Questioning Your Faith

I found this on one of my friend's Facebook profiles (Megan Fritts, to be exact) and found it quite interesting. She does have a blog (http://sanctified-in-truth.blogspot.com).

As most of you know, a couple topics that completely fascinate me are theology and philosophy of religion. One particular subject within these fields that I’m very passionate about is the importance of thinking logically and reasonably about your faith. Now, be honest . . . how many of you, when you read the title of this note, thought that I was going to make a point against questioning your faith, or, at least, tout it as a negative thing? Read on and see if you change your mind . . .

Although I’ve been a Christian all my life, I didn’t understand the importance of intense logical perusal of my faith until this past year, and what I’ve noticed may or may not resonate with you. I’ve learned that the Christian community, in general, seems to be much more interested in helping you experience positive emotions about your faith than they are in exposing the grandeur and all-encompassing truth of it to you. They are more interested in signing you up to volunteer at a pot-luck then they are in showing you why you should believe Christianity in the first place. They seem much more interested in almost anything else than they are in assuring you that you aren’t, essentially, taking an eternal gamble with your soul. And that’s what it is, isn’t it? When you choose your faith the way you would choose a bunch of bananas at the supermarket, you’re putting all of your eggs in one basket, so to speak. Your entire eternity is at risk, completely dependent upon whether or not your religion, rites, and rituals are the correct ones. Clearly such a bet is foolhardy, to say the least. Should we not desire to seek out the Truth, if out of nothing but the basic instinct of self-preservation?

C.S. Lewis, when writing about those who look to Jesus as a great moral teacher, but nothing else, said this,

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he’s a poached egg--or else He would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.”

I’m fairly certain that the majority of people who will read this note are Christians, or, at least, claim to be. I charge to you consider the fact that Christianity is not the only religion to have devout followers. Our God is not the only god that people say they can feel. What makes your faith different? Why, out all the bunches of bananas in the supermarket, did you choose this one? Is it because you grew up with family members who believed it? Is it because it’s what everyone else at your school believes? C.S. Lewis, in the above quote, reminds us that apathy is not an option, as far as our faith goes. Jesus was either the greatest being in all of reality, or He was a horribly evil person. Either way, doesn’t it call us to action? We should be willing to jump into action to either show the world brilliant reality, or save them from an enticing lie. Don’t be apathetic about what you believe . . . the bet is far too risky, and the stakes are far too high.

(Now, as a side-note, although I believe it important to question your faith, you must have the right motives for doing so. There’s nothing sillier than a person with a serious case of intellectual wanderlust; in other words, someone who questions things for the amusement of skepticism, and not for the sake of actually finding answers. The rampant post-modern mindset that our culture is soaking up helps to feed this dismal affliction. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid, kids. In another hundred years or so, having a destination will be cool again . . . I promise.)