Commitment

You were contrasting the following two statements:

(1) I am committed to belief in Christ as Lord and Saviour, but I'll admit I have doubts

and

(2) I'm just not sure if the claims of Jesus are true. Since I can't be sure, I will withhold commitment.

I'm trying to work out the subtleties of these statements and it's not easy. What do you mean by commitment? Is it possible to believe in Jesus without being "committed to belief in Christ"? If commitment = belief then the word can be substituted in the second sentence above .. so it reads like this:

(2*) I'm just not sure if the claims of Jesus are true. Since I can't be sure, I will withhold belief.

Which kind of makes more sense to me .. but is that what you mean? I don't think it is though because if you try the substitution into the first sentence you get something like:

(1*) I believe in my belief in Christ as Lord and Saviour, but I'll admit I have doubts

Which doesn't make any sense.

Is "belief in something" a binary state? (Either one does believe or one does not believe?). Can it be said that if a person weighs the probability that Jesus exists as anything greater than 50% then that person is said to "believe in Christ"? And coversely if it's less than 50% then that person is said to be an unbeliever. Some folks maintain though that Jesus lived exactly as how The Bible said He lived. And, if they have doubts (see your post) then these people are not being entirely honest with themselves are they? You've heard me make overtones on this before, using words like brainwashing. A repitive way of behaving designed to keep people under some sort of control.

There is no certainty as far as I can see so why hold on to the notion that there is? Admittedly it is comforting to my daughter for her to feel certain about things, and until she grows emotionally I will try to make her feel so - but I keep reminding her that in my opinion the world is not really like that and when she realizes and accepts that fact then life will be less of surprise, less stressful in the long run. I told her the Voltaire quote and she's mulling it over.

+++

Decrying a legal loophole while participating in it? Hmmm, sounds rather two faced. Interesting that you raised this as this was exactly the reason I stopped going to my Christian homegroup. I felt like a two faced shyster and these good God fearing people did not need someone like me in their midst, someone who sees the hand of man all over The Bible. So I left.

I do not feel that I need anyone to feel committed to Christ - just The Lord Himself. He is asking me to Love God and to Love my fellow person, and I really am trying, I don't always get it right.