The Price of Christianity Without Doubt

Extreme religion leads our country to greater division… and isn’t who Christ is

Let’s talk about something easy – religious faith.

Have I got your attention?

Bring up the topic of religion and most people draw a deep breath, their jaws clench, and they decide, in an instant, that they aren’t going to say anything. This is especially true if the subject is faith. Delving into the realm of faith is like touching the third rail of electrified train tracks. Nobody does it.

Hazardous as it may be, I think we can no longer stay silent about faith, especially since millions of conservative evangelical Christians have moved into the realm of fanatical faith and it is radicalizing their view of life in this country and their fellow citizens.

Faith is a wonderful thing.  Christians of ordinary faith accept the mystery of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit even though they don’t tap you on the shoulder to tell you they are real. I have this kind of faith, which also leads me to search the Bible for guidance. But I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with doubting one’s faith from time to time. Crises of faith are normal and can lead to a deeper understanding of our beliefs.

Many figures in the Bible – Mary, John, Andrew, Peter, and others – admitted to having doubts. Most preachers and pastors, if they are truly honest, will say they have had periods of doubt too. I admit to my doubting moments. In wrestling with these doubts, I learn humility and modesty and, eventually, affirm my faith as something freely chosen and not given blindly. As the theologian Paul Tillich wrote: “Doubt is not the opposite of faith. It is an element of faith.”

Among a vast number of conservative evangelicals, faith begins and ends with proclaiming total unwavering belief in the presence of God in their lives even if that means keeping their doubts secret. Generally, this means a believer will feel super confident because they are sure God is on their side, or they may overcompensate with volume to cover their doubts.

Blindly faithful people have plenty of reasons to reject those who don’t believe in the same way. In doing so they may cite the Old Testament, which says, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Or they may point to the New Testament says, “Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” and “whoever does not believe is condemned.”

Think about what it means for millions of overzealous Christians to believe that other people are condemned to burn in a lake of fire AND that fellowship with unbelievers – “light and darkness” – is a dangerous thing.  In my view, applying these attitudes outside of religion, in, say, politics and community life,  leads people to isolate themselves, hate those who are different, and reject ideas that come from secular sources like science.    

Think about these qualities of extreme evangelicals. They are isolated. They hate those who don’t share their beliefs. And they reflexively reject ideas that come from the outside. These are, of course, the hallmarks of Donald Trump’s Republican Party which is more extreme in its values, more extreme in its attitudes toward others, and more extreme in its isolation. The GOP also rejects doubters, like candidates and officeholders who refuse to declare allegiance to former president Trump.

With the rising influence of hyper-conservative evangelicals in the party, I think it’s possible that they brought into politics the culture of division that now troubles the entire system. Ironically, just as they are achieving peak political influence, their religious appeal is in decline. Fully 33 percent of white (generally more conservative) Americans called themselves evangelicals in 1999. As of 2021, the number was down to 21 percent. Young people, who are rejecting the church in droves, cite ethical, religious, or political beliefs.

Where is all of this leading?  I expect to see the GOP become more extreme not less as fanatical conservative Christians dominate the party and its message. In the meantime, their faith will become less influential as a religious and moral force. If only they could recognize the doubt that arises in every soul, from time to time, and let that truth inspire them to love, not hate, the other.

I’ve learned in my own faith journey, that Jesus loves me, yes even me, a flawed man with many moral lapses. He’s not all that interested in tax rates or immigration policy, just love. That’s a mind blowingly radical idea today, as it was when he was crucified. Thankfully he beat death, and he will again, even when it cloaks itself in his name.