Welcoming Doubt

I was reading this online article on her.meneutics about welcoming doubt to Christian education.

The author discusses the results of the Cardus Education Survey, a North American survey "examining education’s long-term effects on students now aged 23-40 who represent various kinds of schooling: Catholic, non-religious private, religious home school, conservative Protestant, and public." Surprisingly, the survey found that "students from conservative Protestant schools were least likely to be involved in politics." and "that the students from religious homeschools were the most likely to get divorced." The author says that "[g]iven that a primary focus of conservative Christianity over the past several decades has been political activism and family values, these findings are striking."

With this, the author draws our attention to the reason why people's beliefs and views swing from one extreme to another. She suggests that "[p]erhaps the deepest systemic weakness in conservative Christian education is the failure to distinguish between education and indoctrination."

Her conclusion:
"Education embraces doubt in an awkward dance that grows ever more graceful with each step in time;
indoctrination, a shrinking wallflower, shuns doubt until the ball is over and goes home unkissed."

I strongly agree.

Looking back at my journey as a Christian thus far, I believe that doubt has in fact helped me to shape my faith. My first few encounters with the concept of Christianity were met with great anger and bitterness. I couldn't take in anything. Not only did I doubt, I rejected the very God whom I believe and trust in today.

In some mysterious ways that only God Himself knows, I found myself pursuing the faith that I so aggressively opposed. I wanted to know more. I wanted to prove it wrong. And at the same time, I wanted to find out for myself whether this God is really that amazing. (And duh, obviously He is.)

Doubt challenged me. Today, doubt still challenges me. But that's pretty alright, because it's plain human to doubt, to question what truly defines me and everything that surrounds my life.

With education comes the freedom to explore the truth for ourselves. Indoctrination (or in my own terms, people enforcing ideologies and beliefs unto me) ensnares that freedom. As aptly mentioned in the article about a study by Fuller Theological Seminary, "[i]f all we’re doing is preaching at them and telling them what to believe, their faith doesn’t become their own." As such, when we lose responsibility of our faith, there is no way we will or can defend it when we face with strong opposing views.

So it's really okay to doubt. It's really okay to question. It's really okay to disagree. That gives us space and freedom to explore and internalise things for ourselves, to own our beliefs and views.

I would like to quote Lark, who commented on the article:
"Doubt is an opportunity, for the individual and for God. Addressing doubt can be, in what you might call a 'mysterious' way, an act of faith—that God can overcome your doubt instead of leaving you faithless."

Father, I believe that one day, You will make all our paths straight. I don't have to worry, even if the people around me disagree with my faith and belief. At least they have a chance to find out the truth for themselves. Though it doesn't mean that I stop reaching out actively to my family and friends, I know that You're in control and I trust that You will lead us in Your way everlasting. :)

Let's not follow indoctrination. Let's not follow dogma. Let's pursue education, because God wants to set us free.