questioning faith

By Christopher C. Randolph

my mind is filled with questions lately.  i do not believe this is such a bad thing since the one i am questioning is jesus.  it has been postulated that a good question is far better than a good answer since good questions build dialogue a further understanding.  they also forge relationships.  questions and there tentative answers will be following in days to come. i am typing this on my phone and i do not think i will do this again but i was wondering it it would work.  may god bless my inquiring mind.  god bless.

28 thoughts on “questioning faith”

  1. This is always a good thing in my opinion. I was a stanch believer and advocate for the Wiccan Theism for over 12 years, and every day I questioned my faith and my belief to ensure that what I was doing was right not just by the codes set forth in my religion but by my personal guidelines.

    Question away, I look forward to not only reading these questions but also the answers that you find. If you don’t mind I would like to Repress these on my blog. I think it is good for people to see people of devout faith willing to ask questions of their authority for better understanding.

    Like

  2. I’m not very good with words, typicaly Derik types what i have to say, so people can understand what I mean, but, I had…….YES HAD to say something here. I have no questions in my own faith in jesus, god…another story, but i didnt take his hand, i took jesus’. I have NO doubt whatsoever that jesus is REAL, and does speak to us in our hearts. You dont need faith to hear him, all you need is a “good conschiece”. Thats the only way we can hear our dieties, i say plural because yes, i believe in more then one.

    But that point is moot.

    When people take a faith, such as Christianity, or Wicca, or Buddism and “add” thier own little twist to it, it isnt bad, it isnt blasphemous, its faith the way they see it, what diference does it make how we worship, as long as we have faith in good and love in our hearts? People who isolate others to “make” them learn what they want them too, they arent bad, just greedy, those types are usualy “in this” for the money, desperation of times deals those cards. But it is still a faith of sorts, our trial is to be able to understand what they are teaching, not judge. Thats not anyones job.

    Children often do simplistic things such as worship teenage mutant ninja turtles as super hero’s, because they can see them, can feel the excitement when the cartoon comes on, and often relate those feelings to how they should feel in true faith. Some kids never grow up and still feel that excitement has to be there or something isnt right, and they begin to question thier faith.

    They start looking at this book and that book because thats how we learn when we are young, books, our elders, songs, things like this, when they do not read and totaly understand what the text is saying, they instantly pervert it, especialy when they re-write whatever it is, as in when taking notes?

    This very reason is why i will slam a door on anyone wielding a bible at me. Ive read it, well ok my big brother read it to me, and explained it as he did so, he also told me that i should remember that this book was not writen by anyones hands but mortals, and as such should be treated as a story, a guide as one would put. The words in the bible are old, really old, if one thinks they need to slay thier children if they are non believers, isnt that one of the things we arent suposed to do? “Thou shalt not kill” very contrite from one story to the next, thus how i know the words my brother read to me are recounts of people yes, but also hearsay and altered through time.

    True faith is in the heart, if it feels wrong, it probably is, if theres questions, there are probably answers that need dug up. I dont question my faith, ever, i believe in who i believe in, forever, because i feel it in my heart that i am not wrong, getting to die only salidified what i feel, not what i think.

    So, when one questions thier faith one has to ask. “Why” answer that and you will know the answer to just about every question you can think of to ask.

    Remember, hell is on earth in our hearts, “hell” is not a fiery pit, its being alone forever, heaven is knowing love and all it holds bright and beautiful, in this no faith can shake.

    Like

    • I don’t question my faith either. But I think that there more to know than is generally taught in church and I have always been dissatisfied with some things that assumed to be true by some and ridiculed by others.

      God Bless

      Like

      • About your other post, I believe man started with Adam. The earth was for the Sons of God first but they rebelled. The angels that rebelled are all here and this is Satan’s kingdom. They can no longer reach heaven.
        My prayer is God’s Kingdom to come in my lifetime.
        Your Friend,
        Paul

        Like

          • Sons of God lived long before man and they rebelled under the rule of Lucifer, they failed. Our potential through faith in God and our Savior Jesus Christ is to live eternally as Sons of God. Lucifer and one third of God’s angels rebelled.

            Like

          • Genesis 6

            21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

            6 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them,

            2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took for themselves wives of all whom they chose.

            3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he also is flesh; yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.”

            Like

            • See. That’s what I mean. There’s no mention of the sons of God until after a few generations outside of the garden. If you want to believe they were on earth before that, you almost have to believe that there was that looong time period between the creation and the garden exile.

              Personally, I. Think that’s correct and I think the verses quoted were originally a part of the first creation story. Try it. Read chapter one and then go right to the above paragraphs. Its mind blowing.

              Like

              • I believe the angels called the sons of God, had dominion on this earth before us and were supposed to beautify it. They failed and the earth was made void, and was covered with water until God renewed it for man. Research all sources too find truth or your own hypothesis. Never found anything saying that man lived before Adam, that’s my point.
                Thank you, Paul

                Like

              • Yes you did. You read my post 🙂
                Seriously though …… the whole fallen angel theory stems mostly from Jude right? And the is extrapolated into the Genesis 6 passage. It’s a theological theory that doesn’t quite mesh with the bulk of Gensis 2- 6 which descibes the descent of Adam’s line through Noah and mentions a whole lot of unrelated people, not angels, fallen or otherwise. We either need to realize that there was a great spanse of time between creation and the expulsion from the garden or assume that there was an influx of the fallen just before the ark was built according to your theory. When we examine all of the textual evidence, I believe the former to be more textually precise and accurate. There was a great spanse of time bewtween creation and the expulsion in which the earth was populated by humans and quite probably other beings, like you said. That is what the evidence demonstrates.
                This in no way says that we are not descended from Adam, nor was Jesus’ mother, nor does it suggest that Adam was not the first man created so this does not threaten essential Christian doctrine at all. It merelt messes with some peoples reality. I have no problem with that.

                I’ really enjoying this conversation. It’s exactly what I hoped for when I originally posted the article.

                God Bless

                Like

              • 6 And the angels who kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great Day—
                These angels gave rise to the giants and were worshiped as gods before the flood.

                Like

              • What version ar you quoting again? That is not quite the normal rendering.

                This is great though. I think it’s time for a new post about this. I hope it’s ok if I use some of your comments….stick around my friend.

                Like

              • NKJV Some things I learned I can’t remember where I read them. I’ll try to find scripture first. Love the conversation. We will help each other grow in faith and convince the World God is real.
                Your friend,
                Paul
                PS Use any comment you wish Christopher.

                Like

  4. Faith can be a rather murky zone, and that’s what we’re called to live by. Not certainty, but faith…

    Like

  5. If I could answer even one of your questions to your satisfaction I would feel at least partially fulfilled. But your questions simply don’t have easy answers that go to the heart of your pain and unbelief.

    I have experienced all the questions and doubts and unbelief that you identify. I deal with them in a number of ways, including humor where possible. I actually enjoy interacting with ones I call “edgy” Christians who toss around the very issues you present. I’ve come to accept an awful lot of unanswered questions in life and actually revel in the issues more than become upset by them. When I can’t “pray” I sing my prayers—which is really the best way to pray anyway. As to other religions having their similar or “better” beliefs and traditions. Yes. But I always come back to the fact that I’m a Christian. That’s my tradition. My life and my passion in life.That’s my story and I’m stickin to it.

    I am very fortunate in that I have a wife who also loves to discuss and dig into the questions that we are never allowed to ask among good Christians. And she loves to laugh about them as well. That helps so much. If you could find just one friend who shares your frustrations and anxieties that would be a start on the road to recovery—recovery from being a Christian whose supposed to have all the answers.

    I hope this offers you something that is more positive than negative

    Like

  7. For the record, I don’t question mt faith, rather my faith leads me to question. The security that I feel with my Lord enables me to question pretty much everything else. And being the INTP with the highish IQ that I am, I think, ponder, and ask. I do not fear the Truth that I am searching for in faith.

    God Bless,

    Christopher

    Like

  8. I agree with your approach here, Christopher. I have no doubts that there is absolute truth, revealed in Scripture and in the person of Jesus Christ. However, that doesn’t mean I have all the answers. There are good questions. There are things we will not know now. The Bible was not written to satisfy all our curiosities; it was written that we might believe in Jesus and receive eternal life. That is far different from all the false religions.

    Like

    • Thanks. I think there is absolute Truth as well. I don’t think we will ever realive it in this life. We see as through a glass darkly and all that. To me this means that there will always be more to learn. That excites me to no end.

      God Bless

      Like

      • Yes! And while it seems exciting that I could converse with C.S. Lewis on a renewed earth, I think I will end up learning most from some unknown widow who trusted Christ for every day and every need. Further in and further up!

        Like

  9. I think questions are good. I think asking God questions you struggle with is good too – it takes faith to question – because ultimately you are saying there is a God. I know that is not your struggle. I just know that often times our greatest growth is when we have questions and then receive answers. I’m sure God will bless your inquiring mind! 🙂

    Like

What's Your Opinion?