The Problem Isn't Doubt, It's Pretending.

The issue of doubt shouldn’t be something to avoid; in fact, it should be something we embrace. Think about it, how do we know…anything? A branch of philosophy that is concerned with the nature and limits of knowledge is epistemology. Often referred to as the theory of knowledge, it investigates what distinguishes justified belief from mere opinion and explores how we acquire and validate the things we claim to know.

The concept of truth is fundamental because it reflects statements, beliefs, or propositions that accurately align with objective reality, empirical facts, or what genuinely exists. In today’s culture, truth is a debated concept that ends up being reduced to your opinion of it and mine, and both can exist at the same time. The idea of an objective truth, some say, is something that is reserved for religious people.

So, what is truth? This is a question that has been debated for centuries.

Here are a few famous quotes:

• Aristotle: truth means ‘to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that is not.'
• William James: ‘truth happens to an idea.’ In other words, if an idea is practically useful and beneficial for human action, it is functionally true. 
• Nietzsche: argued that there is no objective, universal truth. Truth is simply the will to power.

It becomes apparent that our culture has adopted many forms of truth. In a postmodern, post-Christian society, truth is whatever works for you. Objective truth is seen as limiting freedom.

Famously, in the New Testament, in John 18:38, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea, who was in conversation with Jesus during his arrest, asked, ‘What is truth?’ Responding to Jesus declaring what he had come to do: ‘testify to the truth.’

Today, the question remains: What is truth? Perhaps you are pondering that now. What is your answer?

I have learned that many people are curious about truth, and yet doubts are always close by. At All Saints, we encourage this wrestling. We say we are a community for all who believe, doubt, and seek. Doubt is part of belief and Jesus understands that.

There is a story in the book of Mark where a desperate Dad asks Jesus to help his very sick son. Jesus says, ‘anything is possible for those who believe….in the truth (emphasis mine),’ you would think the man or any parent for that matter would be saying, ‘Yes, I believe. Just help my child.’ But this parent responds in the most honest way possible, ‘I want to believe, help me with my unbelief.’ This response emphasizes that faith, truth, and doubt can coexist. Jesus chose to heal the boy, perhaps recognizing genuine honesty in the man’s response.

It is this kind of sincerity within ourselves that guides us toward the truth. Goethe said,
‘If we do not have the doubts, where then would be joyful certainty?’

What are your doubts? Take these questions and spend some time with them.

1. Which specific part of your faith are you wrestling with right now? (e.g., God's love, the reliability of scripture, or the problem of suffering)
2. Are you struggling with the faith itself, or are you struggling with the actions of people/institutions in the faith?
3. Do you believe it is possible for faith and doubt to exist at the same time?
4. What is one thing about your faith that is still encouraging to you, even in a small way?

I am convinced God isn’t put off by our doubts and questions. The journey isn’t about reaching certainty or perfection. It’s about walking with Christ and learning his rhythms of love and joy in your life. My favorite verse in the Bible is found in Jude 1:22, ‘Have mercy on those who doubt.’
 
Maybe the opposite of faith isn't doubt. Maybe the opposite of faith is pretending. Pretending we have all the answers. Pretending our questions don't exist. Pretending certainty is the same thing as trust. The people Jesus seemed most patient with were the doubters and the seekers; the skeptics and the honest. Faith is not the absence of uncertainty—it is the decision to keep moving toward truth even when the path is unclear. So bring your questions. Bring your disappointments. Bring your doubts. God is not threatened by them. In fact, they may be the very place where a deeper and more authentic faith begins.

Listen to episode 197 of the All Saints Podcast: The Problem Isn't Doubt. It's Certainty.