Does Christianity Require Blind Faith or Certainty? (Hint: Neither)

Many of us have heard that faith in Jesus requires either blind faith or certainty, but it turns out that both are incompatible with the Christian faith.  Whether our perception from the outside is that belief in God requires magical thinking, or whether we have seen faith communities who shut down all questions and all doubts in favor of a blind faith, the Bible instead commends a faith that is closely examined and based on the evidence of God’s work in the world and in our lives.  True faith requires building our entire life in trust on the claims of Jesus, and we share how there is nothing blind about staking everything we value on that faith.  We also explore why there has been a tendency to push for blind faith even from leaders within the church, exposing how this paternalistic tendency has led many to feel guilt and shame over the questions and doubts they have expressed.

We also tackle the idea that the Christian faith requires certainty.  We address those outside the faith who won’t come to faith unless every question they ask has been satisfied to a level of certainty, exploring the motivations behind that need.  We consider how the angels have certainty because they see God face to face, as well as the clues we have from scripture that the angels instead wish they could have faith.  Our contention is that faith and doubt are more closely aligned than faith and certainty.  In the end, growth, wisdom and sustenance from God comes from walking in an examined faith without falling to the twin errors of either blind faith or certainty. 

Discussion Questions:

Have you noticed a tendency to avoid questions or to shut down doubts in the faith communities you are familiar with?  What might be the motivations behind that tendency?  Are there any positive reasons that others may want us to avoid questions or doubts?  Even if pushing for a blind faith was well intentioned, are there unintended consequences from come from that approach?

Has the growth of information available to us ironically had the effect of making us less likely to examine questions of faith?  Do you agree that information overload causes us to make decisions based on rumors about faith claims, rather than investigating for ourselves?

How does trust in God and the evidence of His activity in our world, in our lives and in the lives of those around us differ from a blind faith?

We are commanded to remember what the Lord has done in our life and to hold onto those as a basis of our faith.  If you are or were a follower of Jesus, do you have touchpoints in your life that have anchored your faith?  How do you think about those touchpoints today, and how do they inform your faith?  

Have you been part of a faith community where you experienced guilt or shame because you felt uncomfortable with blind faith, or because you had questions that you wanted answered? 

At the other side of the spectrum, have you been tempted by the idea that unless you have certainty, you don’t really have faith?

Do you agree that faith and doubt are more closely aligned than faith and certainty?  In what ways do faith and certainty differ from one another?  

Have you ever considered that the angels have certainty because they have seen God, and that they instead long to be able to have faith, where faith in the scripture is defined as assurance and confidence in those things that are unseen (Hebrews 11:1)?  Why might that be?  Why is the faith described in the scripture seen as such a gift to humanity over and above certainty?