Christianity: What it is Now & Why it Needs to Change

Having grown up in a Christian society, I was immersed and saturated in Lutheran doctrine. The mantra, "We're right, and everybody else is wrong," is a phrase that is not frowned upon, nor is it uttered quietly in the world I grew up in. As a child, it was always okay to ask questions to the adults in the church, particularly family members and the pastor of the congregation. Questions about the happenings of the Bible, about current events and how they related to the Bible, and the actions of the characters in the Bible, were all acceptable, and answered according to Lutheran doctrine (i.e. "We know X, Y, and Z because of this passage right here...and this one right here").

When I got older, and deeper questions began nagging at the very core structure I had grown up believing, my mental well-being wavered, and my peace of mind was forever faltered. Asking questions was no longer acceptable, because these questions were of more substance, about weightier issues, and called into question the very beliefs that are supposed to be, well, believed, and that's it. It seemed as if the foundation of everything I had been taught concerning religion was no longer smooth and concrete, but cracked and crumbling.

After asking enough questions that strike at any core bundle of beliefs, the believers being asked sometimes take on roles of hostility, and begin, in turn, questioning your faith. At first this hurts, and you realize that everybody whom had taught you the very core aspects of the religion that you now found so ambiguous was unwilling to think further into the issues with you. When asked, most of the older believers would take offense, saying things like, "You read too much," or "You read the wrong things," or "You think way too much."