Diocese of Orange Claims Doubt is Important Role in Our Belief and Practice of Truth

Surprisingly, doubt plays an important role in one’s pursuit of the truth

It's hard to believe there isn't an editor with their finger on the pulse of Sanctifying Grace who wouldn't read through this submission and see the glaring theological buffoonery, but here we are.

Do you believe, with absolute certainty, that Jesus is the Son of God? Are you confident that evidence of His life on earth, and His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into heaven, is completely irrefutable? Is your belief in God’s love for humanity and God’s forgiveness for human sins perfect and true, down to the very core of your being?

If so, then your faith may be on shaky ground.

Right. Because there's nothing more earth shattering to faith than believing with absolute certainty in Christ, His Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension.

This poor soul has no business writing for a Catholic periodical. He not only lacks knowledge of the fruit of Sanctifying Grace, he sees the fruit as the course to avoid on the road to purification and sanctification.

For centuries, theologians have maintained that pure, absolute conviction, the total absence of doubt in religious and spiritual matters, is anything but a sign of faith.

So much for the theological virtues at the Annunciation.

Furthermore, doubt itself may be essential to a life of Christian faith.

Doubt is the obstacle to Truth. It's the outward manifestation of a sickness in the soul that needs to be cured or a wound that needs to be healed. In practice, doubt prevents people from right judgment and right actions.

Doubt stems from poor catechesis and formation that leads to lack of trust.

We may see doubt on a person's journey of faith but it is never a good thing.

You know what the real problem with this article is?

When a parent, evangelist, priest, bishop, Pope hear a person express doubt, there is NO DOUBT that God has sent us a person walking around with a ball and chain, and we hold the keys to their freedom. With absolute certainty, we respond by supplying that person with the information they need to kick their doubts to the curb.

Yet this author doubts catechized evangelists in a state of Grace!

Then something happens in his life, a relatively inconsequential event or a tragic catastrophe, that undermines his “perfect” understanding of God. Doubt enters the picture, and since God is perfect, the Christian believes he must be flawed. So he tries to flee from doubt – as quickly as possible. After all, perfect faith is the absence of doubt, right?

Wrong.

Ugh!

Every one of us experiences disappointment or frustration when fervent prayer seems to go unanswered by God or something happens in our lives that makes us feel God has abandoned us. Even Christ felt abandonment.

While it doesn't necessarily signal a serious crisis in our faith, its safe to say the sooner we get rid of it, the better!

If it rises to the level of questioning whether Christ is the Son of God, you've got a spiritual emergency on your hands. It's time to hit up the Sacraments, call on Our Lady with the Rosary and do some spiritual readiing. Bishop Fulton Sheen is a good go-to guy in a crisis of faith.

And whatever you do, stay away from diocescan newspapers!