Response: Doubts Are Not Bad

In response to Jess Gamari's post "Knowledge is Not a Sin" (March 23, 2012):

I agree that expecting people to accept religious doctrines on 'blind faith' is unreasonable.  Furthermore, I think it is actually bad, and can lead to deterioration of actual belief.  If one's belief is built solely on stubborn, blind acceptance of things one's teachers, parents, or other authority figures taught one, without any real understanding, that belief is easy to undermine by a simple change in circumstances.  It also will not bend or fail when perhaps it should.

Doubting one's religious beliefs, investigating them, and deciding whether or not to continue with them based on real information can lead to a firmer, more confident type of belief without niggling doubts or discomfort.  If one finds out all one can about Christianity, and makes an informed decision that they will believe in that particular religion, then one can rationally defend one's choice against critics - as opposed to stumble around blindly and end up looking like a stubborn fool who refuses to accept an alternative belief system in spite of overwhelming evidence in its favour.  I do think that following Christian doctrine, or indeed almost any religious doctrine, can be just as rational a choice as atheism or agnosticism - but that it rarely seems so because people are afraid to doubt or question their beliefs.