Faith in Doubt: Introduction

Welcome to a new series written by Luke, titled "Faith in Doubt."

Not everyone in our life knows this, but about seven years ago Jaymi and I left the Church without any firm intentions of ever returning.  We were finished with Christianity, or at least ready to look at some other options. It took us a long time to get back to where we are now.  Recently I have been reflecting on this period of our life, and a desire has been growing in me to blog about it.  So, over the next few weeks I would like to recount the history of why I left the faith, and why I came back.  My story overlaps a lot with Jaymi’s, however we each came back to Christ through different means, for different reasons, and in a different timing, so these posts will focus on my story and my thoughts.     

After telling my story, I would also like to write about some of the philosophical issues that I worked through during this period.  A lot of these issues are the same ones that many struggle with, both inside the Church and outside.  How can hell be just?  Why should we trust the Bible when it seems to have so many contradictions? If a sovereign God exists, then why would the world be as messed up and cruel as it is?  I would like to share my thoughts on these questions, and explain why I still believe in Christ in spite of these challenges.  Some of the answers are taken directly from things I have read, and others I came up with on my own.  In either case, I doubt that any of my thoughts are truly original, but they may be new to you. 

Someone asked me recently, “Are you really 100% sure that Christianity is true?”  The answer to that question is yes.  Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes…but. 

Yes, but that doesn’t mean that I understand it all. 

Yes, but there are still a lot of truths that I am uncomfortable with, though I still accept them as true.

Yes, but that does not mean that I stand behind every idiot who calls himself a Christian. 

Yes, because even factoring in as many seemingly silly things that I may believe as a Christian, my life makes no sense if Christ is not God. 

I left the Church for good reasons, and came back for better ones.