Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers)

Given current challenges to Christian faith within our North American culture, covertly through assorted media-enhanced idolatries and overtly by bold literary attacks from atheists, we may reasonably anticipate more persons within our church communities becoming assailed by doubts. Obviously church leaders should be prepared to cope in a loving spirit and with a cogent Christian apologetic. You pastors may be the first to become aware of such challenges to faith. So I offer two suggestions for your reflection. First, discern and delineate differences between inauthentic and authentic doubt.

Inauthentic doubt

1. to justify disobedience
   • excusing immorality
   • fleeing God’s presence
2. to nurture self-deception
   • feeding self-pity
   • blaming others
3. to stroke intellectual pride
   • explaining God away
   • usurping sovereignty

Authentic doubt

1. to correlate truth claims
   • science vs. revelation
   • faith vs. religion
2. to find rational coherence
   • in respect to good and evil
   • in respect to integrity
3. to test creeds/institutions
   • for cultural distortion
   • for Godly faithfulness

Re. inauthentic doubters: “. . .whoever turns a sinner from his error will save him from death and cover many sins”.(James 5: 20 NIV)

Second, because “doubt is the underside of faith” can you help authentic doubters discern this as “faith seeking to understand,” and lead them to stronger faith, with Jesus’ assurance, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”? (John 20: 29 NIV)? Here are a few examples of authentic doubts.

1. Questions about religious truth claims
   • “Does God exist, or is this just a name for the totality of things?”
   • “Are there universal values, or only conventional ones?”
   • “What does it mean to have/be a ’soul’?”
   • “How is God’s will revealed?”
   • “What are the tests of truth?”
2. Questions about Christian teachings
   • “How can I interpret the Bible fairly?”
   • “Did/do miracles occur?”
   • “How is Jesus both human and divine?”
   • “Are Jesus’ teachings really practical?”
   • “How does prayer work?”
   • “How do I trust/explain spiritual experiences?”
   • “What about the resurrection, Jesus’ and mine?”
   • “How is faith a credible ground for life decisions?”
   • “What is the purpose of the Church?”

Peace and joy!

Arthur