Guess what? I’m one of those Christians who grew up in a Christian home. (I don’t think I said the word Christian enough. …Christian.)

Why am I a Christian? Well, because I grew up that way.

…Right?

Although my upbringing has an impact on my worldview, I am also aware (as all of us are) that there are higher principles and facts that exist — no matter what my parents were telling their kid over here. Like the fact that, miles and miles under my feet*, there’s liquid magma a-brewin’. And that 2,353 years ago*, a guy named Chandragupta founded the Mauryan Empire in India.* (*As of the location and date this post was published.)

According to statistics, more and more of my generation is, like, leaving the church, and, like, switching religions and, like, generally having doubts upon doubts about Christianity.

So why am I still a Christian? Well, there are quite a few reasons.

But one of the reasons I haven’t left the faith?

I’ve had doubts upon doubts about Christianity.

In a way, God actually commands us to doubt. He commands in the Scriptures, through his servant Paul, to “Test all things” (1 Thess 5:20-22). Of course, the two commands that follow this are equally important.

I often tell people, especially my non-Christian friends and coworkers, that we’re all truth-seekers. We’re all trying to find out what’s real in the world. And although it’s a necessary logical fact that some worldviews are a closer estimate to the real state of things than other worldviews… none of us have all the answers.

Sometimes we get so uptight about it, though. I think sometimes we doubt even while we’re trying to believe, and we don’t want to lose what we know, so that doubt turns into fear. And then that fear turns into defensiveness. And then you get all these political and religious fights.

I am not immune to this. I lost my very first best friend because I approached a spiritual conversation with fear and anger — without love or tact. I don’t know if he’ll ever read this, but that friend has changed my life profoundly. And I miss him dearly. And it’s in large part due to this friend that I have dedicated so much of my effort to finding common ground with all people.

I do think there are people “out there” who are so evil that they’d rather live a lie than seek the truth. But I was once one of those people. “In here.” And I neither found Truth on my own, nor did I even desire to find Truth on my own.

So, since I know what it’s like to be repulsed by the truth, and to hunger after it at the same time, I assume that anyone with whom I come into contact is hungry for Truth.

We are all truth-seekers. And no person knows everything. So let’s compare notes.

Instead of fighting in fear, let’s approach others in love, caring
first about their heart,
second about their worldview,
third about their lifestyle.

In that order.

I say let’s all present our best findings about the world and God (or the lack thereof) instead of attacking one another’s worst arguments in our worst moments.

If there is no god (or a god who doesn’t give a bean about us), then all of science, math, astronomy, physics, economics, morality, ethics, logic, engineering, and every other field of principle should point us to a world that owes us no purpose or justice.

If God is real, and He wants us to know that, then every single aspect of the world He made is just going to point to Him. And He is powerful enough to show each of us, no matter our upbringing, exactly which god, out of all of the possible characters, is the real one.

I am not afraid anymore.

I think I’ve found the right answer about who God is (and therefore who I am and how I should live my life). But I’m not afraid anymore. I’m not afraid to investigate other beliefs. To find out what kind of upbringing other people had, to meet them in their pain and joy and doubts and convictions and experiences.

And I am not ashamed to meet them there with my best presentation of the principles I have found to be true of our species and its universe and its origins.

Because that is how God treated me. And the hope and the joy and the satisfaction and the answers He gave me through His message… is the best way I could ever imagine of how to love someone’s heart.

A lot of people think we’re all just lost and wandering and looking for answers but not finding them. But no matter what you believe, that is a false conclusion about the world. Because Truth has come. And He has come to seek and save that which was lost.