Can you be a skeptical Christian?

[yellowdaisy]

I am currently seeking spiritual enlightenment...

And, Along my journey of spiritual/religious discovery, I had the thought--Can a Christian be skeptical of some Christian beliefs? Or is it more black-and-white?...Can there be a gray scale?


I know a lot of people say that there isn't any room for question...and others have their own interpretation...

Your thoughts?

 

[soma]

As I understand it, into the heart of every Christian, Christ comes, and Christ goes. When, by his Grace, the landscape of the heart becomes vast and deep and limitless, then Christ makes His abode in that graceful heart, and His Will prevails. The experience is recognized as Peace. In the absence of this experience much activity arises, divisions of every sort. Outside of the organizational enterprise, which some applaud and some mistrust, stands the figure of Jesus, nailed to a human predicament, summoning the heart to comprehend its own suffering by dissolving itself in a radical confession of hospitality.


To be a good Christian one must be skeptical...........................

 

[sunsplash]

Welcome! I'm a former Christian (I say that loosely because I was never brought up going to church or in a religious family) and while I agree with some of the Christian principles, the basic and fundamental concept - Jesus as Messiah - I do not accept. That I think is the only black and white belief required to make oneself a Christian. Everything else is just details...it doesn't matter how the Earth was formed, if the Bible is literal or not, if Satan exists, etc. If you hold Christ as someone of more importance than every other human being and believe he is necessary for salvation (or something to that extent) I think that in and of itself makes you a Christian. How you view the details is what divides you between denominations and places you on the liberal/conservative scale, but doesn't affect your "religion" or the faith your believe to be true. JMO.

 

[Boethiah]

I would say that being skeptical is necessary. Having doubts or concerns shows that one is aware that not everything is perfect (because not everything is perfect), and prevents the individual from being manipulated. Faith in Jesus Christ is perhaps more meaningful when one arrives to that conclusion with a good measure of skepticism rather than blind faith.

My two cents.

 

[nassnass]

The question is not really whether you 'can' be skeptical as much as whether you 'are' skeptical. It is also easier to be helpful if the issue is specified rather than trying to address a rhetorical question.

All the best with your quest...

 

[Politesse]

I seem to do alright. I really don't think it's ever wise to leave your mind at the door, or to believe something because you feel you must rather than because you have been truly convinced of it.

 

[Midnight Pete]

Can you be a skeptical Christian? I don't see how.

You're either with Jesus or against him. You're either a sheep or a goat.

 

[sandandfoam]

Your thoughts?

I'm a fan of grey scales and don't believe generally in black and white. Everything is ambiguous.
I see Christianity as a journey rather than a destination.

 

[Breathe]

As a former seeker, I think that being skeptical is very important, and I think being skeptical is an important part of faith. If we are skeptical of nothing, we can become superstitious after all.

I don't see an issue with one adhering to Christianity, or any religion and being skeptical--after all, it's about your relationship to the Divine.

 

[search the scriptures]

I am currently seeking spiritual enlightenment...

And, Along my journey of spiritual/religious discovery, I had the thought--Can a Christian be skeptical of some Christian beliefs? Or is it more black-and-white?...Can there be a gray scale?


I know a lot of people say that there isn't any room for question...and others have their own interpretation...

Your thoughts?

always go by what is written in the word of god.

Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

 

[Midnight Pete]

I am currently seeking spiritual enlightenment...

And, Along my journey of spiritual/religious discovery, I had the thought--Can a Christian be skeptical of some Christian beliefs? Or is it more black-and-white?...Can there be a gray scale?


I know a lot of people say that there isn't any room for question...and others have their own interpretation...

Your thoughts?

There's room for question IMO, but there are certain core doctrines that define us as adherents of the Christian faith and as followers of Jesus Christ. The Nicean Creed. You should be able to go through that and not find anything you don't believe. Ditto for the the Apostles' Creed.

Me, I'm not so sure about the sinfulness of homosexuality or the supremacy of Christianity over all other faiths. I don't know if Genesis should be read as literal or metaphorical. I was raised Roman Catholic and I always accepted God as a trinity but some people reject this notion and I don't why that is.

Good luck with your seeking.