Question Authority

 This rides on the coat tales of a blog posted by my brother in law: Questions are powerful

I personally learn by asking questions. I have always been a question asker (this is another one of my made up words). More importantly...I am a listener. I have a great ability to hear and learn. When I was young, I would stand close to groups of grown ups at family gatherings or parties and listen with great interest to ALL the differing points of view. I continued this practice through my teenage years and found myself welcome in conversations that other people my age weren't accepted in. I "usually" kept my mouth shut and heard each point of view before expressing my opinion and when I did open my mouth...my thoughts echoed years of listening to many opinions (If any of you know my family, you know that we are all very opinionated).

The result of this practice was again and again told to me. "You are very wise for a person your age"

In my first blog  Took The Leap I laid a foundation for my coming blogs. I said "I want to use this blog in a way to create and shape a better me and a better world through deep, meaningful conversations with questions or concerns and not with definitive stances or harsh judgement." And that sums up my learning experiences through life. All that to say, I ask questions without agenda. Well, maybe I have an agenda...but that is to better myself.

So there is my "motive/agenda" behind these last few controversial blogs.

Why am I bothering to tell you this? Because I feel a certain disdain in the answers to the questions I am asking. I'm not bashing anybody for giving me their opinion. That's what I asked for, but why am I getting answers to a different question than I asked?

The questions I am asking are not easy, hence the fact of me asking them. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.I have been told that these questions aren't bringing fruit, That they aren't helping build up anyone, That they are causing or can lead to spiritual doubt. That's simply not true. I have had countless conversations stating otherwise. It may not be on the blog for the world to see but it's happening AND I can see fruit from it. In me and others :)

I do believe that certain questions can be destructive. But there is a significant difference between questions that bring wisdom and fuller understanding than the kind of questions that simply seek to validate the world and its ways.

What are we Christians so afraid of? If you truly believe that the bible is God's word and that it's infallible and without error and it's perfect and so on and so forth. Then there is nothing to be worried about. If I can be stumped or proven wrong about the bibles perfectness then I'm believing a lie. Do I want my faith founded on lies? No.I say ask away!


I think the real fear is: if you start to doubt one tiny part of scripture, then where do you stop?