In Reply to: Faith - breaking it down posted by Helpful on June 13, 2007 at 19:07:31:
Exactly what i mean. We weren't allowed to question in the family, no doubts allowed... right? And my experiences with the evangelicals i am related to is similar, you just accept things coz it says so in the Bible, or coz it is the popular interpretation of a respected Christian who told you so. (like the global warming theory being somehow anti-god).
My experience with belief and questioning it is I never thought to question my strong belief in God when i was growing up. I'd have questions, would ask my parents and or religious teachers... they'd answer, and i'd trust that that was the truth. I remember asking things such as did the cave men live at the same time as Adam and Eve? I mean, to my 8 year old mind, Adam and EVe seemed much more progressed than the cave men, however Adam and Eve came first, so that went against the cave man evolving theory.. unless Adam and Eve were actually monkeys... then it all pieced together... you get my drift? I remember bemused nuns, but not what thier answer was, ... i think they told me that they didnt know, and i just accepted it as a 'mystery'.
Questioning as a teen didn't involve belief, it was more of questioning the church and 'hypocrites' and society... and you know the rest of that story... joining the family.
Post family i carried on a strong and proud sort of anti establishment belief in the bible, trying to merge my leftover family beliefs with progressive churches, with the righteous Family legacy of picking and choosing the parts i liked and feeling that since i believed i was right therefore i was right.
I can clearly remember when i first allowed myself to question my beliefs. I was 32 maybe, and in a first year psychology class that I was taking for work. I recall separating my mind from a lot of the lessons that were being taught, specifically on child raising, as i 'knew better', but one night it hit me, how come myself and the jehovah's witness woman who was also taking the class were the only ones who objected and continually challenged all these things that were being taught? Facing this, and my shock at seeing my similarity to the JW woman, I finally allowed myself to consider the things that were being taught, and consider that the data and research behind them COULD be credible, and even preferable to my own 'spare the rod spoil the child' 'do it coz i said so' foundation in child raising. It was very scary to let those first doubts in and allow myself to think and consider, but I reasoned with myself that God gave me a good brain and he surely would not think ill of me for using it, and if soemthing was false, he surely would enlighten me to it as he had in the past. Well that was the crack of allowing a little light in, and i've been questioning ever since *S*S*