Doubting Christians in an Age of Disbelief

Been a lot of talk about Christians and doubt on the blogosphere.

A few months ago, a Christian blogger gave an interview of another Christian on the subject of doubt. The question was posed, "If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?" The answer was, "I think it's wonderful, first of all, that you start the question "If heaven exists," because lots of people will think you can hardly be a Christian at all just for including that clause. I love it."

It reminded me of two schoolkids giggling over a curse word. That being said, there is nothing wrong with asking questions, but its sad that some Christians have elevated this to some sort of status symbol.

I'm skeptical of the narrative that the trend towards doubt by young Chrisitians is part of a larger rejection of evangelicalism, a disillusionment of Evangelicals supposed failure to ponder the "tough questions" as they say, (whatever the heck those questions are, because the critics usually don't bother to state them).

I don't doubt the horror stories of some about the church they grew up in, but the current trend (fad?) might have as much to do with their being influenced by secular culture than the supposed fault of evangelicalism as a whole for failing to ponder that which must not be pondered. Fact is, some people just don't like the answers. Who wants to be out there saying two guys can't love each other? That's so Moral Majority. Better to focus on the environment and the poor (apparently those Biblical passages aren't subject to interpretation like the verses on homosexuality supposedly are), which is what the evangelical critics seem to be doing today.

Neither do I believe that it is part of some overarching embracement of "relativism." I never bought off on the "relativism" v. "absolutes" thing, because when it comes right down to it, liberal theology (and secular belief and practice) is rife with its own set of absolutes (Jesus, if he ever existed, is not the way the truth and the life, discrimination is wrong; we should always help the poor, protect the environment, champion the rights of minorities, fight for gay marriage, support divestment in Israel, whatever, etc.).

I see the movement towards doubt among Christians today as little more than selective relativism packaged as post-evangelical intellectual maturity. Unlike other fads, such as parachute pants and Miami Vice, this is one isn't necessarily harmless.