or those who have died and then returned saying they were told by Christ that it wasn't yet their time.

 

So.. yes, questioning your religion is something we all need to do so that in our answers we build and strengthen our faith.

 

If a King born has power, has fear, has greed, has desire and has people willing to die to defend him/her why then is it that we have but one King whom said we should love our enemy and turn the other cheek? His faith in that belief was so strong that he went to the cruelest of deaths without asking his followers to risk their lives.

[HuskerShark]

Like all things, an inquisitive nature is healthy in moderation. We all see what it looks like when it goes WAY too far in the extreme - conspiracy theorist sort of behavior.

 

A lot of people seem to ask questions that they believe they already know the answer to, then try to shape what the evidence shows them rather than considering that the evidence might suggest that the answer they want to find isn't the correct one. I'm not saying that religious people do that across the board, but I know some do.

 

It wasn't long ago that I did everything I could to convince myself that God was real, but nothing I came up with ever really satisfied me.

 

You can take this suggestion or leave it, your choice:

 

Chances are, when you were searching for answers about your faith, you were looking for evidence in the world around you. The place that you have to look to find God is within yourself.

 

To most people who are not Christian, and even many who are, that statement might not make a lot of sense. So like I said, take it or leave it.

[BigRedBuster]

Not really.

 

I actually grew up in a church that taught that we should always be questioning what we are told about Christianity and study it ourselves.

 

When I joined the Catholic Church I joined a couple Bible study groups that always had that has a main topic of discussion. Studying the Bible and discussing and questioning the understanding of what Christianity really is.

 

Some of the most interesting discussions I have ever had on the subject was with Priests or Ministers on questioning religious beliefs.

 

That's pretty cool. I think promoting that inquisitive nature is a great thing, and something that transcends different religions, or lack thereofs. Glad to hear it.

That has pretty much been my experience also BRB. To convert to Catholicism, I had to take a year of RCIA (rite of Christian initiation for adults) classes. Nothing was taboo to question and we covered a whole bunch of belief subjects. I have found that the Catholic church has very acceptable answers for all of their beliefs. Having said that, I do struggle a bit with some of their politics of operating a religion or some of the ancillary issues such as birth control or no meat on Fridays during lent. I understand the concept of sacrificing but personally I feel it is better to really sacrifice something rather than going out to eat at Red Lobster and act like you sacrificed something. Anyway, I'm getting off subject but I have never found the church to expect us to blindly follow their rules or beliefs without them having a very valid and acceptable explanation for them.

Assuming 'valid' and 'acceptable' means the way they interpret what ever book that religion is using. Its all in the eye of the beholder. I was raised Lutheran, and had gone through all the Confirmation classes and Sunday schools for most of my life. When I started asking myself questions, my mindset completely changed on things. The 'answers' that were offered by pastors were not ones I could accept.

 

But, that is where I think probably the church that I grew up in and what you did are different. My church told me to search for my own answers by reading the Bible and looking for my answers. Basically, they said to not take a human's answers because they are flawed and always will have a slant towards that person's beliefs. AND, if you follow a human's answers, it is easy for that human to lead you down a religious path that isn't what God has intended.

 

When I went through RCIA, I found the experience very good as far as my own personal faith. It answered a ton of questions that you hear people say about the Catholic Church.

[Conga3]

Atheism is boring and lacks imagination.

 

No thanks.

[HuskerHacker]

The RCIA is a very informative and useful program in learning who Christ is and what his ministries were all about but what makes any learning tool useful is that it allows one to open their ears to the Lords voice in both the written word (Logos, scripture) and the heard word (Rhema, his voice in their mind).