I’ve been thinking about doubt a lot lately. It all started with a friend who teaches an adult Sunday School class in a church a few towns over. Recently in his class he mentioned that sometimes he has fleeting doubts about things in scripture. When these doubts cross his mind he goes back to the Bible, spends some time in scripture and prayer and eventually he can move on. To say this did not go over well in his class would be an understatement. In fact, it caused a mutiny. Several very vocal members insisted this was sin! Those who doubt – even the fleeting occasional doubt were not “real” Christians. “Its all or nothing” they insisted. “We have t-shirts” they cried, that say “God said it. I believe it. ‘Nuff said!” How could he, a deacon no less, be advocating scrutinizing scripture to the point that you might question doctrines you have always believed. People went to the preacher and questioned his ability to lead his Sunday School class. It got very, very ugly. Doubt – who knew it could cause such a ruckus.

Three days later I picked up Tim Keller’s book The Reason for God. He begins the introduction with this quote from the great philosopher Darth Vader “I find your lack of faith – disturbing.” Here it was again – the issue of doubt peeking its head up. Doubt, Keller insists, can be good. “A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it” (Keller, xvi) He proposes that believers should take the time to examine the hard questions – so that they will be prepared to address issues from skeptics, so that their own faith will be strengthened, and so that they will have a greater respect for those that do doubt. Faith can not be inherited. You must examine it and affirm it for yourself, Keller states (Keller, xvii)

So what does the Bible have to say about doubt? Of course, its mentioned many times. Here are just a couple. Jude 1:22 says that we should be “merciful to those who doubt.” Hebrews 4:26 says that “Gods’ word cuts through doubts.” And then there is James. James 1:6 says that those who doubt are “like waves tossed by the sea” – Here is the thing about that analogy though – swimming makes you strong, treading water makes you strong, fighting through storm swept waves (if you survive it) makes you strong! And so in fact can doubt make you stronger as a believer.

So readers, what is the consensus. Was Plato right? Is the “unexamined life not worth living?” Is doubt good? Can we do it to much? What are the dangers of doubt?

And in conclusion anytime a dialog can be opened using an apostle and Darth Vader as your sources it can’t go wrong.

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