I guess it’s an aspect of psychology – some people desire certainty to feel in control of their lives. That may be the main appeal of religion for them. To suggest (no doubt with some good arguments) that even religion is uncertain in places must be very unsettling for such people and will probably make you unpopular with them.

I told her that the process of making a decision is more important than getting answers from authority figures.

Then I have great respect for you. Please don’t stop thinking for yourself, asking questions and encouraging others to do so.

The fact that some Evangelicals are caught up in divining the “perfect will” is reflective of poor theology.

If we conform our thinking to God’s will (as revealed in the Bible), then God gives us the desires of our hearts. What we want is what God wants.

Your answer was brief and never really addressed the exhausting aspect of such a concept. When I read your reply, what I hear is, “Being exhausted by trying to figure “everything” out is normative for the christian life and par for the course.”

If that’s what you mean, I reject that. I don’t believe that God cares about everything–like what kind of job I have, what school my kids go to, whether the coffee I bought was Free Trade, or not. Yet, these are the types of things that many sincere Christians have true angst over. They believe that they can know the answer to these questions with a fair degree of certainty, and that if they make a “wrong” choice they’re somehow not in the “perfect will” of God.

The christian life is one definitely meant for transformation. However, that comes not from knowing all the answers to all the right questions, but from trusting Christ’s sufficiency for us.

After all, didn’t Jesus say: “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I resist attempts to carry more than is necessary.

In reply to your comment, yes, I read the book you mentioned sometime back in the nineties. Other than remembering I liked it and read more Newbigin because of it, I can’t recall much else. I’ll now have to dig it out to see how much he may have influenced me. Thanks.

Michael

I mean this in all seriousness..don’t you find the concept that God cares about “everything” exhausting? I mean if God cares about “everything” then it’s up to us to constantly be on the right side of what he cares about….something which is not always evident and clear.

I’d assume that you’re familiar with Newbigin’s book, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. He provides an important discussion on knowing and believing (it runs through the entire book) that correlates well with your excellent and thoughtful post. Thanks for a fine discussion.

does the catechism quote I posted do anything for you? Is that statement not calling for absolute certainty? Is it not the most basic thing?

I like the analogy of the lamp. Some things are fully in the light and very clearly discernible on which a person should make his stand. Other things are farther and farther out of the light and more or less discernible. There needs to be distinction.

There are items we should confess clearly and firmly. Other things we can leave open to discussion.