Are Christians Allowed To Doubt?

Are Christians Allowed to Doubt or Question the Answers Given by the Church?

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Absolutely! In fact, doubt is a sign of independent thought and, here at the Restorative Faith Movement, we highly encourage independent thinking. For centuries, Christianity relied heavily on people simply accepting what was fed to them from the church as reliable and accurate. Indeed, Christians who asked too many questions or who expressed doubt about the doctrines of the church were labelled as dissidents and heretics.

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At the Restorative Faith Movement, we believe that any idea promoted by the Christian faith needs to be able to hold up to rational scrutiny. Any concept that fails based on real-world examples should be rethought or completely discarded. For example, Christians often promote the idea that God has a plan for our lives. This idea works in theory if your life turns out well and you don't endure an extensive amount of suffering. Where this idea falls apart is when our lives are subject to forces that cause extensive suffering and tragedy.

 

For instance, the Holocaust that took place at the hands of the Nazis during World War II is an example of how God having a plan makes zero sense. If it was God's plan for 10 million people to be killed in the gas chambers, then such a God could not be characterized as loving. Therefore, we set aside the idea of God having a plan for our lives because it contradicts what we experience in the world.

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This is just one of many ideas the Restorative Faith Movement has rethought. If you have questions or doubts, please send them to the Restorative Faith Movement so that we can answer them!