Questioning Doubt

Ok, so I know I'm on hiatus, but this is worth sharing.

In a recent interview with Christianity Today, Tim Keller, author of The Reason for God tackles a great question: If our faith is culturally conditioned, what about our doubts? And if our doubts are just as much a product of our society as our beliefs, then shouldn't we be skeptical of those too? Wouldn't they be equally worthy of critical self-examination?

It's your society that gives you the doubts. If you go to the Middle East and ask people what makes Christianity implausible, they're not going to say, "Because there can't be one true religion." They're going to say, "Because of how oppressive America has been as a Christian nation, and if you look at their culture, it's lascivious and debauched."

If you ask Americans, "What makes Christianity implausible to you?" they're not going to say, "Your popular culture is filled with sex and violence." They will say, "How could there be one true religion?"

You can read the whole thing here. This is a nice short introduction to Keller, who is a great touchstone for anyone who values thinking critically about our own culture assumptions.

If you like his responses here, you'll probably enjoy his book (whether or not you're a follower of Jesus). Thoughts? Comments?