Questioning - Is It A Natural Process?

One of the first issues people on the spiritual path have to address is a doctrinal one: Is it wrong to question? Is asking questions about the truth we've been taught "sinful?" Your answer may have a dramatic effect on your ability to explore without guilt!

One of the major issues facing many individuals today is the question of whether or not questioning the doctrine presented by their religion as a whole is "sinful." It's the first doctrinal issue that must be addressed by an individual seeking to strengthen their level of conviction, whether that conviction is for or against their religion as the foundation on which their spirituality is built. If you believe that questioning is wrong, you will not question. But if-as is the case more and more often - your level of conviction in religious truth as you've experienced it is less than soul-deep - you will walk away from that religion without first seeking to confirm what, if any, basic truth IS acceptable to you. Regardless of what religion you were trained to as a child, walking away is a major detour on the spiritual journey, a detour that can only be avoided by making a personal commitment to walk that part of the path with an open mind.

Objectively evaluating the historical implications of religious doctrine as it is taught today is an important aspect of personal growth within any religious structure, regardless of what that religious structure might be or what philosophy it might be based on. The truth of the matter - from God's perspective - is that "HE IS," and every major religion in the world recognizes Him. They may call Him by different names and they may "see Him" in different forms, but the concept of an all-prevailing Creative Source is a universal one, and is, in actuality, the basis on which all religious doctrine is structured. God is the foundation of any religious movement.

The majority of people in the United States today follow a Christian philosophy. The percentages of people who belong to this sect or that sect - and therefore who follow this doctrine or that doctrine - is a variable that changes relatively consistently, but always there are individuals who are "born into" a certain philosophy, grow up within that philosophy, marry into that philosophy, and raise their children according to that philosophy. These individuals have never explored any other philosophy as a potential replacement. The reason for this is an obvious one: the philosophy under which they are working fits their lifestyle. They are comfortable with it, and they see no need to change - or explore the opportunity for change - in a situation where there is no crisis. There is no sense of being uncomfortable with the truth that they are living by, and in most cases most everyone else that they associate with thinks on the same basis. In some cases, this is good. In some cases, this is not so good.

The culture - and even the subgroup within a culture - that we choose to be born into has a major effect on our life lessons. The culture can either serve as a solid foundation on which our spiritual lessons can be built or as a catalyst for change if the existing foundation is not supportive of the spiritual growth we intended to accomplish. This is the primary reason why we sometimes question the spiritual beliefs of our families, and in many situations we find that what was perfectly acceptable to our mothers and our fathers, our aunts and our uncles, our brothers and our sisters, is not acceptable to us.

The process here is not just a spiritual one; our emotions are brought into full expression as we work our way - step by painful step - through the realization that we are somehow "different" from the people that we love. We suffer guilt and regret and self-doubt because we can't just accept "the truth" as it has been offered to us, and we have to decide - based on how emotional a choice it is for us personally - whether to stand separate in our own definition of truth, or whether life is easier, and more peaceful, if we just put our own ideas aside and live, as best we can, by the truth our families taught us.

For some people, this is a relatively minor process. Their sense of inner self is strong enough - whether its recognized on a conscious level or not - that they can question and confirm and deny within th