Christians: Do any of you admit to not having 100% certainty?

Question

In God's existence, your doctrines--especially your doctrines!--the Bible, and the afterlife.

In philosophy, it's a pretty well-known topic that true knowledge cannot arguably exist, beyond analytical truths or a priori knowledge (IF a priori knowledge exists as synthetic truth).

Don't worry: for those of you who say "I", you're not under any sort of attack. This is a simply a gauge of intellectual honesty and/or credulity. If you answer to say that you do not in fact have 100% certainty, then I'll take you to be being honest. If you answer that you do in fact have 100% certainty, I'll either take you to be lying to secure your position, or simply not understanding what I'm asking.

Absolutely, yes. It's perfectly possible for someone to honestly reply with having 100% certainty, if they truly believe that. But it's within my personal opinion--yes, speculative opinion--that you can't have 100% certainty in *anything*, let alone something so metaphysical as God. So, they either haven't had much philosophical reflection, or they are in fact being dishonest. That's my analysis. It doesn't change the validity of the answerer, so please don't let it deter you. To be absolutely sure of something, without admitting even the logical possibility of fallibility, is to be self-deluding.

My point is, I feel it sort of hard to fully respect Christians who can't admit this. Wisdom is limited to an awareness of your own ignorance.

Answer 1

I'm not Christian, but I know I don't know anything. I'm an agnostic monotheist: I believe in a God but know I could be wrong.

Answer 2

I've often struggled with the idea that humans make mistakes...and humans wrote the bible...humans translated the bible, time and time again. So how would one know that what they are reading is completely true?
To further my struggle with this problem, when I ask someone about it, they go on to say I just need to have faith...
If thats the case, what if I'm reading the wrong bible? Living by the wrong doctrine? Then am I to be held responsible for these mistakes of ignorance? Or will I still be granted access into the Kingdom Of God? So many questions that aren't able to be answered is what sways my faith at times, but then I decide I have to tough it out. No I am not 100% sure of what I believe in, but God understands. I hope.

Answer 3

Faith is not faith if there is not some uncertainty, so technically all Christians by an accurate and logical definition must have uncertainty in their belief. However, just because the logical truth is that there is less than 100% certainty in the existence of God or in the effects of gravity does not mean that the Christian does not act upon their faith in the reality of God's existence or the reality of the effects of gravity to cause us to fall into harm. Even the Atheist who cannot be certain that the "Law" of gravity will always be in effect will by unconcious nature live and react as if the "Law" of gravity is 100% true and certain (i.e. we do not see Christians and Atheists jumping off dangerously high buildings attempting to defy gravity because we cannot be 100% certain that gravity is always in effect).

Yes, I admit to not having 100% certainty.

Answer 4

Of course. All Christians can admit this. Faith is a hope of things which are not seen, which are true. The very essence of Christianity is something in which one cannot have 100% certainty. If we did have 100% certainty, there would be no need for faith.

The relevant question IMO is: Can atheists admit this? From many I've seen here, the answer seems to be a resounding "NO!"

Answer 5

First you say this: <"Don't worry: for those of you who say "I", you're not under any sort of attack. This is a simply a gauge of intellectual honesty and/or credulity.">

Then you say this: <"If you answer that you do in fact have 100% certainty, I'll either take you to be lying to secure your position, or simply not understanding what I'm asking.">

You're not looking for an honest answer, you're looking for an answer that you perceive to be satisfactory. The question and your intent is misleading, as it sets up the person who answers to fail.

No honest answer can be given, since you will accept only one answer. As such, your asserted positive intent lacks any credibility.

Answer 6

A Christian's Faith is not based on whether God exists. A Christian's Faith is based in the Hope that God will send Christ back to retrieve those souls who are redeemable at the appointed time that only God knows. A person can know that God exists if they cultivate a relationship with Him. He will reveal Himself to the believer.

Answer 7

There are times when I'm not 100% sure, with an explination....satin will pass doubt through the Christian's mind.I'm a Christian and it happens to me from time to time.When satin leaves me alone it's time to examine the heart.In other words satin will put the doubt there, I choose whether or not the thought stays.I choose for the thought to pass,to believe,to know,God Rules,100%!

Answer 8

Yes.

I know that God is infinite. I am not. My brain, my mind is finite and limited.

This means that whatever concept and ideation I have about God will always be too small, too limited: in essence, wrong.

That is where my lack of certainty comes in. I'm a Catholic so I don't have to say that everything in the bible is literal, nor do I say that the bible is the only source of revelation available to Christians. God's grace within me is the prime source of revelation and inspiration.

Somebody once said that the centurion's prayer in the gospel, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." is the most basic prayer of any Christian.

I am not 100% certain that what I conceptualize is truly God as He really is, or is truly God's will for me. But that .99999 percent uncertainty is exactly where God's grace comes in constantly and helps me to grow as a person, and as a Christian.

Any Christian who purports to be 100% sure is basically deceiving himself and worse, shutting himself off from God's grace, and becoming stagnant.

The only people I ever hear saying they are 100% certain are fundamentalists, and most of the fundamentalists I know are definitely stagnated in their faith and truncated in their ability to grow as Christians.

Answer 9

Yes I do. I question everything, especially doctrine. To me truth is a journey that I am on and at this point I am unsure of the destination.

Answer 10

Dude.... ohhhh yes. Frankly, all the time. But I always weigh that feeling against all the other experiences I've had.

I wonder about the afterlife. It can not possibly be the way everyone THINKS its going to be.

Yes... LOTS of unanswered questions

Answer 11

When I was still a Christian, I admitted that I believed because I wanted to and not because I was 100% certain.

That line of thinking led me to where I am today, which is agnostic with a side of atheism.