If you won't question your own religion, why should anyone follow you?

Question

If your own faith is so weak that you need to grasp at untenable absolutes (e.g., "The bible is literally true on all things") and you're afraid to challenge such assumptions, how can you ask anyone else to believe in such things?

If you have such little faith in your own assumptions that you can't question them.... how can you seek converts???

Answer 1

Because they are brainwashed into believing they are not allowed to question anything.... When you question something, you are searching for knowledge... and then find all the faults in religion if you start to question that

Answer 2

Brainwashing, also known as thought reform or re-education, is the application of coercive techniques to change the beliefs or behavior of one or more people usually for political or religious purposes. Whether any techniques at all exist that will actually work to change thought and behavior to the degree that the term "brainwashing" connotes is a controversial and at times hotly debated question.

de·ter·mine (d-tûrmn)
v. de·ter·mined, de·ter·min·ing, de·ter·mines
v.tr.
1.
a. To decide or settle (a dispute, for example) conclusively and authoritatively.
b. To end or decide, as by judicial action.
2. To establish or ascertain definitely, as after consideration, investigation, or calculation.


"If you have such little faith in your own assumptions that you can't question them.... how can you seek converts???"

You make an assumtion about about people of faith with your question itself. You assume that all people of faith have grasped these "untenable absolutes" at the prompting of religious leaders or by being "brainwashed". While this may be the case for the majority, it is unfair to place all people of faith in the same category. Only a weak minded person would simply accept something on face value or just because "I said so." Some individuals have used their intelligence to determine what the truth about the matter really is. What I find most interesting is that many people of "science" refuse to acknowledge that belief in much of what they teach as fact requires faith just as much as many religious beliefs do. There are many things in science that cannot be proven with modern scientific methods. Scientists point out all these different facts that they have assembled and say here is the proof when in reality the same facts can be interpreted in many different ways. Don't misunderstand what I am saying, much of what the Bible teaches and what science teaches agree. However, it is arrogance on the part of anyone to say they can understand and explain the deeper things of the universe without any doubt as to if they have all the facts. One of the marks of true intelligence is the abillity to keep an open mind and be able to question your beliefs. To not do so is to stop advancing, to stop learning. Once you close your mind, you cease to move forward. Faith in my "assumptions?" I am not that arrogant. I do have faith in those things that although I cannot prove them with "physical" evidence, I do see the evident truth of them because of all the other things that make them so obvious. Not only do I question my "religion", I continue to search it out and make sure of the things I believe, make sure that I am not being "brainwashed." Do people of science do the same? As a whole, I say no. Just like most of those in "religious" organizations today, they accept what they are given at face value and don't dig deeper for themselves. So, my question would be; How many people today, both religious and scientific, question their beliefs and what they are being "taught" deeply enough to ascertain what the real truth is?

Answer 3

That's right! We mustn't be afraid to challenge truth. Truth holds up under any scrutiny! That is the definition of it. But we shouldn't dump it because we can't disprove it. Archaeologists keep digging up stuff to prove the existence of biblical stuff.

Just one of many examples is the discoveries made by an Atheist that set out to disprove the Christian myth, Lee Strobel. An award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune. A Yale man. Not some airhead. He ended up finding proof time and time again. Finally he realized the truth about Christ. (Saw him once, he's an OK guy, the web site pics make him look weird. Might be nice to read more than one book, when I'm not hanging out here.)

Answer 4

I questioned my religion for about twenty years before I found it to be true. That is, it wasn't "my" religion until I had made an extensive search, including other faiths and pathways, and found Christianity to be the truth. So, in answer to your first question, I have thoroughly questioned what turns out to be what I chose.

My faith is not weak. I do not grasp at untenable absolutes.

I am not afraid to be challenged about the Bible.

I don't ask anyone else to believe. I share the news with them, and if they want to hear more, I tell them more. If they don't, I leave them be. As instructed by Jesus himself.

I have absolute faith in truth. Truth is not my assumption. I asked many questions before I determined Christianity to be true. I will answer any question that anyone asks me about Christianity. If I don't know the answer, I will research it.

And again, as for seeking converts...I spread the word. If people wish to hear, I tell them more. If not, then not.

Answer 5

Once you receive salvation by the Grace of God you will always have questions, that is how you mature and grow. I haven't had a question that can not be answered as of yet. All the answers to life are in the Bible. You will soon see how the pieces fit perfectly like a puzzle. The beauty is, you will no longer be puzzled. Hey, I just made that up, did you like it? See ya, love ya, it's late, bye! You will no longer have assumptions, Ch

Answer 6

I have certainly questioned everything that I could not understand in the bible.

A big detriment to me was right away in the book of Genesis.
We do not have a firmament above our sky. (large layer of water) and I could not understand why it was written that there is one.

It took years of questions to many Christians with no real answers, although other parts of the bible were becoming more and more understood by myself.

It finally took a secular (worldly) teaching and writings for me to understand exactly what happened to the firmament.

Although I still have unanswered questions to parts of the bible, I know that as with all my other questions, they will be answered eventually. I have never found anything wrong yet, only still not understood by my own limited knowledge.

i do not want anyone to follow me. Regardless of what I know or do not know. I want that everyone read and reread the bible and question what they do not understand. Continue to read and pray and question until you do understand, and then follow the one who we are told to follow Not a man, but God and God alone.

Answer 7

I would never seek out converts to begin with. If someone wishes to share my beliefs, thats cool, but don't look to me to lead someone on. I beleve that each person needs to research and decide for themselves what they believe/don't believe. No fair if I have to coerce someone into it.

Everyone, IMO, should be questioning their own beliefs/lack of beliefs every day. What is the point of belonging to a religion if your going to sit back and let others tell you what to believe? The constant challenging of ones faith should be a large part of whatever belief system someone is in.

Any spiritual path worth pursuing is worth working for and learning about. All the time. Otherwise, you're a disservice to your religion just riding the coattails of the others in your faith who aren't afraid of questioning and learning.

Answer 8

I did question my religion and have found it to be the truth after several years of research and only after finding out the facts did I get into it and that is what I would recomend to anyone going into any religion to do to check out in the scriptures to see for themselves if the things they are being taught are realy true

Answer 9

Not having doubt is not little faith. Do we doubt the age of our child? Why not- Because we know their age, so why would we question it!
I know there is a God, so no need to debate it. This doesn't make me weak in my faith, nor afraid - Rather I don't need to waist my time questioning something I already know as fact!

I do welcome questions about my beliefs, I just don't have doubt in them or the Lord.

Answer 10

Truth is in the eye of the beholder. One must understand the power religion has on people and the way it is reinforced inside its own culture. Ask anyone who belonged to a faith and no longer do, they well tell you it was very hard to break away from their beliefs since it was reinforced into them everyday. If you are told something often enough you become to believe it as fact.