Skepticism. There seems to be a lot of it these days. Have you ever felt skeptical about something, especially of late? I know I have.
For a long time, we’ve been told to “trust the science.” However, science is never “settled.” Discoveries are made constantly that upset previously held conclusions. Also, it has become apparent ‘the science’ can be as much defined by ideology and agendas as it is by facts. Sometimes there’s reason to distrust the science.
We’re moving into the teeth of a crucial election season. Candidates will be preening and posturing, promising we can trust them – but not their opponents. However, we’ve learned that 20 campaign promises and $6 will get us a small latte at our favorite coffee shop. If experience has taught anything about politics, it’s that we have reason to be skeptical.
If we look closely at any of our revered institutions – the news media, entertainment, the business world, education, even religion – we’ll find more than enough examples to justify skepticism. And you’ve probably learned we can’t believe everything we find on the Internet or social media.
Perhaps it has always been this way, but it’s evident that more than ever, we’d be wise not to believe everything we see and only half of what we hear.
So where does that put us when we’re considering the teachings and hallowed truths many of us have embraced from the Bible? Christianity certainly has its share of skeptics – maybe more than its share. But over the years I’ve learned that healthy skepticism isn’t a bad thing.
One dictionary defines skepticism as “the method of suspended judgment, systemic doubt, or criticism.” I like the term, suspended judgment. We encounter lots of people holding the attitude of, ‘I’ve made up my mind. Don’t confuse me with the facts.’ But suspended judgment doesn’t seem as certain or as dogmatic. It’s more, ‘I don’t know yet. I need more information before reaching a conclusion.’
Would you be surprised to know the Bible presents numerous skeptics in both the Old and New Testaments? Even some of its central figures?
Take Moses, for example. After seeing the burning bush and encountering God, Moses was understandably skeptical when the Lord said, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10). Moses, who was tending his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep before spotting the flaming bush, uttered the Hebrew equivalent of “Say what?!”
In the next verse we read his response: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Even after God gave him detailed instructions, Moses was still shaking his head. “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you?’” (Exodus 4:1). This obviously hadn’t been on Moses’s to-do list for that day.
Finally, the Lord provided two signs to convince him, along with agreeing to let him bring Aaron, his brother, along to assist. Moses shrugged his shoulders and thought, ‘Okay, we’ll give this a shot.’ Can we call him a reluctant prophet?
Then we have Gideon, a fellow who was minding his own business threshing wheat when an angel suddenly appeared. The angel declared, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). I can imagine Gideon looking around and thinking, ‘Who? You talking to me?’ He replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” referring to the Israelites being attacked by the Midianites, Amalekites and some other ‘ites.
After some discussion about what God wanted him to do, Gideon remained the skeptic. He demanded proof in the form of two signs involving a wool fleece and the morning dew on the threshing floor (Judges 6:36-40). Only after God had performed the signs did Gideon surrender his skepticism and take on the mission the Lord had given to him.
We could cite many others including: Sarai (later renamed Sarah) who laughed when she heard that despite her advanced age, God was going to give her a son (Genesis 18:10-15). The Jewish priest Zechariah, when he was informed his wife Elizabeth, also “well along in years,” was going to have a son (Luke 1:11-20). Jesus’ disciples immediately following His resurrection, and especially Thomas, who demanded proof they weren’t dreaming or having hallucinations (John 20:24-29).
We could criticize each of these for not having enough faith to believe what they were told. But we find another brief account in the book of Acts confirming that healthy skepticism isn’t a bad thing. The apostle Paul had been speaking in the Greek city of Berea. It states, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).
Describing them as having “noble character” suggests they were teachable and willing to learn but diligent to determine if what Paul was saying aligned with the Old Testament prophecies. They listened as skeptics but were open to receiving the truth.
Scottish evangelist and scientist Henry Drummond once made this observation: “Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is ‘can’t believe’; doubt is ‘won’t believe.’ Doubt is honesty; unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light; unbelief is content with darkness.”
