Healthy Skepticism Isn’t a Bad Thing

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.” 

 

So, if at times we find ourselves questioning what we believe or wondering about something in the Bible, that’s all right as long as, in Drummond’s words, we’re “looking for light,” rather than being “content with darkness.” As Jesus declared, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

What Should We Do During Times of Doubt?

Raise your hand if you have found the last 12 months or so to be difficult, confusing, even painful. The rest of you, raise your hands for not being truthful. Because in one way or more, 2020 and so far in 2021 (aka 2020, version 2.0), have perplexed us, confounded us, and maybe even unsettled our faith.

 

With chaos manifesting itself in so many forms – pandemic fears and mandates, extreme weather, political madness, the abrupt and drastic departure from “normal” – one could hardly be faulted for wrestling with periods of doubt. For non-believers, the go-to question has been, “How could a loving God allow this?” Even for believers, we’ve probably all had times when we wondered, “Lord, where are You?”

 

However, during less stressful, more predictable moments, doubts can emerge as well, from just about anywhere. A few days ago, a friend admitted her faith had been shaken a bit while reading a challenging section of the Old Testament, one of those portions of Scripture that make us think, “Wait! What?” What she read didn’t seem to mesh with the God of love, grace and mercy, manifested in the person of Jesus Christ, the New Testament shows to us.

 

Even though we’d like to deny them, doubts are actually an integral reality of the walk of faith. We see this throughout the Bible. The Israelites were a classic example. Every time circumstances got a bit difficult, they were ready to throw in the towel and trudge back to Egypt. “Hey, Moses! Yeah, we were slaves, but at least we had leeks and onions and a little bread!”

 

Reading the accounts today, we wonder, “Come on, Israel, after all God had done for you – being freed from Egypt, walking through the parted Red Sea, being given manna, then quail to fill your bellies – how can you doubt Him?” But they did. Repeatedly. It was an attitude of, “Yahweh, what have You done for us lately?” No wonder Moses smashed the first set of the 10 commandments in anger and frustration.

 

We see this over and over in the New Testament as well. By the time the man approached Jesus with the son possessed by a demon, the Lord had performed many miracles of healing and restoration. Explaining his son’s plight, the man said to Jesus, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” To which Jesus replied, “’If you can?’… Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:22-23).

 

The list of biblical doubters could go on and on, but we can’t omit Mr. Doubter himself, doubting Thomas, the skeptical disciple. Ole Tom hadn’t been there when Jesus appeared to the other disciples following His resurrection, so when he heard the others declare, “We have seen the Lord!”, his response was in the “yeah, right” category. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it” (John 20:25). He was probably president of the Galilean Skeptics Society.

 

Even when Jesus appeared a second time, with Thomas in attendance, the disciple was hesitant. Jesus addressed his doubts. “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Finally, Thomas set aside his incredulity and responded, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28).

 

We’re tempted to dismiss dubious Thomas, but aren’t we like that? There’s no need to rehash the trials and travails of the past year, but we’ve probably all wondered why God has seemed silent, even absent, when a loved one has died or suffered greatly from the virus. Or when financial woes have set in, or when an unexpected, unrelated crisis only added to our dismay.

 

I heard recently that studies have shown more than 70 percent of atheists lost their faith after going through difficult circumstances. That’s the case for people like Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking and many others. But just because God doesn’t respond the way we want Him to, when we want Him to, doesn’t mean He’s not there – or that He doesn’t care.

 

So what are we to do as such times when nagging doubts don’t want to disperse? There are no easy answers, but for one thing, don’t deny the doubts. Going back to the story of the man with the demon-possessed son, when Jesus assurance him that everything is possible for those who believe, the father replied, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). God isn’t threatened or befuddled by our doubts or questions.

 

We also need to make sure we’re listening to folks who will affirm our faith, not undermine it. As Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together…let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Faith isn’t intended or designed to be embraced and lived out in isolation.

 

God knows our minds and our thoughts, so we can be honest in approaching Him. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

 

And lastly, press through our doubts, reminding ourselves of what the Lord has already done in our lives and trusting He will continue to hear us and meet our needs. “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” (James 1:6-8). God is always at work, even when we can’t see or understand what He’s doing.