When Questioning Won’t Leave You
Wendell Berry opens his novel Jayber Crow
“Persons attempting to find a ‘text’ in this book will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a ‘subtext’ in it will be banished; persons attempting to explain, interpret, explicate, analyze, deconstruct, or otherwise ‘understand’ it will be exiled to a desert island in the company only of other explainers.”
So I’ll try not to do any of that.
But . . . I continue to be drawn to Jayber’s training for ministry at a small conservative Bible college. The problem for Jayber was that he was full of questions and doubts—things that seemed to never occur to his confident professors. He wanted to know why if Jesus said to love our enemies we justify killing them . . . why prayers seem to go unanswered . . . what happens when two good people pray for opposite things . . . and so on.
He told himself that when he started preaching, he just wouldn’t mention the parts of scripture that troubled him, “but,” as he explains, “it got so I couldn’t open a Bible without setting off a great jangling and wrangling of questions that almost deafened me.”
So he asked for help.
“I went to my professors with my questions, starting with the easiest questions and the talkiest professors. I don’t think about them much anymore. I don’t hold anything against them. They were decent enough men, according to their lights. The problem was that they’d had no doubts. They had not asked the questions that I was asking and so of course they could not answer them. They told me I needed to have more faith; I needed to believe; I needed to pray; I needed to give up my questioning, which was a sign of weakness of faith.
“Those men could go on all day about the sins of the flesh or the amount of water needed for baptism or whether you could go to Heaven without being baptized or who could and couldn’t go to Heaven, but they couldn’t say why, if we’re to take some of the Bible literally, we don’t take all of it literally, or why we kill our enemies, or why we pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that we may be seen of men.
“That I should give up my questioning was good enough advice, which I would have been glad enough to take, except that my questioning would not give me up. It kept at me. Sometimes it seemed to me that people I walked by in the street must be able to hear the dingdonging in my head.”
What an insightful paragraph that is: my questioning would not give me up.
I’m so thankful for leaders, teachers, parents, mentors who permit people to doubt and question. I’m so thankful for those who will honestly share their own dark moments and point ahead in faith.
Just telling someone to pray more or believe more or go to church more or to stop thinking so much—well, that just isn’t very helpful.
Joseph, I assume that you meant to say “without questioning”. I feel that young people as they move into adulthood can develop their own faith by searching the scriptures to see if what they have been taught as the grew up is true. Initially it may or may not involve questions that raise doubt–but they don’t need any additional questions handed to them as they launch out. Let them deal with those that come within rather than from without.
It is not treating someone as less than an adult to shield them from questions that they aren’t ready to ponder.
On another note–As I have read the comments here and read The quotes from Berry’s book–I am reminded again that if the question is not phrased well then the answer if there is one escapes the questioner. Some may be too broad such as “Why if Christ said to love our enemies do WE kill them”? First off, it assumes all Christians agree with killing them. Second, it says that we are killing them when it is the civil government who is doing so.
So, ah that brings a better question–”Why is God allowing or putting into place governments who are responsible for directing the killing of enemies’? Or, another question, Can I as a Christian go to war? And if anyone reads the writings about that question–we soon see that we cannot agree because our approaches to scripture differ.
And that is when we need to read Romans 14 and 15
Finally, where we come to rest with our questions depends a lot upon whether we read the Bible as God’s story or to establish doctrine,
Back in wi-fi world. Did I miss anything?
Is anyone suggesting we should we wait until our kids are in college – or perhaps college graduates before questions (like those posed by D.Dallas) and other questions ever cross their radar screens? Surely not – they may be 40 or 60 before these questions ever come up at the congregations I am familiar with. Why not teach them to ask?
Hessed,
Geezer
D. Dallas
Long before I got to college, I was asking far more basic questions that go to the heart of why I would search the scriptures in the first place:
Why do I believe that this book is inspired?
Why do I believe in God?
Why do I believe in Christian version of God?
The answer to these questions cannot simply be that my parents raised me to believe. Nor can it simply be “for the bible tells me so.”
“Why if Christ said to love our enemies do WE kill them”? First off, it assumes all Christians agree with killing them”
1st: the question is not too broad – principals are clear about this in God’s Word
2nd: So the answer might be founded upon what individuals think? I thought scripture led us into truth, not man’s opinion.
3rd: I hope we read scriptures because it is God’s Word and doctrine emanates from Him.
Sorry, if i’ve misunderstood your comments
Joseph, this quote from “Evolving in Monkey Town” well states what I am saying “Note to well meaning apologists: It’s not always the best idea to present a skeptic with a five-hundred page book listing hundreds of apparent contradictions in scripture when the skeptic didn’t even know that half of them existed before you recommended it” Equally true for individuals who have few or no serious doubt and their faith is not yet ready to deal with them.
Gina, yes –you have misunderstood my comments. I would encourage you to read each persons comments for what they say instead of apparently preconceiving what they believe and where their comments are coming from. Your responses in most cases showed lack of understanding of most of the comments of those to whom you responded. [Which I think came from concluding what they were going to say or where they were coming from as you began to read] Let words mean what they say and do not read into them]
I do read the Bible because it is God’s Word and it tells of God’s story of creating man, of reconciling man to Himself and His great love that motived these actions. But I won’t read it to argue the difference in your viewpoint on baptism and mine. I will accept you as my sister in Christ because you have in faith responded to Him including being baptized even if it was from a different understanding. [Most of the differences between individuals are a matter of semantics and lack of understanding of the others viewpoint] I further accept you even though I don’t agree that the Bible shows us that the earth of necessity has to be a young earth for we both agree on the important point–God Created The Earth and its initial inhabitants.
Thank You Dallas,
Again, I don’t believe i’ve misunderstood posts……i’m fairly capable of basic comprehension……I left open my last response only in hopes of a further clarification.
The Baptism issue is vital ….if one shares the gospel and mixes faith with water baptism it is indeed “another” gospel.
As you, I believe that if someone thru faith accepts Christ as Savior and yet is water baptized , perhaps believing that the water has some extra power in the gospel..that’s for Christ to know if that person relied on faith thru Christ alone or the water. I can’t know. Yet, I do know that water baptism has nothing to do with the gospel of Christ.
As far as the young earth issue, no one wanted to discuss science that supports it and another scientific agenda that creaties lies and illusions . So, what i’m discoverying is most people have questions but remain victims of their self-created stagnation and kinda enjoy all their doubts and questions. I personally think that’s kinda sad. Christ is not a theotherapist. Note in the scriptures, he shares the gospel and quickly moves on and away from all the doubters.
What happens to original sin, the fall when one substitues literal creation for theistical evolution? How do you explain all of Christ’s and the disciples referenceing the literal creation? Of course, a belief in theistical evolution diminishes fundamental truths .
how can you say that water baptism has nothing to do with the gospel of Christ when he commanded and it’s kind of rampant through Acts?
We (cofc’ers). Always thought we were the ones with the answers. We study our scriptures and knew our Bibles. We were more than happy to “speak where the Bible speaks.” However, for a number of us there were still those cracks where questions kept creeping in. Many of us had to say along with the centurion, “I believe, forgive my unbelief.”
Gina,
If by stating the following you have concluded that I believe in theistic evolution you have misunderstood me: “What happens to original sin, the fall when one substitues literal creation for theistical evolution? How do you explain all of Christ’s and the disciples referenceing the literal creation? Of course, a belief in theistical evolution diminishes fundamental truths .”
Perhaps, you are under the impression that all people who do not believe in a young earth are theistic evolutionists That is far from true. I believe that God created the earth as the Genesis record states but I find no conclusive evidence from the Bible or science to establish the age of the earth.
D. Dallas,
Then of what school of thought are you? Gap Theory? Thru the genealogies in the OT, we can come fairly close to the creation of Adam and Eve. Geneologies are given to us by God for various reasons. No historical, archeological data conflicts with these specific geneologies.
Ezra, “speak where the Bible speaks and don’t speak when it doesn’t is simply a flawed theological approach. Truly, i’d recommend some great books for you because out in the big world of theology are some remarkable approaches to scripture.
Anne, trust me, I was raised in the CoC so I know all about the water baptism thing. Anne, I’ve tudied how the CoC intrepreta and applies these verses to the gospel and I would love to share some fabulous links that you could read with great studies on exactly this one specific assertion by the CoC. I think it would be valuable to you or any others to keep some of that open mind and questioning heart when it comes to the CoC.
I am reminded of more than a few that I have known in the CofC that were always ready to point out where the person from the denomination was wrong and offer to tell them how they should think/believe/act about that. You could trust them as they had studied all about that and knew what the Bible really taught. Seems like you can take the boy out of the CofC easier than you can take the CofC (attitude) out the boy, or girl, as the case may be. Been there, done that myself on more than one occasion.
Hesed,
Geezer
I’ve always called it “convert syndrome.” I’ve been guilty of it occasionally as well.
Gina,
This is getting old and I’m bowing out. Your asking this question ["Then of what school of thought are you? Gap Theory?"] is a prime example of what I have been trying to say to you–Quit trying to put people in a certain school of thought and just understand what they are trying to say.
I said “I find no conclusive evidence from the Bible or science to establish the age of the earth.”. That is my school of thought as a scientist and as a Bible student. Further, I do not find it necessary to establish the age of the earth to believe that God created the world, {Neither the Bible or Science requires it}
I leave you with this word from Christ-John 17:3
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
May you have increased effort in “knowing” God and Jesus and decreased effort and feeling of knowing the answer to everything and straightening people out about their theology when it is not a salvation issue.
Numbers 6;24-26
p/s. the “know” in John 17:3 is not casual it is intimate!
why….thank you Dallas.
from the album: may you always find rest in limbo
I find it a bit ironic that we claim to be questioning, but we all seem to have the answers and not questioning at all.
You made me smile, Anne.
Mike, switching the theme to one we all can agree on!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
May you, dear pastor teacher/friend have the greatest of days on this your special day. Holding a birthday ((((((((((hug)))))))))) for next time you’re at Highland. Praying all is going spectacularly well for you and yours.
Love you in Him and again, a special Happy Birthday today!!!!
Mike, Found your blog through a friend, and, I’m glad I did. Great post. In my opinion, questions are the single most reliable indicator regarding growth…in any area, especially faith.
Questions that will not leave me alone become my “friends” so to speak – driving me deeper and further.
Loved it.