I have no doubts….None!

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Jimmy_B said:
Hello Valk2,

“faith without doubt can be a very dangerous thing”

Where does it say that in that in the Bible? Isn’t there a lesson to be learned from Job and other faithful people in the Bible?

Peace 🙂
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The most important thing I learned in Job was that religious texts can be edited by those in power when they don’t like the message.
 
Of course I have doubts…I’m human after all. Most days I live in faith…but during some of the “dark nights of the soul” I struggle with doubt and in my doubt I find strength in holding onto faith.

Faith isn’t a set list of doctrines and dogmas…it’s how we order our life…I have no doubt whatsoever that if I should live until tomorrow night…I will be one day older. I have no doubt whatsoever that if the temperature does not go below 40 degrees tonight…I will stay warm. I have no doubt I will not die of starvation in the next month or so IF I continue to live.

I believe God, Light, Presence is in charge. I believe I can and do order my life with the understanding that of all the things in this world I cannot change…it is that the world will change…but God, Light, Presence is in charge in the midst of change…in my doubt I choose to do what I believe is right…I choose to not live a life of fear…but a life of hope…God is Hope’s Embodiment…“I know Whom I have believed…” I choose to live in faith…doubt is the “gym” where my faith grows stronger.
 
Job 40:1-5
1 The LORD then said to Job:
2 Will we have arguing with the Almighty by the critic? Let him who would correct God give answer!
3 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
4 Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth.
5 Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more.

Job 42:1-7
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 1 I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
3 I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
5 I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you.
6 Therefore I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.
7 2 And it came to pass after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and with your two friends; for you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job.

Job 42:8
8 3 Now, therefore, take seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up a holocaust for yourselves; and let my servant Job pray for you; for his prayer I will accept, not to punish you severely. For you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job."

Job 42:12
12 Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
 
I am a big fan of Saint John of the Cross!

The “Dark night of the soul” is part of the journey for some, towards union with God. There is a difference between, a “feeling” that God has abandon you and actually “quitting” your journey and you, yourself abandoning your faith.

Many people have “spiritual droughts”, where they no longer “feel” like they are in the “zone”, for lack of a better term…. but that does not mean that they have lost their faith.

Many come out of the “Dark Night” with an even stronger faith.

Any doubt or despair must be rejected and overcome before our end.

Your thoughts?

Peace
 
I think a lot of us have doubt at times, but the Lord understands, after all there is a lot of mystery that surrounds God
 
Jimmy_B said:
I am a big fan of Saint John of the Cross!

The “Dark night of the soul” is part of the journey for some, towards union with God. There is a difference between, a “feeling” that God has abandon you and actually “quitting” your journey and you, yourself abandoning your faith.

Many people have “spiritual droughts”, where they no longer “feel” like they are in the “zone”, for lack of a better term…. but that does not mean that they have lost their faith.

Many come out of the “Dark Night” with an even stronger faith.

Any doubt or despair must be rejected and overcome before our end.

Your thoughts?

Peace
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I’m not sure I must “reject” my despair and doubts…I would choose to embrace them and learn from them…and have…

When I lost my child…and then my wife…many years ago I thought I would die…I wanted to die…I cursed God and called him every filthy name I could think of…I ranted and raged against him in fury…this lasted for weeks and weeks…I missed a couple of Meetings…but I had chosen to live in faith…even if I could not see the Light…or feel the Light…all I could see was despair and darkness…but slowly…almost unoticed at first I wanted to live again…I actually laughed out loud once…and then I realized the truth of the scripture Psalm 91: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

In time of my deepest despair and doubt God had moved so close to me that His Shadow had obscured the Light…He was so close and quiet I never noticed…I remember that verse often…and smile.
 
Jimmy_B said:
I have no doubts….None!

I believe in Jesus Christ and His Roman Catholic Church.

So, I don’t understand why there are so many here, who have doubts and seem insecure about their faith.

How many here, are absolutely 100% sure of their faith and how many of you have doubts… and why?
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Absolutely no doubts for me. My last breath on my death bed will be with a smile.🙂
 
Jimmy_B said:
Job 42:1-7
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 1 I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
3 I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
5 I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you.
6 Therefore I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.
7 2 And it came to pass after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and with your two friends; for you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job.

Job 42:8
8 3 Now, therefore, take seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up a holocaust for yourselves; and let my servant Job pray for you; for his prayer I will accept, not to punish you severely. For you have not spoken rightly concerning me, as has my servant Job."

Job 42:12
12 Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
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Yeah. According to the Reverend Father Aelred, OSB, formerly of St. Joesph Abbey and Professor of Old Testament Studies in the attached College Seminary, all of the above were a later addition to the text and not part of the original poem. It was appended, most likely, by the religious leadership who couldn’t stand a story where faith in God wasn’t rewarded. The original text of Job ends with him still poor.
 
O.S.Luke said:
St. Thomas walked with Jesus, but had his doubts. His doubts, however, lead to strong faith. “Doubting Thomas” was the first disciple to confess that Jesus was Lord and God. His doubts lead him to faith, so much so that Thomas went on to India to preach and convert.

Those who had dreams and hopes destroyed often fall into doubt - as did Job of the Old Testament. But God didn’t turn away from Job because of his doubts - nor did He turn away from the Israelites, and our Psalms contain many hymns of lament where God’s presence and power were doubted.

If you have no doubts, Jimmy, great. However, some folks who have lost much and had much destroyed do have their doubts. Working through those doubts makes faith stronger and surer.

I’m not sure if boasting that we have no doubts is very wise.

I was the pastor to a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for a heinous crime he was later cleared of; he was incarcerated for 4 years. He lost his job, lost his family because they did not want to be associated with a man who could have committed such a crime, and he lost his friends who felt likewise. He was previously a very respected man in his community, and very devout in faith. After this experience, his doubts were innumerable.

It taught me that no one is immune to doubt; my parishioner, Thomas, or Job. God can redeem our doubt, though, and increase our faith.
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O.S. Luke,

Thank you for posting the above words of wisdom.

Grace and peace,
Mick
👍
 
I have no doubts that the Baptist Church was started by John the Baptist
 
allischalmers said:
I have no doubts that the Baptist Church was started by John the Baptist
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Cute joke! But if you’re serious :eek: well, that’s all right. You can belong to a church started by a person. I’ll stick with the one founded by Jesus Christ Himself–and it isn’t the Baptist church (though you have many wonderful Christians in your denomination I am sure, and may God bless you).
 
Jimmy, maybe you have what I call a faithful mind.
Like the little ones among us, me including, who knows only the basic teachings of the Church- creeds, sacraments, some scriptures, are content with this small gift of faith- to believe all what this Church teaches, not because we learned all about her teachings and doctrines and laws. Not because we’ve gone through all of history from past to present and present to past but because we know where this Church came from and how she came about. Now, ask me, do I have to doubt? No! Not at all.

Some of us have scientific, investigative, legalistic, logical, and illogical minds (pardon my english). Same with people brought up in different faiths. Scholars, theologians, highly educated people. They always are looking for some answers… drawing conclusions… probing everything and anything. Questions are many. Doubts never go away. They don’t stop until they think they find the answers to satisfy them or to convince them. To build up their faith. It makes them proud and arrogant… or frustrated. These people, to me, are full of doubts. Thousand denominations. They surely can’t keep their faith, if ever they have it, when another question arises. Like waves in the ocean tossing to and fro…

Some say the answers are all found in the bible but still they have doubts. Why? Because they, themselves, doubt their own interpretations. They have no rock solid ‘guiding light’ to base the correctness of their interpretations from. To them It’s all about ‘me, me. me… I can understand everything. The Holy Spirit is my interpreter!’. Pride. Their doubts are bottomed deep down in their soul. It would make them hypocrites.
‘The foolishness of the Lord is wiser than men’… have they ever learn?

If I have the intellectual gift, I should really try to humble myself, don’t you think? To be an honor instead of a stumbling block in the eyes of the Lord…

That’s just me, anyways…(sorry).🤷
 
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