Is doubting a sin if you are trying to believe?

[Abundant]

Looking at quite a few threads on this site, I would say that most of us have had doubts about our faith before. After all, the devil does like to plant that seed of doubt in our minds.

So, what if a person believes the Church is the true Church and that Jesus established it through apostolic succession, but has a hard time accepting certain dogmas and/or mysteries? (I don’t mean blatantly saying, “The Church is wrong,” but rather “I know what the Church teaches and I understand why, but I have a hard time truly believing that.”)

For instance: What if someone believes that Jesus is present in spirit in the Eucharist, but has a hard time wrapping their mind around the fact that He is present Body and Soul?

Or: A person believes that Mary was a virgin, conceived through the Holy Spirit but thinks that matters like the Immaculate Conception or Assumption are questionable.

We are assuming the person WANTS to believe or understand something, but the logic gets in the way. Is it enough to pray for graces to help understand this? Is it a sin?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

So long as they are willing to submit to the authority of the church, I don’t think it’d be a sin in the instance you described. Sin is the willful rejection of God. This theoretical person is not willfully rejecting God, but rather simply cannot reconcile his thoughts with what the Church teaches. So long as he still recognizes the authority of the church, and acts accordingly, I don’t think there’d be an issue. It becomes sin once they go, “The Church is wrong, and I know better than them, so I’m doing it my way”.

 

[bzkoss236]

So long as they are willing to submit to the authority of the church, I don’t think it’d be a sin in the instance you described. Sin is the willful rejection of God. This theoretical person is not willfully rejecting God, but rather simply cannot reconcile his thoughts with what the Church teaches. So long as he still recognizes the authority of the church, and acts accordingly, I don’t think there’d be an issue. It becomes sin once they go, “The Church is wrong, and I know better than them, so I’m doing it my way”.

Seconded

 

[Linusthe2nd]

Looking at quite a few threads on this site, I would say that most of us have had doubts about our faith before. After all, the devil does like to plant that seed of doubt in our minds.

So, what if a person believes the Church is the true Church and that Jesus established it through apostolic succession, but has a hard time accepting certain dogmas and/or mysteries? (I don’t mean blatantly saying, “The Church is wrong,” but rather “I know what the Church teaches and I understand why, but I have a hard time truly believing that.”)

For instance: What if someone believes that Jesus is present in spirit in the Eucharist, but has a hard time wrapping their mind around the fact that He is present Body and Soul?

Or: A person believes that Mary was a virgin, conceived through the Holy Spirit but thinks that matters like the Immaculate Conception or Assumption are questionable.

We are assuming the person WANTS to believe or understand something, but the logic gets in the way. Is it enough to pray for graces to help understand this? Is it a sin?

You must give the assent of Faith, you must believe even if you cannot understand the reasons. You must make and continue to make an effort to understand the reasons. However, this does not apply to Dogmas since most of these cannot be proven by logical reasoning. They are believed strictly on the Authority of the Church, Who is guided in all truth by the Holy Spirit, and God does not lie.

Linus2nd

 

[Celtic_Maiden]

Looking at quite a few threads on this site, I would say that most of us have had doubts about our faith before. After all, the devil does like to plant that seed of doubt in our minds.

So, what if a person believes the Church is the true Church and that Jesus established it through apostolic succession, but has a hard time accepting certain dogmas and/or mysteries? (I don’t mean blatantly saying, “The Church is wrong,” but rather “I know what the Church teaches and I understand why, but I have a hard time truly believing that.”)

For instance: What if someone believes that Jesus is present in spirit in the Eucharist, but has a hard time wrapping their mind around the fact that He is present Body and Soul?

Or: A person believes that Mary was a virgin, conceived through the Holy Spirit but thinks that matters like the Immaculate Conception or Assumption are questionable.

We are assuming the person WANTS to believe or understand something, but the logic gets in the way. Is it enough to pray for graces to help understand this? Is it a sin?

If you remember Sarah in the Old Testament laughed when the Angel told her she would be pregnant with child and the Angel who told her this was very annoyed for she laughed as she was very old .So your not the only one who find some beliefs difficult. You are trying very hard so best thing is take it on faith and trust in Christ who established His Church which is the bride of Christ.

You know the saying" Lord help my unbelief"

The Christian identity is a belonging to the Church, because to find Jesus outside of the Church is not possible. Pope Francis

 

[Tighty_Whitey]

I really agree with the responses so far. I just wanted to add to the mix, Thomas. I think that his response was perfectly natural to the what everyone was telling him. But there is further instruction stating that people are blessed who believe without having seen.

 

[piofaustina]

So, what if a person believes the Church is the true Church and that Jesus established it through apostolic succession, but has a hard time accepting certain dogmas and/or mysteries?

Hi Abundant,

I think the answer is no, it’s not a sin. But on the other hand, that does not mean you believe what the Catholic Church teachers yet either. If you just don’t understand why the Church teaches what it teaches, but are looking for answers I’d say you’re going the right direction though. Struggling isn’t going to be a sin. We all struggle to understand aspects of physics, but we’ve seen enough evidence to have reasonable faith in that area of life.

For the more difficult questions, have you asked backwards? “What would it take for me to believe this?” And then look at your own answer…how much are you asking for? That usually helps me establish a standard.

 

[Layp3rs0n]

What about this: In my circumstance I have a regular prayer life, attend Mass, but occasionally find what looks like a “plot hole” in the Faith if you will. Ex. whether Moses wrote the Pentetuech, whether older Scripural exegesis for Genesis exist, etc. Because i’m naturally inquisitive doubts arrise. So I start a researchin’. I study study study to try to prove the Catholic position. Sometimes there seems to be contrary evidence. If doubt persists, I admit to myself “at present I don’t have the will or the knowledge to come to the same conclusion as the Church.” Doing this, making this admition, is so freeing. I at that point am able to accept the Church’ s posistion on faith.

For example, sometimes I dont feel like I believe in God. If I am really honest when this happens I may even say to myself, “Nope, I dont believe.” And then the need to have “knowledge” melts away, faith rushes in to support and my belief is resupplied by my faith. Doubt falls away as i surrender my understanding and my need for “proof” takes a back seat. Is this unusual?

 

[tafan]

Voluntary doubt is sinful. But do not confuse doubt with not understanding. Cardinal Newman said, “Ten thousand difficulties do not equal one doubt”. If you are giving full intellectual assent and seeking to understand a teaching, you are likely not doubting.

From the CCC:

2088 The first commandment requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it. There are various ways of sinning against faith:

Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness.

 

[Joseph73]

Let’s put it this way. If you are earnestly trying to move closer to God and good over the course of your life, whatever form that might take, you are doing the right thing.

If putting certain Catholic dogmas to the test and scrutinizing them to find the good in them is an effort to strengthen your faith, then good for you.