"A faith unquestioned is a faith truly weakened..." I have met some fervent people in my brief existence on this planet, but always, the people whom I respect and find most pious, are those who have questioned their faith, who have lost their faith, or who have somehow amongst all their troubles, discovered faith.

Question: Your opinions on people who have lost and regained faith/found faith (not to be specific on any religion or to say that one is better than another), do they tend to be more credible, rational, and solid in their beliefs?

More controversial: Is questioning your faith a sign of impiety or corruption, or is it merely part of a larger step towards their enlightenment?

faith is belief without evidence, in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.

the greater step towards enlightenment is in knowing, rather than believing.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Digital Savior claims to have gone from atheist to a now hardcore Christian.*



*I've seen this tactic taken so many times. "I was an atheist like you, but now I believe in Jesus and let me tell you how much better it is!" Then they rant on for an hour...

I guess it goes both ways, though, huh?

quote:Originally posted by Dalaran:

"A faith unquestioned is a faith truly weakened..." I have met some fervent people in my brief existence on this planet, but always, the people whom I respect and find most pious, are those who have questioned their faith, who have lost their faith, or who have somehow amongst all their troubles, discovered faith.

Question: Your opinions on people who have lost and regained faith/found faith (not to be specific on any religion or to say that one is better than another), do they tend to be more credible, rational, and solid in their beliefs?

It's an intersting thing. Some people claim that once you let Jesus into your heart you are saved. That's it end of story. All sins paid for before, now and here after. Which means they really didn't lose their faith they just became challenged between serving the flesh over serving God. Sometimes flesh wins sometimes God wins. This is the constant spiritual war that wages within us all.

There is another camp that belivees if you lose faith then you really never had it in the first place. In essence you were just giving lip service to God and never really surrendered to Him. I can tell you that I first believed, then I didn't want to believe by going back to the old ways and just found myself coming back. It's an amazing ride - faith is.

quote:

More controversial: Is questioning your faith a sign of impiety or corruption, or is it merely part of a larger step towards their enlightenment?

All challenges and tests in life build strength as an outcome. Spiritual maturity comes from spiritual challenges and trials. Questioning faith is a normal thing because growing from infant to mature adult takes a great deal of lessons to learn.

When someone is shaken in faith something divine usually happens in their life to straighten them up or shake them off the vine completly.

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear."

If you want to understand what this means if you don't get it then read the interpretation here in Matthew 13:18-23 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=13&version=31

I think it speaks to your question well.