Is It Ok to Question Your Religious Beliefs?

Do you remember the last time you questioned your religious beliefs?  How did that work out for you? Were you able to have an engaging discussion with one of your friends, or perhaps a family member, or maybe even a member of the clergy? How did the experience leave you feeling? Were you satisfied? Did you resolve your questions? Or were you left with more questions than answers without any further insight into where you might find your answers?

Religious beliefs are a matter of faith. There is no way to prove our religious beliefs. I find it rather curious that religious beliefs cannot be proven.  Perhaps that is on purpose?  I mean if religious beliefs were based on physical facts, then sooner or later they could be either verified or revealed to be false. The religious belief that the sun revolved around the earth was indeed proven to be false but not without a lot of pushbacks. But the majority of our religious beliefs remain outside the realm of being verifiable.  

Our beliefs, your beliefs and my beliefs are unique to each one of us. They differentiate us from each other. Not just our religious beliefs, but all of our beliefs. Our political beliefs, our social beliefs, our beliefs about climate change, all our beliefs define us as unique individuals. No other person on the planet has the same beliefs as you. Here is an interesting aspect about a personal belief. It is subject to change.

We don’t often take the time to consider how our early childhood beliefs have changed as we have grown older. There are obvious belief changes like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. But what about your personal beliefs about yourself? As a child, did you think you could grow up to be President, or perhaps an astronaut, or maybe even a famous actor? How about a rock and roll star?  Do you still believe you can become whatever you choose to become, within reason of course? Or have your beliefs about yourself changed?

Consider your beliefs about your family, the world, poverty, love, your health, medicine. Have your beliefs about any of those topics changed? I bet more than one has changed and that is completely normal. So why shouldn’t it be normal for your religious beliefs to change? Which brings us back to where we started. How do you have a meaningful conversation about your religious beliefs. It helps to talk with someone who isn’t trying to convince you that you are wrong in questioning your religious beliefs.

That is where a non-religious spiritual director can be particularly helpful. A non-religious spiritual director is not defending a specific religious dogma. A non-religious spiritual director is not going to suggest that you pray more or read the sacred scriptures more. A non-religious spiritual director is going to listen to you and respect your questioning. A non-religious spiritual director is going to encourage you and offer support and offer resources as you search out answers to your questions.

If you have never worked with a non-religious spiritual director, how about a risk-free opportunity to explore what it is like? I offer a complimentary first session to anyone who is questioning their religious beliefs. Just send me an email expressing your interest in an exploratory session. My contact information is available on my website.