Ok, I’m being a little coy here, but I’m trying to make a point. I want to defend a much maligned quality in the religious community, particularly the Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christian community–Doubt. What place, you ask, could doubt possibly have in the realm of faith? Don’t we struggle against doubt? Isn’t doubt the weapon of evil that tortures our conscience?
All the above is true. But I think Doubt, in the context of Faith, is being given a bit of a bad rap. Let me explain.
I’ve been surfing around some religion blogs I enjoy, some of which are visited by or written by Evangelicals or Fundamentalists. One thing has always stood out to me when reading almost anything these people say or write– there appears to be in them, absolultely no question or doubt regarding what they believe is right or wrong. They are as certain of what they say, as I would be pronouncing that the Sun rises in the East.
Now, despite the claims of their worst detractors, are simply human, just like you and me. Doubt is not an optional part of human nature. It is certainly not an optional part of the human relationship with Faith and God. Doubt is natural. Doubt is universal. No one has perfect faith. Christ told us that if we had faith the size of a mustard grain we could move mountains. Obviously he finding a kind way to tell us our level of faith is, well, … low.
So why do Fundamentalists and Evangelicals seem to experience no doubt when it comes to faith, right and wrong? Are they trying to tell us they’re better than everyone else? I suspect they are but more importantly I think they convinced that they themselves must be without doubt to really be believers.
This attitude finds it roots, I believe, directly in the old Calvinistic teaching regarding election and predistination. Those elected to salvation by God before all time could be told from those not so lucky by the fact that the Elect behaved according to the moral precepts laid down by–you guessed it, Calvin! If you disagreed with Calvin and the other body of the Elect, you obviously weren’t Elect. Same thing here, I think these super confident “I know I am right” Christian-types are afraid that if they doubt what others have told them to believe, or if they disagree with what others have told them is right or wrong, they fear they are not among the saved. Certainty, for them, is the mark of salvation.
I couldn’t disagree more. There is no mark of salvation, no way to be sure you are saved, in the same sense you are sure what color your hair is (or used to be, in my case). No human is spared from Doubt. In this sense to doubt is human. But I don’t think that says it all. I think doubting has a far greater function in religion.
Doubting reminds you that you are not God. You are a frail, easily deceived human being who must constantly watch out for being decieved. No one is so easy to fool as he who believes he can not be fooled. Doubt keeps you humble. Doubt keeps you listeining, really listening for God’s word in your life. Doubt can be one of God’s finest instruments in helping us to grow in our faith, hence in a sense Doubt really can be divine.
One other thing: A lack of doubt engenders pride and pride, we all know, commeth before the fall.
