Do Christians ever question their beliefs, or do you think they rationalize them?

Question

I would define the difference as:

Questioning:

Step 1 - You ask: "Does God exist?"
Step 2 - You look at all available facts
Step 3 - Analyze the facts without bias, without fear, without outside influence... without caring about the outcome of the answer (the best answer is the best answer... and that is all that matters)
Step 4 - You pick the best answer using logic, and based on the facts. You are done.

Rationalizing:

Step 1 - You ask: "Does God exist?"
Step 2 - You fear that he might not exist, and you take in evidence from every possible place, including science to see if he does or not
Step 3 - You look at some scientific stuff but something feels wrong. You turn and look deeper into the bible, seek counsel from pastors, priests, friends, family, etcetera.
Step 4 - You find a passage or someone tells you something that makes sense to you
Step 5 - You accept the passage or the knowledge passed to you as best answer, and you feel a sense of relief.

Answer 1

I think no. Depends on the person or type of person.

Answer 2

please..
we are only christian when we truly accept christ into our hearts.. when you have truly felt his presence and the holy spirit, you'll know that hes real..

furthermore, we live by faith and not by sight!! thats the hardest part to be honest, that is the most amazing part..

we turn the other cheek to show the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.. when someone bully you, dont just stand there and do nothing, offer them something good!! it will take some time..

they will think you're nuts at first.. then they will wonder why and how on earth did u do what u did... its pratically impossible to turn the other cheek.. so its amazing when some1 actually do.. with that, God is seen in you.. thats how you make true friends anyway..

Answer 3

out of hand categorical rejection of ANY hypothesis (including god hypothesis) without scientific proof to the contrary is an arrogant act of intellectual bias and prejudice.
I assume you do not have a scientific proof god does not exist ?
well, if you do not, than you are committing just such an act.
there is a significant difference between disbelief and nonbelief. Why address the question only to christians ?
BTW, your avatar, α&Ω, implies "all knowing", are you ?

Answer 4

”…he that takes away Reason to make way for Revelation, puts out the Light of both, and does much what the same, as if he would persuade a Man to put out his eyes, the better to receive the remote Light of an invisible Star by a Telescope.“ -John Locke (philosopher and theologian)

Rather than engage in the tedious labor required to reason correctly, enthusiasts persuade themselves that they are possessed of immediate revelation, without having to use reason to judge of the genuineness of their revelation. This leads to ”odd Opinions and extravagant actions“ that are characteristic of enthusiasm and which should warn that this is a wrong principle. Thus, Locke strongly rejects any attempt to make inward persuasion not judged by reason a legitimate principle.

Answer 5

I'll give a brief example of how illogical christian beliefs are:

I had always been taught at a young age to "Turn the other cheek".... this was a catch-phrase christians used when people taunted you/your religion, when people called you names, or even when people hit you!!

Needless to say, I grew up being bullied all the time but I 'took it' cause the bible says to.

At a later age in my late teens, I realized one day: heah, the bible also says treat others as you would have them treat you.

So..... I started to retaliate against idiots who called me names, taunted me etc... My mom told me I was to turn the other cheek.... my response was, "If they're treating me badly, doesn't that mean that that is the way they wish to be treated back?"
Mom couldn't really answer me so she kept repeating: turn the other cheek. That, by the way, is SOOOOo typically 'christian'. When confronted with logic-flaws, the christian just goes into auto-mode and repeats the last thing they told you.

So, it's ok, according to the bible, to treat others with contempt and hatred if that's what they're doing to you! You're treating those people the way they WANT to be treated.

Answer 6

Analyze the facts without bias, without fear, without outside influence... without caring about the outcome.


There in lies your problem. There is not an atheist on this planet that does not hold bias in regards to the Creator God. You may claim you do not, but upon closer inspection, you are lying. You have your agenda, and that you pursue with gusto. It is not that YOU do not believe in your maker, but you do not want ANYONE to believe. That sir is apparent, and without dispute. The evidence to God, far outweighs any evidence to disprove his existence. Rant and rave all you wish, but your own random chance theory of evolution proves his presence, by the simple process of elimination. If all it took to create life, was the basic elements, of which most planets have, time, which earth is one of the youngest, and natural cause, which is everywhere, then our universe should be teeming with life. So where is it?

Answer 7

There's so many Christians in this world, and the heck if I know how they deal with crises of faith.

Why did you exclude adherents of other faiths (e.g. Muslims, Buddhists, Zoroastrians etc.)? Surely they too come to difficult crossroads.

And I promise you, people deal with this in more ways than the two paths you described.

Answer 8

confident i do each and all of the time. My ultimate buddy he advance into the main non secular guy i knew, purely became an atheist. My ultimate argument is faith. i desperate to place it into the bible and the bible says the spirit will substitute u. me turning out to be a miles better person is my evidence. to illustrate i observed something i pronounced on fb the different day from an prolonged time in the past and that i now felt ashamed. additionally, the bible speaks of wars, famines etc and im especially useful its all going on staggering now. God bless u

Answer 9

Step one you understand your need for God.
Step two you seek his truth with all of your heart.
Step three you receive a gift of faith.
Step four you accept the atonement and receive the Holy Spirit.
Step five you receive revelation from God.
Step six you enter into a personal relationship with God.
We know God. We have a relationship with God we grow in our relationsip with him and the truth lives in us.
We are made free and are by faith made new.

Answer 10

I grew up kind of rationalizing it, but then my first gf died and I hated God, so I began the Questioning one in a couple years.

Answer 11

I question my beliefs and have them questioned every day.
Using the first method you mention here as "Questioning" I have come to the conclusion that God does exist.