What questions do you have about the Bible, God, or faith?
I grew up with lots of questions about what I was taught at church.
No one could explain why the moon was called a “light” in the Bible, when we know that it merely reflects light.
In youth group, I argued with the teacher saying I didn’t agree that discipline and punishment were the same thing. He got so angry, he threw down his Bible and stormed out of the room.
In college, while our Bible class was working through the story of the ancient Israelites, I questioned why God seemed to condone and even command genocide. Flustered by his inability to produce a satisfactory answer, the elder teaching our class pounded his fist on the table and shouted “you don’t question the Bible!”
I was seeking understanding, but my questioning was clearly felt as a challenge.
As I grew and matured, I could no longer subscribe to the bumper sticker adage “The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it.” As much as I loved the church – it wasn’t a safe place for my questions.
When I made my way to seminary, I had no specific career ambitions but I was desperate to better understand the Bible. At the top of my list was what God thought about me as a woman. Did God indeed create me as a lesser being than my male counterparts? Were there ways in which the Bible prohibited me from serving in the church? Were gifts distributed according to gender?
Having buried and denied and not fully acknowledged the whispers of calling I had as a young child, I had zero plans to pursue ministry. I just wanted to learn the ancient languages so I could get as close to the “original message” as possible and see for myself what God said about women (among other things).
What I discovered is that while the history, transmission, and interpretation of the Bible is far more complicated (and endlessly fascinating!) than I imagined, I had been fed a big ole pile of lies about women. I could go on and on about this (I focused my doctoral work on the full inclusion of women in the life and leadership of the church. But I want to know—what questions do YOU have?
My biggest question is how did you keep your faith when answered the way you were. Our daughter was given a similar response when she asked how was there light before the sun was created. But she lost her faith.
That is a great question, and I’ve been simmering on it for the past 24 hours. The short answer involves some mentors and religion classes in college and seminary. But I have a much longer answer, so my blog post next Sunday will address this. I really appreciate your question.