Instructions: Respond to the following two discussion posts.
Due date 6/8/2024
Discussion 1.1 Posts:
Jazmine
Discuss the differences between doubting the existence of God and questioning.
-James 1:6-7 says, “but when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect anything from the Lord,” (
James 1:6-7, n.d.). Doubting the existence of God is when we pretend that God does not exist. It is when we refuse to believe that Jesus died for our sins and was risen. On the other hand, questioning God is when we ask clarification to understand His will for our lives. When we question, we spend time in prayer and reading the Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us wisdom.
b. Share a time when you were confused and God helped to direct your path.
-Upon getting my bachelor’s degree, I was really torn about whether I should do a career change and pursue a career in human resources or stay in retail banking where I have been for the past almost four years. I loved banking and became knowledgeable in the field. However, I feel as if I needed something related to my degree and challenge myself to go out of my comfort zone and learn something new. I was very confused and did not know what to do. I spent some time in prayer and looking for answers in the Bible. Until one day, God answered and led the way. Here I am now, almost three years in the human resources field.
References:
James 1:6-7 New International Version (NIV): Download the bible app now. YouVersion | The Bible App | Bible.com. (n.d.).
Crystal
Discuss the differences between doubting the existence of God and questioning.
To doubt the existence of God is to be uncertain of him. To be uncertain is to be unsure of God’s existence. If someone is undecided about God’s existence, they are in the middle of the spectrum. They are not to the left of the spectrum where they absolutely believe he does not exist, nor is one to the right of the spectrum where they absolutely believe he exists. The critical term for the spectrum is absoluteness. Absoluteness suggests that one totally and undeniably knows God is reality, or they undeniably and totally know God is fictional.
Conversely, to question God’s existence is to learn about God. When someone asks questions, they do so to seek information. The more information one has on a subject, the more informed decisions one can make about that subject. Here, questioning God’s existence is not a matter of whether he actually exists. But to the matter of how and why does God exist? Our curiosity forces us to want to find the answers to these questions. The journey this quest puts us on becomes self-transcending when we learn that there is no universal answer to how and why God exists. As a result, every individual must accept that they are solely responsible for providing their answers.
b. Share a time when you were confused, and God helped to direct your path.
I recently co-signed on a vehicle with my son. We signed on a used 2018 Chevrolet Camaro. My son is 18 years of age and has just started college. His Dad gave him one of his vehicles to use at school. However, my son desires to have a vehicle of his own. He cannot buy a car because of his age and lack of credit history. So, I helped my son establish his credit and build financial responsibility. The vehicle is under my name, but the car note, and insurance are under my son’s name. For this next year, I will pay for the car note, and my son will pay for the insurance. We agreed on specific terms and conditions for my son to keep the car. His father disapproves of my decision, stating that our son is “financially irresponsible.” I agree with him on that statement to a degree. Because his dad and his dad’s family members have enabled my son to be financially irresponsible by sending him money whenever he asks for it. Since we purchased the vehicle, I am still determining whether I made the right decision. I question if I let my emotions impede logic. The more his father is in my ear about the decision, the more I doubt it. It has only been three days since we bought the vehicle, so I still need to be provided clarity on the situation. So, I must continue to pray and have faith.
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