A matter of Faith.
In the last few posts, we’ve been exploring issues of faith. We’ve talked about what it is, how we can recognize it, what it does for us, and its importance to us as we each attempt to grow our own relationship with God.
But another aspect of faith is that it can be lost. And, that’s what I’d like us to begin to discuss in this week’s post. How can someone lose their faith, and what does it mean when they do?
As we go into this somewhat uncharted territory, please remember that these are my own thoughts and ruminations. You do not have to agree with (or even like) the points I make. The purpose of this post (and all my others) is to spark thought and reflection in the reader. And, hopefully to help the reader use those ideas thoughts and reflections to come to a better understanding of their own faith, and their own relationship with God.
My Witness.
I’ve disclosed before that I am a life-long Christian. I was fortunate to come to the realization of God early and have never questioned my youthful recognition of Him, or whether my relationship with Him was real.
I confess that I have, however, had periods in my life when that relationship was less important to me and in those times, my relationship with God wavered. It never went away, and I never totally abandoned my faith. But my relationship with God has cycled through a number of “ups and downs,” and in those “down” periods I have not lived out my faith as a Christian very well.
A self-observation that I make each time I am coming out of one of my “down” periods is just how much I’d missed my deeper relationship with Him. And, each time I vow never to let such a lapse happen again. Sadly, I’m not very good at keeping resolutions, and this is one that I’ve let slide more often than I’m comfortable with admitting. But each time I cycle “up” God is there and I am comforted by the knowledge that He never left of lost interest in me. It was the other way around.
The Point.
The point of this witness (if you want to call it that) is to show that I’m not a Christian who feels that he can flaunt his relationship with God or hold it up as an example for anyone else to follow. While I like to believe that my relationship with Him has grown and strengthened over the years, in reality it is as transient and “slippery” as anyone else’s.
None of us should feel any pride in our relationship with Him. What we should feel is gratitude. Gratitude that He puts up with our flaws and inability to sustain our relationship with Him, and humility and regret in the fact that He has to.
So, when I speak to someone about the loss or diminishment of their faith, I DO understand how this can happen. I have no right to dismiss their crisis of faith, or to judge their reaction to that crisis. Because each of our faiths is uniquely our own, no one else can know exactly what that faith is or is like. Nor can I opine as to its character, depth or sufficiency.
Setting the Stage.
These points are important as we begin to delve into why some Christians lose their faith or suffer a crisis in their relationship with God. We must always remember that we have been (or maybe are) “there,” nor is there any real assurance that we won’t be “there” at some point in the future. We must always respect someone else’s faith decisions and deal with them with love and understanding; not judgment and condemnation.
O.K., so the stage has been set and we’re ready to begin to discuss why some of us can suffer a loss of faith (or significant diminishment of) in our relationship with God. And, for the purposes of this examination, we’ll use “faith” and “relationship with God” interchangeably.
Some Observations.
First, I believe that everyone does have at least some kind of faith. That’s because everyone has a set of beliefs and values that they’ve adopted as their own and which act, for them, as a guide to how they interact with the world and the people in it.
And, almost everyone has some position regarding God and their relationship to Him. Even if their position is to reject the idea of God or religion outright, that rejection is a position regarding God or religion, and therefore constitutes an element of their faith.
Therefore, even an avowed Atheist has a faith. For them (generalizing a bit here) their faith is that there is no god, that this life is all we will get, and that our lives have meaning only to the extent that they interact with and affect others’. An Atheist may even adopt the social and moral tenants that have their roots in a recognized religion. But they don’t believe that there is any “higher power.” Theirs may not be a faith that could be described as a “religion,” but a faith it nevertheless is.
Agnostics also have faiths. To generalize (again), Agnostics tend to believe that, “there may be something there,” but that “it” may not be the God of the Jewish, Islamist or Christian faiths (or any others). They may not be sure that there is a “higher power,” but they are open to the possibility.
Agnostics may even have adopted the Jewish and/or Christian set or mores and values to govern their daily lives. But they may not attribute these to anything other than common sense or good manners.
They may be intensely spiritual, but not identify their spirituality with any specific religion. Regardless, since they have a set of ideals and principles that they live by, and they have at least some position on religion, they have a faith (as I define it).
Many people who identify as Atheist or Agnostic will freely admit that they once were “believers.” At one time they did associate with Christianity, but for a variety of reasons they came to the conclusion that their former faith was incompatible and inconsistent with their world or spiritual view.
The reasons that some people take this view of faith and religion are as numerous and varied as the people themselves. We don’t have the time to consider each “case” individually, so in the interest of time and space, we’ll look some of the more prevalent reasons given for why people turn away from their former Christian faith.
Reason One. Becoming mad at or unsatisfied with God.
People who fall into this category may feel that God had somehow disappointed them or “let them down” at a critical juncture in their lives.
A common complaint is that God, “didn’t answer my prayer.” A loved one may have died in spite of the former believer’s urgent and fervent prayers for healing. Or, the believer’s finances may have undergone drastic and catastrophic loss even while the believer was praying for another outcome.
Another complaint is that God “allowed” something “bad” to happen that He could have prevented. An example of this might be a war breaking out. Another could be a vicious dictator taking over a government and committing genocide on his own citizens. Or, a famine might sweep through a portion of the world with the result that many people perish.
Whatever the complaint(s), the former believer does not feel that they can worship (or even recognize) a God that would allow such travesties to happen. God is seen as indifferent at best, or antagonistic at worst. Many will say that a “real” or a “loving” God would not have allowed these disasters to occur. Their disappointment with or anger toward God overwhelms their faith. And so, the believer becomes a former believer.
It isn’t my purpose in this post to counter these complaints. I do see and understand the arguments. And, I confess that I’ve had similar feelings and questions as I’ve wrestled with my own spiritual crises. But I believe each of these objections to be flawed, and I will address them in future posts.
Respect for Others’ Decisions.
A decision to move away from one’s religion is usually an intensely painful one, and only made under extreme spiritual duress. Whatever someone’s reasons for moving away from their faith, they are very real and meaningful for that person. It is not a matter for those of us who remain believers to judge. We can lovingly discuss and argue. But the decision is ultimately theirs and must be respected.
Conclusion (for now).
Next week we’ll examine another two of the other more prevalent reasons for a believer to turn away from their faith. Those are:
- Reason Two. Becoming mad at or unsatisfied with the Christian Church.
- Reason Three. Becoming mad at or unsatisfied with Christians.
Hopefully, this post has “whetted” your appetite for continued examination of this important issue.
Until next week, I pray that you each receive nothing but good things.
God’s Blessings be on You All.
Richard
November 14, 2018
